Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Michael Caine is a notoriously prolific actor, the downside of that being that for all his acclaim he has a reputation for being in as many bad films as good. One that many critics are quick to cite as one of the worst is "Water". That's not entirely fair, for while it is certainly not one of the high points of Caine's career or a resounding success it has an odd sort of charm which makes it somewhat endearing. The concept alone is a large part of the film's appeal; rarely have we seen a big screen satire with the bravado to take on colonialism. The script is by legendary Britcom writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and while it is not up to the standard of the best of their television work, it contains many amusing moments. The main problem with the film is that it has no real momentum. The plot often moves at a sluggish pace, and some scenes feel like they add nothing to the film and could have easily been dropped. What ultimately saves the film is the performance of Leonard Rossiter, in his last film role before his untimely death. Whilst the character of Sir Malcolm Leveridge offers little challenge to Rigsby or Reginald Perrin, Rossiter still provides a great number of laughs and is the best reason to see the film.The film's soundtrack is also very enjoyable, in particular a great title track from Eddy Grant.

"Water" is a very nice satire of international politics and the battle for resources - and no doubt heavily aiming at the 1983 Grenada crisis. But it is not one of those overly-eager satires that looses story and comedy over trying to make a point. It is a funny, enjoyable film.-There are, unfortunately, obvious weaknesses, which have to be mentioned: * the film did not, all in all, age that well, compared to other films - it is very much a 1980s film. * Caine and Connolly aside, most of the other characters are neglectable - either because of mediocre acting, or because of mediocre writing. * I personally don't count the guest appearance of several rock musicians as a plus, because I don't care for them - but if you like that sort of thing... - the "rock concert scene" is, however, one of the most annoying scenes in the film, as it doesn't move the story forward one inch, but does instead break the flow/momentum of the film.-Apart from being a funny film, and an excellent satire (mainly for its keen observation of reality), the films fortes are easily summed up: Caine, Caine, Connolly, and Caine.If you are, like me, a fan of Michael Caine's comedy work, go see this film, but be advised that "Without a Clue" is by far superior and unlike "Water" hasn't aged a day.If, apart from that, you are also interested in political satire, you should definitely see this film. If, moreover, you are particularly interested in the Grenada crisis, you HAVE TO see this film - but make sure to also see the "Yes Prime Minister" episode "A Victory for Democracy".

I found this movie a RIOT!!! A few glasses of wine, or another preferred 'adult beverage' and you can't help but laugh! Don't try to find any profound meanings in the movie...there aren't any. This is just a FUN and FUNNY movie just for purely entertainment purposes. If there is ANY meaning to be taken from this movie it is the portraying of the Western cultures' desire for designer items, not just in our clothing but right down to the water that we drink. Micheal Caine played his role perfectly, in my opinion, as the governor trying to infuse wealth into the economy (as well as his pockets) of the small island and Jimmy Walker as the DJ on the island...who wouldn't listen to his radio show? I have made this a movie a part of my DVD collection and others should too.

As Michael Caine competes for another Best Actor Oscar, Water has been included by some commentators in the list of the "bombs" he has taken on "to pay the bills." Ill-advised choices such as The Swarm and Jaws III certainly belong on the list, but I have always considered Water to have brought out Caine's comic ability rather well. The satire is sometimes heavy-handed (especially the Texas oil man caricature by Fred Gwynn) but I find that there is some pretty close to target satire of life, culture, and politics on the many tiny isles of the Eastern Caribbean. I lived on a couple of them myself, and I'm always finding some familiar old friends among Water's characters.