Corrected entry: The Mariner takes Helen down to the sea bed in a makeshift 'diving bell'. He tells Helen there is only enough air for one person. The depth they dive to is shown as quite comfortably exceeding 200m. (To save this turning into a science essay I'll include this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyle's_law). Regardless of suspension of disbelief, there is no way that a bell of that size would carry enough air for even one person at that depth for that long. There's also the matter of decompression stops when they return to the surface. The Mariner wouldn't need them but Helen certainly would. It could be argued that the deco stops occurred off-screen and the audience doesn't see every second of their trip. Fair enough however The Mariner has no depth gauge. That would also assume he is not only aware of decompression as a concept, but is familiar with a specific set of decompression tables and schedules, to the point of having them memorised on the off chance he ever takes a human diving. Highly implausible.
Phixius
1st Jan 2011
Waterworld (1995)
31st Jul 2007
Waterworld (1995)
Corrected entry: If there were enough ice on the planet that, when melted, would raise the ocean levels to the extent shown in the movie, then the saltwater would be diluted enough to be drinkable, negating the plot point about "hydro" being such a valuable commodity.
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Correction: Who says the mariner doesn't need decompression stops? He has gills and webbed toes, but even a fish can't move from the ocean floor to the surface without literally exploding. The "knowledge" of decompression must be instinctual for him, as is whether to breath through lungs or gills. He knows to stop for Helen because he must stop for himself as well. The first half of this mistake is valid but the second half is not. Perhaps a resubmission might be in order. This is why it's wiser not to list several issues in a single entry.
Phixius ★
Rather more alarmingly, Boyle's Law states that if the temperature remains constant, pressure and volume are inversely proportional. This means that if the original posts comment about 200m is accurate, the pressure would be at least 21 atmospheres worth. Therefore, even though the volume of the air bubble should reduce to 1/21 of the original volume, the footage shows the bell being approximately 1/3 filled with air even when they"ve dived all the way to the bottom. Ludicrous.