Arrow Films, out now

When the polar icecaps melt, most of humanity perishes under the riding waters, the survivors living on floating shanty towns and looking for the last remaining dry land.

It’s hard to imagine that at the time of its release in 1995, Waterworld was the most expensive movie ever made, a crown taken off it two years later by ‘king of the world’ James Cameron’s Titanic. That’s not to say that the movie looks cheap – it features huge, expensive sets – just that thematically it feels like one of those post-apocalyptic Mad Max knockoffs, but 10 years after that ship had sailed. Kevins Costner and Reynolds returned respectively as actor and director after their Prince of Thieves hit (the latter leaving the project after Costner’s alleged back-seat driver interference) and they craft a colourful and lively action flick, but it’s nothing special.

For a whole generation of kids, Waterworld is that cool stunt show at Universal Studios theme parks, and that’s where the movie excels. The stunts and pyrotechnics are excellent, and dodgy underwater CGI aside, mutant gill-sporting submariner Kev makes a credible action hero. It’s just the longueurs on the trimaran that slow it down, and the overused ‘chosen one/golden child’ trope that hampers any suggestion of originality.

Just in case you didn’t find the movie long enough at 2 hours 20, Arrow have included two more high definition cuts in this limited edition. In addition to the newly restored regular theatrical cut there’s the TV version – lots of new scenes to slow it down, but with trims made for the network – and the pompously titled Ulysses Cut which is the best of both Waterworlds by having the extra scenes but none of the censor cuts.

There’s the usual collector’s ephemera of postcards, double-sided fold-out poster and 60-page book with new writing on the film, but the real meat of the extras is in Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld, a fascinating new, 1 hour 45 minute documentary. It was a troubled production from the off, and there’s loads of juicy insight. There’s also the expected stills galleries, trailers and TV spots.

Verdict: Waterworld fans will lap up this extensive set while the curious will get more from the excellent behind-the-scenes content. 7/10

Nick Joy