Waterworld (1995) - 15 mistakes

Revealing: The Mariner had just been ignominiously catapulted off the mast of his boat as a result of the tethering rope breaking loose from the circling airplane. In the scene showing him climbing back onto his boat land can plainly be seen on the right side of the frame. This occurs just prior to Helen saying: "Oh, I'm really sorry".

Revealing: In the opening scene where Mariner is sailing his boat into the distance, land can quite clearly be seen on the horizon up ahead.

Revealing: When the Mariner hangs a man from a rope on his ship, the man jumps ahead a little: he puts his hand round his throat and makes strangled noises before the rope even goes straight.

Revealing: In most of the underwater shots you can see bubbles coming up from the cameraman.

Revealing: Right before the Smokers show up, you can see land on the left hand side of the screen.

Continuity: When the Deacon begins his speech near the end of the movie, he is holding a bottle of liquor that is almost empty. When the girl is brought out, the bottle is now almost full.

Continuity: During the attack on the Atoll, a smoker on water skis falls over while going up the ramp. The next shot shows him hitting the wall of the Atoll, but he is now upright again.

Revealing: During the attack on the atoll, a smoker on a jet ski throws a flaming bottle of gasoline at the wall. The explosion occurs several feet from where the bottle hits the wall, obviously a pre-planted charge.

Continuity: After the mariner escapes the atoll and begins turning the gunboat towards the deacon, we see the firing path pass the end of the atoll wall. A couple shots later, it shows four smokers on jet skis getting shot as they exit the main gate, which is in the center of the wall facing the attack and had already been passed by the firing path.

Continuity: When the woman is on Mariner's boat, you can see that her dress strap is on her arm, but when the camera goes back to him and then back to her it is on her shoulder.

Factual error: Regardless of the type of event that caused the ice caps to melt, Waterworld, as shown, is impossible because: A. Scientists have measured that if all landlocked ice (Antarctica, Greenland, and the like) melted, the worldwide water level would not rise by anywhere near enough to cover the whole world in water. B. The melting of the North Pole ice cap would have no effect at all on the worldwide water level because that ice cap is already floating in the water (try putting an ice cube in a glass of water and letting it melt. The water level won't change). C. Unless the event that caused the ice to melt also altered the earth's tilt, the poles would still be cold and would refreeze, lowering the water level.

Continuity: In the beginning when Mariner goes diving off his boat for sunken treasure, he fills a timer with a handful of small stones which steadily drop to bring up the diving equipment when exhausted. After the camera shows some scenes to imply time going by, you can clearly see the amount of stones fallen is equal to about ten handfuls of stones.

Plot hole: When Costner spots the Smokers on their jet skis, his catamaran has no sails up and is dead in the water. He hastily puts up the sails and speeds away, outrunning the Smokers. This would be impossible in real life, from a standing start and light wind.

Continuity: When Mariner is knocked into the mud pit while in the cage we see that it does indeed sink. However as the woman and the girl are crossing the bridge to get to the windmill, the camera cuts to Mariner in the cage. The cage has sunk so that he only has room for his head and shoulders. Then as the woman and girl run past him there is another shot in which the cage is now further out of the mud and Mariner has room for the majority of his upper body.

Continuity: Near the end one of the balloon's ropes is shot, causing the girl to fall in the water. Yet, seconds later as they float off all 6 ropes are holding the basket up, uncut.