3451. Splash (1984)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy

Director: Ron Howard

Running Time: 111 mins

Splash is an American film about a man who falls in love with a mysterious woman new to the big city, but who is secretly a mermaid come ashore.

A classic Hollywood romance, Splash is a crowd-pleasing blockbuster that delights with a brilliant couple in Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, along with a dash of fantasy that adds to the fun of it all. While it’s not the world’s most emotionally enthralling watch, Splash never takes itself too seriously, blending a heartwarming tale with a fun-loving premise to deliver a pleasant watch throughout.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t entirely enamoured by Splash, perhaps on account of the fact that its comedy isn’t quite up to scratch for the spectacle of its story. It’s a fun movie, don’t get me wrong, although I would have liked to be laughing a little more, something that the movie doesn’t quite pull off.

That being said, the appeal of Splash comes in two forms: the chemistry between Hanks and Hannah, and the fun-filled fantasy of a mermaid love story. The overarching story might be simple and predictable, but the movie has more than enough charisma and imagination to make a familiar tale a good amount of fun to watch.

The standout feature of the movie is definitely Hanks and Hannah’s onscreen partnership, which is full of chemistry that helps to cement an unlikely romance as one you really want to see through to the end. With Hanks playing a down-on-his-luck and still rather innocent young man in love, the dynamic between him and the secretive mermaid Hannah makes Splash a really lovely watch.

Bolstered by the fun fantasy of the whole mermaid premise, along with the film’s really rather impressive special effects in creating Hannah’s mermaid tail, Splash manages not to take itself too seriously in the field of romance, and as such becomes all the more endearing.

As I mentioned, it’s not the world’s most emotionally captivating watch, but nor does it try to be, and that’s what ultimately means that Splash – an imperfect but charming romance – is a delightful and entertaining Hollywood classic. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 7.3 overall.