Overall Rating Awesome: 24.14% Worth A Look: 37.93% Average: 31.03% Pretty Bad: 6.9% Total Crap: 0% 1 review, 23 user ratings

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Splash

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Price:		$13.49
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by Ryan Arthur

"You never seen a guy who slept with a fish before?"

Extremely lightweight, but it's got Hanks when he was goofy.

For the record, I'm big on Tom Hanks. I thought he was incredibly underrated as a comedic actor, before he made the big hubbub in the Philadelphia/Gump/Apollo 13 triumvirate.

That said, I dig Splash.

It's not particularly well-made (I think director Ron Howard's previous effort, Night Shift, is a funnier film), although it does have some good moments. Hanks plays Allen Bauer, who as a boy was saved by a mermaid when he fell into the water at Cape Cod. Years later, he goes back and falls in again. The same mermaid, now grown up and looking like Daryl Hannah, saves him.

This time, she falls in love with him.

So she comes out of the water, and her tail is replaced by legs...legs that remain legs so long as she doesn't get them wet. A stranger in the city (and naked to boot), she goes looking for Allen, who's a little surprised (but excited) to see a hot, naked woman in his apartment.

The rest of the movie involves the mermaid (now named Madison) learning to speak and shop, and a scientist (Eugene Levy) trying to out her as a mermaid.

A strong cast makes this watchable, including Hanks and John Candy as his brother. Hannah is pretty, I guess, but can't act if her life depended on it, although she fits into the whole "fish out of water" storyline (ugh, I know it's cheesy, but I had to say it) all right.

Basically harmless. Not bad if there's nothing else to rent.

del.icio.us

link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=948&reviewer=7
originally posted: 12/12/98 01:36:29

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User Comments

1/28/10 PAUL SHORTT ENTERTAINING AND OCCASIONALLY FUNNY 3 stars

1/26/08 Pamela White fishy plot but funny and romantic 4 stars

10/18/07 Fishdude I love this movie. 5 stars

9/26/06 Erin Amidon Much better than 2006 remake with Paul Giamatti & Bryce Dallas Howard 4 stars

1/17/06 cody a ok movie with good perfomance by daryl and tom hanks, below average flick 2 stars

4/08/05 Jason Kreitzer Excellent, one of my favorite moves ever. 5 stars

5/26/03 Nevz John Candys Great! 4 stars

3/24/03 Jack Sommersby Warm and wonderful. A film that just makes you feel good. The cast is perfect. 4 stars

10/15/02 Charles Tatum "Is anyone here from Penthouse? Then we ain't talking!" 4 stars

6/25/02 Justin Tom Hanks, John Candy, and Daryl Hannah are terrific here! 5 stars

5/13/02 Dark Baron Vintage Hanks! A must see. 4 stars

4/06/02 Justin Tom Hanks, John Candy, and Daryl Hannah are awesome! 5 stars

3/07/02 Jill Pupillo 3 stars 3 stars

1/22/02 Tam Entertaining time-passer: on-screen chemistry between Hanks & Hannah made it worth watching 4 stars

9/04/01 Butterbean A sweet, fairy tale! Daryl Hannah is perfect in this role 5 stars

6/15/01 Law Firm of Dewey, Cheatam & Howe Most likely the only time I will enjoy both leads is in this fantasy 5 stars

4/26/01 Monday Morning Hey Opie...call me. 5 stars

4/16/01 R.W. Welch Nonsense, of course, but pretty entertaining nonsense. 4 stars

4/03/01 Andrew Carden For die-hard Tom Hanks fans only. 2 stars

1/19/01 Ray McCoy An amusing and moving fairy tale! 4 stars

1/25/00 mister man A charming romantic comedybut it could have done with a bit more of John Candy 4 stars

7/30/99 William Very lightweight, but saved by some very funny moments! 4 stars

9/28/98 Heather Not one of Tom Hanks' prouder moments. 3 stars

IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS FILM, RATE IT!
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USA 09-Mar-1984 (PG) DVD: 23-Mar-2004 UK N/A Australia N/A

Directed by Ron Howard Written by Bruce Jay Friedman Lowell Ganz Babaloo Mandel Cast Tom Hanks Daryl Hannah Eugene Levy John Candy Dody Goodman Shecky Greene

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