Comparison between the TV-Cut and the Ulysses Cut (both included on Disc 2 + 3 of Arrow Videos UK Blu-ray)


- 45 deviations, including 5x alternative material & 8 censorships of sound
- difference: 72.7 sec (= 1:13 min)

The history of the WATERWORLD-Versions

In 1995, with Kevin Costners Waterworld, a much-debated last days-epic came into the cinemas, which at that time, with 175 million US-Dollars, was the most expensive movie of all time. Originally, only 100 million US-Dollars were scheduled and the massive increase in costs was one of the reasons why they laid their hands on it again for a final Theatrical-Version. Costner fired the original director and longtime friend Kevin Reynolds without further ado and trimmed about 40 minutes. Later you could first watch on US TV and then also find on the American DVD an Extended Version coming closer to the original vision.

In our censorship-report about the US TV-Cut we have already presented the largely interesting enhancements. However, it was important to emphasize, that for the American television-requirements also some censorship-procedures were made. To clear things up a little more, in a separate special censorship-report we have already pointed out the censored moments of the TV-Version. Over the years, a popular fan-edit (or rather several versions of it), which was called "Ulysses Cut" and contained the extensions of the US TV-Cuts, but at the mentioned censorship-locations again matched the uncensored Theatrical-Version.

Now, of course, with such a fanedit, you are more in a legal gray area and the joy was great among fans, as the British Collectors-Label Arrow Video announced the details for the 3-disc Blu-ray set available since the 21. January 2019. As we reported earlier, restored in 4K was not only the original Theatrical-Version, but also the additional material of the TV-Version, which was found and then scanned in 4K. And exactly in the wake of these developments, the „Ulysses Cut“ on the third Disc - which offers an uncensored film option with the longer TV-Material - of this Limited-Edition was reconstructed.

Small Differences in TV-Version & Ulysses Cut by Arrow Video

As you could take from the two older censorship-reports, there are also many deviations with alternative material or censorship-related adjustments purely on the soundtrack. Since experience shows, that this procedure is always very vulnerable to small mistakes in newly put together film-versions or just simply decisions of a label going this way, which are discussion-worthy, it was certain, that we would take a closer look at the new Arrow-Versions. The present censorship-report is therefore similar to the actual censored content of the US TV-Version, but in detail there are a few differences - in both Arrows TV-Version as well as in the house-made Ulysses Cut.

So on the one hand, it is noticeable, that there is a mix regarding the sound-censorships or more specifically the two Arrow-Versions are identical either in one direction or the other. Unfortunately from the soundtrack deleted dialogs are missing in a few places in the Ulysses Cut as well, while in the real US-Cut defused beat- / kick-sounds can be heard several times uncensored in Arrows TV-Cut. Sadly, not quite the consistent implementation. But when in the TV-Cut "slime" instead of "shit" can be heard, for example, then this was quite correctly adapted or more specifically in the Ulysses Cut again is heard the coarser alternative. All in all, one can be completely satisfied sound-wise or rather the deviations just mentioned may sound more serious than they really are.

In addition, one can say that Arrows TV-Cut in some places is longer than the in those days compared TV-Version for example the harpoon-strike in the beginning. To the Fanedit you could already read, that different TV-Recordings partly have slightly varying cuts. To what extent there is something to it, we could not examine more closely. Whether Arrow has occasionally overlooked moments or was just oriented towards another TV-Version, thus remains speculation.

Last but not least, a few places with alternative material differ. There are quite a few in the Arrow versions as well, but sometimes alternative shots of the actual TV-Version are missing completely or you can even see the TV-Shot in the Ulysses Cut and then the alternative one from the Theatrical-Version (see nude scene with Helen). Here also, ultimately no part really stands out negatively, but it’s just not 1: 1 as described in the old report.

All in all, a round package in any case and despite deviations to the old TV-/Ulysses-Versions, clearly recommended to anyone interested. One should also hurry up a bit, because the limited edition with the Ulysses Cut is already sold out by the distributor.


The censorship-describtions were partly taken out of the old censorship-report by author-colleague Jason.



Runtime informations are arranged according to the pattern:
TV-Version Blu-ray / Ulysses Cut Blu-ray

01:33 / 01:33-01:43

The Mariner urinates in the plastic container. The TV-Version doesn’t start until he closes his pants.

9.4 sec

08:55 / 09:04-09:06

The trader is cursing a little in "PortuGreek".

2 sec

22:03 / 22:14-22:16

While the real TV-Cut lacks the harpoon hit in the foot, you can see it in Arrows TV-Cut. In exchange, shortly after, the view of the overturning attacker is (accurately) missing as well as the renewed close-up of his foot with the harpoon. One can also see him screaming during a close-up 5 frames longer in the beginning.

1.5 sec

At 37:54 / 38:07 the curse "God damn it!" was deleted from the soundtrack for the TV-Version. Unfortunately, the Ulysses Cut also remains silent at this point.


38:27 / 38:40-38:41

A Smoker gets hit on his jet ski by a fireball and falls into the water screaming.

1.1 sec

38:33 / 38:47-38:48

The Smoker climbing up the ladder is pierced with a spear.

1.5 sec

38:41 / 38:56-38:59

An arrow from the huge crossbow hits a Smoker sitting on his jet ski in the upper body.

The other compared TV-Version was missing only the hit, the Arrow-Version also the view of the crossbow.

2.3 sec

40:40 / 40:58

A Smoker flies into the direction of the cage, where the Mariner is trapped. The shot of the Smokers face as he crashes against the cage is missing.

0.5 sec

40:55 / 41:13-41:14

An atoll inhabitant is getting shot bloody.

0.8 sec

In the 44th minute, there was a distant strike-sound in the original TV-Cut to criticize. You can hear this in both Arrow-Versions.


44:47 / 45:06-45:07

After the machete throw the beginning of the following shot is missing, in which the Smoker is hit directly.

0.6 sec

In the 46th minute, a kicking-sound was attenuated in the original TV-Cut. One can hear this in both Arrow-Versions.


52:33 / 52:53-52:57

Deacon shoots one of the two hung persons, the other gets a big shock.
Deacon turns to the remaining atoll inhabitant and says, "You won. Start over."

4.2 sec

Alternative / Additional material in the TV-Cut
53:52-53:53 / 54:15-54:17

In the TV-Version, Deacon's "Treasurer" is shown at this point, in the Theatrical-Version & also the Ulysses Cut, the screaming atoll inhabitant. In addition, he does not scream in the TV-Version, instead he says in a more calm tone "No, no, no, you said you wasn’t …", before he is being shot.

Ulysses Cut 0.4 sec longer

TV-Cut	Ulysses Cut

Alternative / Additional material in the TV-Cut
58:27-58:34 / 58:51-58:58

Alternative shot: In the TV-Version, the camera remains in close-up-position, while Helen drops her clothes. The Ulysses Cut, after a short alternative take of it, shows a slightly more distant shot with the view of her bared butt.

No difference in time

TV-Cut	Ulysses Cut

58:34 / 58:58-58:59

The camera moves a little higher on the naked Helen - so you can surmise the breast again.

0.8 sec

58:38 / 59:03-59:04

Again the bared Helen from behind.

Actually, this is an alternative shot for the close-up of the Mariners face seen in the TV-Cut. In Arrows Ulysses Cut, instead first mentioned close-up is shown and then the shot of Helen.

1.5 sec

60:23 / 60:50-60:52

After the Mariner has climbed up, one can see Enola looking afterwards again.

1.9 sec

Additional material in the TV-Cut
60:29-60:32 / 60:58

The Mariner in the TV-Cut a bit longer and Enola a few frames earlier.

+ 1.9 sec

Censorship of sound
62:00 / 62:27

With identical recording one can hear in the TV-Cut "Looks like slime“, in the Ulysses Cut (as in the Theatrical-Version) "Looks like shit".

Image for classification

62:09 / 62:36-62:37

Deacon concludes at the end of the onscreen setting: "(It does look like) shit."
In Arrows TV-Cut over the identical following take you only hear "...slime."

0.9 sec

62:16 / 62:44

Another short view of Deacon.

0.5 sec

62:17 / 62:45-62:46

And another one.

1.2 sec

Alternative / Additional material in the TV-Cut
62:20-62:29 / 62:49-62:56

The TV-Version shows a slightly more distant shot of Deacon sitting in his chair looking at the glass eye. At this point he also grabs onto the empty eye socket for a short time, before he throws his eye to the other Smoker behind him. In the Ulysses Cut (in the Theatrical-Version as well), another close-up of Deacon is seen, as he gazes fiercely at the glass eye; in this setting, he doesn’t additionally grab the empty eye socket.

How he throws the glass eye back can then briefly be seen in a very similar, but in detail definitely alternative take in the Ulysses Cut.

TV-Version 1.9 sec longer

TV-Cut	Ulysses Cut

Censorship of sound
70:41 / 71:08

Helens "Son of a bitch" before the "Look at me" was muted in the TV-Cut.

Image for classification

71:24 / 71:51-71:52

The Smoker at the steering wheel of the plane puts a cigarette in his mouth.

1.1 sec

71:32 / 72:00-72:02

The Smoker lights the cigarette.

1.7 sec

Censorship of sound
72:00 / 72:30

In an identical shot one can hear in the TV-Cut "Oh, come on", in the Ulysses Cut (as well as in the Theatrical-Version) „Fuck!".

Image for classification

72:35 / 73:05-73:06

The aerial gunner is pierced bloody by the harpoon.

0.5 sec

72:41 / 73:12-73:13

The beginning of the shot, where one can see the bloody front of the harpoon sticking out of the plane, is missing.

1.2 sec

73:34 / 74:06-74:08

Here also in an additional take.

2.1 sec

101:47 / 102:21-102:24

This shot starts earlier in the Theatrical-Version; the face of one of the dead is shown in close-up, a bullet hole in the head is clearly visible.

2.8 sec

115:24 / 116:00-116:01

The Smoker is pulled up during another setting by the sling.

0.8 sec

118:07 / 118:44-118:55

Deacon offers Enola a cigarette; "No. How about a cigarette? Nothing like a good smoke when you miss your mom. Never too young to start."

The last words can still be heard over the first second of the part also included in the TV-Cut, muted there accordingly.

11.1 sec

119:43 / 120:31-120:34

Deacon takes another drag from the cigarette at the end of the take.

2.7 sec

119:55 / 120:46-120:49

The beginning of this shot, in which Deacon says "Girl, I don't give a shit what he'd like", is missing.

3.2 sec

Alternative / Additional material in the TV-Cut
120:23-120:25 / 121:18-121:20

In the TV-Version there is a short shot of Enola inserted; in the Theatrical-Version & the Ulysses Cut, Deacon is shown earlier "... what's left of you in a goddamn jar." he says. The "goddamn" was removed from the soundtrack of the TV-Version; here he just says "... what's left of you in a jar."

Ulysses Cut 0.7 sec longer

TV-Cut	Ulysses Cut

132:24 / 133:19-133:26

A little more dialog.

Gregor: "That's why he's going after Enola. To find Dryland."
Mariner: "I don't care about Dryland."

6.7 sec

Alternative / Additional material in the TV-Cut
138:06-138:08 / 139:08-139:11

An alternative shot of the drowned Smoker; in the Ulysses Cut (and the Theatrical-Version) his face is shown more clearly. Furthermore, only there is being cross-faded into the following take.

Interesting: According to the other censorship-report in the actual TV-Cut, there was only a normal cut without the alternative take.

Ulysses Cut 1 sec longer

TV-Cut	Ulysses Cut

138:44 / 139:47

The direct hit with the jet ski was removed (end of the shot).

0.3 sec

138:45 / 139:48

The Mariner bangs into the pillar with the Smoker in front of the jet ski (end of the take).

0.5 sec

141:45 / 142:49-142:53

The camera additionally drives around the ladder; thereby the Mariner strangles the Smoker longer. Meanwhile, Enola continues to talk in the Off: "He can hide in the shadow of the noon sun".

3.8 sec

Censorship of sound
143:27 / 144:35

In an identical shot, one can hear in the TV-Cut "And let's get this tub of junk up to speed!", in the Ulysses Cut (as well as in the Theatrical-Version) at the bold spot: "shit".

Image for classification

144:36 / 145:44-145:49

Deacon lights a match on Enola and in turn uses it to light himself a cigarette.

5.2 sec

Censorship of sound
144:39 / 145:52

At the "goddamn" at this point the "god" was deleted from the soundtrack, so that only "damn" remains.

Image for classification

For a few seconds, a censorship of sound was forgotten in the Ulysses Cut, because the bold word is unfortunately missing here in the off-comment: "if I gotta cut 'em out of her goddamn back."


Censorship of sound
145:41 / 146:53

In the TV-Cut, Deacan says "He's like a toilet that won't flush", in the Ulysses Cut and the same take „turd" can be heard.

Image for classification

Censorship of sound
145:59 / 147:11

In the TV-Cut Deacan says "You are a total slime-o!", In the Ulysses Cut it’s "You are a total freakin' retard!" instead.

Image for classification

Censorship of sound
147:59 / 149:11

The "goddamn it!" was deleted from the soundtrack.

Image for classification

After the closing-credits, the black screen lasts a little longer in the TV-Cut.