Tom Hanks breaks out in this light, charming, modestly funny fish-out-of-water comedy (har har) about a man's lifelong encounters with a lustily enamored mermaid. It can be tremendously naive at times, and the plot is about as telegraphed as they come, but there's something intangible about this picture that manages to gloss over many of those shortcomings.

The central performance of Hanks is key, working as the plucky everyman he'd embody in most of his early repertoire, though this time it's dosed with a few fits of sharply possessive, unsettling anger. Maybe those shades just look bad in retrospect, as the film's a full generation old now, but it's tough not to cringe at such puzzling spots in the modern climate.

I think the humor falls into a similar trap, in that it was probably more relevant at the time of its release than it is today. A handful of comedies from the same era still serve as timeless examples of great humor (Ghostbusters, also released in 1984, springs to mind), and though a few of its gags and one-liners still connect, Splash isn't even in that ballpark after thirty years on the shelf.

Hanks's easy rapport with John Candy is worth celebrating, though, and Daryl Hannah is positively breathtaking as the sweet, innocent fish-tailed beauty at the center of all the action. Simple, straight entertainment that's beginning to fade as it grows older.

I remember seeing _Splash_ for the first time on the Disney Channel back in the mid-90s, and now I'm seeing it again as an adult as it airs on Showtime. It's a splendid romantic comedy; pretty much your live-action _The Little Mermaid_ that reminded me of how I had dreamed of one day falling in love with a mermaid. There are some really nice close-up shots with bokeh effects at night. Good job on Ron Howard's part, who went on to direct a couple more of my favorites, _Cocoon_ (1985) and _Willow_ (1989). I really like the chemistry between the main characters, Allen and Madison.
Allen (played by Tom Hanks) reminds me of me in some ways. Although he is one very lucky fellow to encounter a such a beautiful creature. There's a moment in the film where he goes,
>"It's so big!"

which may have foretold the coming film that Tom Hanks would later star in, _Big_ (1988).
Madison (played Daryl Hannah) is your curious mermaid on-foot, exploring and learning the big city of NYC; in a way that reminds me of _Short Circuit_ (1986). She's always smiling, biting her bottom lip, overall so innocent, loyal, and full of love. I remember the actress, Daryl Hannah, from other films like _Blade Runner_ (1982) and _The Clan of the Cave Bear_ (1986).
You may shed some happy tears with this one because of how lovely and enjoyable the film is.

Really good watch, could watch again, and can recommend.

Even after 25 years, this holds up, though a modernization is probably due soon.

Hop in the way back machine and see some of the greats early on: Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, and Eugene Levy. That team pretty much carries the movie and they go through a wonderful, fun-filled adventure into a mystery of a new girl in Allen's life. Honestly, you could probably cut out the mermaid bit and have her be a crazy foreign girl, though that sounds like a movie someone has made already.

It being a mermaid movie definitely makes some allowances, and makes the movie more memorable. It adds in a metaphor of the importance of communication into the writing, and gives a focal point for the story to move around and become a focus in the 3rd act. As there is barely a direct antagonist in this, this sort of conflict is usually how a romantic comedy resolves.

It's a fun watch, well made for it's time, and imagine most people, especially mermaid movie fans, will enjoy it.

Twenty years earlier "Allen" (Tom Hanks) had a mysterious underwater encounter with a rescuer. Advance to present day and he is managing a fish market with his sibling "Freddie" (John Candy). Another trip to Cape Cod, another accident and yep, it's the same saviour - only this time their eyes meet over a choppy sea and shortly afterwards she follows him onto the land. It's lust/love at first sight and pretty soon she is living with him. She (Daryl Hannah) calls her self "Madison" after the avenue/president and after a day in Bloomingdale's television department picks up enough English to join in the rest of this rather slapstick movie - or to at last have a post-coital chat! Thing is, madcap scientist "Prof. Kornbluth" (Eugene Levy) is soon on her tail (!) and after chucking buckets of water at a similarly attired couple a few times, our lovebirds find themselves incarcerated in a lab where they are to be the subject of some nasty experiments. Can they escape the clutches of their captors and get her back to the open sea before six days expire and she finds herself stuck? The idea is quite fun and at the start when they are in their respective discovery phases, it's quite entertaining. It just repeats itself too often, though, and the presence of his annoyingly selfish brother just clutters it all up, gradually creating the look of a slightly farcical episode of the "A-Team". It's watchable but I didn't find there to be any chemistry between the stars - Hannah was never a particularly engaging actor, I found - and it's all rather forgettable.