M F ALFREY

This page contains Amazon Associate links. As an associate, I may earn commission from qualifying purchases.

Never in a million years …

Massive Waterworld fan here since its release in 1995. Why? I was fifteen and had already got well into the Mad Max franchise (then three films: Mad Max ‘79, Road Warrior ‘81, and Beyond Thunderdome ‘85) and was craving that postapocalyptic edge in the movies I watched. Another notable film which scratched that itch for me was Hardware, a 1990 sci-fi horror, the opening scene of which started in the wastelands of a postapocalyptic desert. So, when Waterworld came out with its postapocalyptic setting after a great flood I was like, “Woah, Mad Max on water, genius!” and to my fifteen-year-old mind it truly was genius and I lapped it up.

Sure, it was a box-office flop, the production cost for this film was infamously epic and the sets suffered damage at the whim of the sea despite Spielberg warning against shooting on open water after his experience with Jaws. Yet none of that mattered to me, it was an epic undertaking and a kick-ass film as far as I was concerned and the soundtrack by James Newton Howard (one of my fave composers at the time) is a haunting kind of sublime. I’ve rarely felt so transported away to another world as I felt with Waterworld. It gave me chills. Which brings me to the main point of this post: Waterworld, the show.

Brief history of Universal Studios and me before I start: never in a million years did I ever think I would go to a Universal Studios. Some may find it silly, and begging the question why? It is just a theme park after all. Sure, but back when I was a kid, it was only other people that went and did that sort of thing. It was always over there, in America, or across the sea somewhere else too distant to even consider visiting. Too expensive, a waste of money, blah, blah, blah. It’s funny, it has taken me over thirty years to get there, but I got there – well, not exactly where I thought there was. In this case, Osaka, Japan.

Bathe in that Waterworld ambience

It’s the classic narrative line for writers: give the main character/reader what they want, but not how they expect it. My wife and I were in Japan, our second time in Osaka, looking for a cheap place to stay for a week (Osaka has some great options for tourists in this respect). So, we booked up and looked at the map and what should be just twenty minutes by train from our accommodation in Minato Ward? Yeah, you got it – Universal Studios Japan. So, we both said it would be rude not to go.

There were a few things on our tick lists for USJ once we’d gotten over the idea we were both actually going: Jurassic Park, the Ride; Super Nintendo World; Minion Park; Amity Island; and, of course, Waterworld the show. The latter being something I’d dreamed of seeing since my knowledge of its existence. You can see the show in California, Osaka, Sentosa, and Beijing. I’ll go into our experience of the other attractions in later posts.

We can’t speak Japanese, at all, but that didn’t stop us enjoying the show. The night before we geeked out and watched the movie again. The next day, after getting to the park one hour before the offical opening time to wait in the huge queue, we scoped out the Waterworld zone right after getting soaked on the JP ride. We had made a beeline for that while everyone else ran (literally) to Nintendo World. You can walk around the Waterworld area outside of the atoll arena as much as you want. There was no one there when we arrived at around 09:30. So we enjoyed looking at the props and listening to that beautiful soundtrack along with the creaking effects of the atoll.

Showtime!

The main show we were aiming for was the first at 11:00. On the day we visited there were two more showings at 13:00 and 15:00, (you can find out show times and ride wait times on the really useful park app which is translated into English and I recommend) I really wanted to sit in the splash zone and my wife, bless her heart, was game and that goofy, nerdy, fifteen-year-old me was over the moon. I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t been but trust me when I say you get wet! I wore a poncho, but it was useless. The performers know their trade and they do it well. Being the biggest guy right at the front I was targeted for a little audience participation. What resulted was a good soaking and a memory that will stick with me.

But how was the show? What happened? What was it like? Again, I shan’t spoil it by giving details. For a massive fan like me, the whole show is absolutely awesome. The music, the performance, the stunts. The performers did a great job, and you could see the training and rehearsals paying off. Even though we only got the odd word in Japanese, they did a sterling job of communicating the story and giving that feeling of swashbuckling adventure you see in the movie. The pyrotechnics are epic. You don’t just see the show, you feel it. Sure, we expected water, we expected a drenching, but the heat of the explosions was something else. The action and storytelling were well-paced and came to a satisfying end and, though you can’t take pics of the show or film it (for obvious reasons) it seemed okay to take a few pics of the aftermath.

Would I recommend the Waterworld show at USJ? By Poseidon I would! My wife enjoyed it so much we went to see the 15:00 showing which was totally packed compared to the first show that only had a small crowd. I don’t know if it was just our perception, but the last show felt more epic. As though the explosions were bigger somehow, so that’s worth bearing in mind. Though if you want to be at the front in the splash zone, get there at least 30 mins before show time. If you prefer smaller crowds and a slightly more intimate show, I recommend going to the first showing of the day and, if you do sit at the front, be prepared to get engaged and get very, very wet!