Review of Splash (1984) by Shane M — 26 Jan 2014

Bizarre, yet a perfectly executed fantasy rom-com. The film follows Allen Bauer going through a breakup, and after taking a trip to Cape Cod and nearly drowning, he is saved by a mysterious woman who's actually a mermaid, and she travels to New York to be with him.

While Allen and the mermaid, later named Madison bond, certain events challenge and tamper with their relationship. Splash has lots of charm and laughs, thanks to stars Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, and Eugene Levy.

Like all romantic movies, it has dramatic depth that blends well with the film, unlike some romantic movies, thanks to smart writing from Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, and Bruce Jay Friedman, which got them an Oscar-nod for Best Original Screenplay.

The film is also brought to life perfectly due to Ron Howard's pitch-perfect direction. Splash also good costume design for Madison, interesting cinematography, and content that made me surprised this was rated PG, but I do understand why it was released under the Touchstone Pictures label (which releases more mature-oriented films for Disney).

It might low Flixster user ratings, but I guess that's because the concept is a little hard to adjust to, and instead watch clichà (C), formulaic rom-cons. My most favorite rom-com, and one of the best films of the 1980s.