pyrocitor
Whether fondly remembered as 'that movie your teenage self snuck into repeatedly to try to glimpse Darryl Hannah in the nude' or retroactively scrutinized as 'that hazy 80s rom-com starring Tom Hanks, a mermaid, and Tom Hanks' hair,' you'd be forgiven for dismissing Ron Howard's fantasy rom-com as more 'All Wet' than a Splash. But lo: the years have been kind to this one. Splash, silly and disposable as it might look, holds up, and then some. It's enjoyably zany, deceptively intelligent, and resonantly sweet, and a prototype for one of the most enduring romantic comedies of its decade. Okay, sure - yes, it is a hazy, fairly dopey 80s rom-com, bringing with it all the tropes you'd expect, starring Tom Hanks, his hair, a mermaid. And yes, you can glimpse Darryl Hannah in the nude (though if that's all you're here for, shame on you, you John Candy coin-dropping-skirt-peeker, you!). But Splash has so much more to offer than its bare minimum. For one, it sparkles with deceptively subtle and funny dialogue throughout, making its thoroughly silly premise surprisingly easy to drift along with, scoff-free. This is hugely helped by Howard's propensity for odd little details, with plentiful improv cutaways (I'll eat an entire lobster, shell and all, if "let's pee down his air tube" factored in the script) to the specificity of the tribulations of Hanks' produce-supplying profession lending the film the fresh, bouncy vibrancy of an SCTV or SNL sketch. Hanks and Hannah's romance, cheerfully nonsense a scenario as it is, is likewise oddly tender and easy to invest in. It's chock full of adorably iconic snippets (the fountain; what's likely the most memorable lobster scene outside of Annie Hall), with just enough of a snarky undercurrent to bite back excessively saccharine overtones. There's a great gag in Hannah's Madison learning English from television commercials, but speaking in crass advertising soundbites, and while Hanks' somewhat pushy marriage obsession may play as dated, there's something oddly refreshing about a PG rom-com being so comparatively transparent about the protagonists' sexual relationship. All this, and only a single, fairly tolerable, Rita Coolidge ballad on the 'dated 80s music' front, to boot! By the time we segue into the second act E.T.-style scientific scariness, it's all the more sombre and distressing by contrast, with a sneaky undercurrent of animal activism to boot (again: check out the sequence of Madison wilting in her cramped aquarium tank, and tell me Howard has nothing more on his mind than Hollywood froth). It's a substantially above-average motivation for the tired cliché of the second act romantic complication, and helps add scope to Hanks' sad sack droopiness while keeping him sympathetic. It all gets a tad unhinged by the time Howard decides to go all out with an action chase sequence bang (the prior non-sequitur dinner with the President feels a bit tacked on as well), but it's still all good, engaging fun, with enough of a daftly sweet ending to tie it all up with a glittery, sequined bow (from Saks Fifth Avenue, natch). Still, there's no forgetting that, cultural currency-wise, Splash is largely remembered as the breakout hit cementing Tom Hanks as a bankable leading man. Watching him here, it's no surprise as to why - he's nearly bursting with exasperated charm and manic energy, flitting from angsty meltdowns bemoaning his inability to love to his flamboyant gestures of finally expressing it, all encapsulating his patented everyman charisma to a tee. Similarly, Daryl Hannah is almost unbearably sweet as lovestruck mermaid Madison, projecting a pristinely otherworldly vibe that makes her all the more credible and likable. As Hanks' cheerfully lowlife brother, John Candy essays his zany, sleazy windbag persona to slapstick, one-liner-riffing perfection. He's absolutely hysterical, only to subsequently pull the rug out from viewers and launch into an unexpectedly impassioned, sentimental monologue that makes you rethink his entire character from the onset. Finally, Eugene Levy chews scenery with the ferocity of a deranged, starving rat, as the jilted scientist desperate to expose Madison's existence, and Levy's tenacious commitment to his character's sadistic, braying weirdness makes him all the funnier and more sympathetic. Splash may trot through the gamut of tried-and-true rom-com clichés (this time with more mermaids), but does so with such a twinkle in its eye and enough genuine, heartfelt material at play, that it's nigh irresistible, and infectiously watchable. But what's that you say: a remake in the works? With Channing Tatum as the (**feeble Zoolander cough**) Mer-man? Well, if it's anywhere near as sweet, clever, and full of unpredictable silliness as its predecessor? Dive in, Channing. -8/10
FilmBuff1994
Splash is a decent movie with a reasonably well developed plot and a talented cast. The highlight of the movie is certainly the chemistry between Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, it is very sweet, at times quite heartwarming, it was certainly a complicated relationship to pull off and they did not seem to have any trouble with it. The weakest factor is certainly the fact that their relationship never feels in real danger, romantic comedies usually have their ups and downs, as this one does, but there is never a sense that they may never get back together, there is always a large sense of hope, which winds up bland for the audience. I also felt they did not work on the potential of the mermaid as well as they could have, it did not feel enough like a fantasy, it was far too grounded and hardly imaginative, the scene in the bathtub and the part where she says her name are the only moments that truly represent the promise of the mermaid premise. It is riddled with flaws, but great chemistry make Splash worth a look if you ever see it on television and are looking for a romantic comedy, just do not go out of your way to see it. A young boy who is saved from drowning by a mermaid ends up falling in love with her 20 years later. Best Performance: Tom Hanks / Worst Performance: Eugene Levy
