Splash (1984)

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Splash (1984)

8/10

Tom Hanks

Daryl Hannah

John Candy

Eugene Levy

Dody Goodman

Directed by Ron Howard

I can’t count the numerous times I have seen Splash as a kid. My aunt had a VHS tape of it and we watched it until the tape curled.

Way back in the 80s when the green screen phase has not gotten around yet or motion capture had not grown into play, actors and actresses had to wear suits to portray the charades they wanted to pass across in the movie. Daryl Hannah did that, and did it magnificently as she plays Madison the mermaid in this 80s classic.

Splash was no different from any other romantic comedy when you look at the plot foundation, boy meets girl and falls in love. But the story had its own curve ball which was distinct from what we know love stories to be and familiar to The Little Mermaid Disney movie (1989).

Splash is also a Disney movie, but released under their Touchstone studio, which was created to carry the more matured stuff, and Splash was their first movie.

The story starts when young Allen jumps into the sea and was saved by a little girl (a mermaid). Now grown Allen (Tom Hanks) is finding it hard to fall in love, and after his colleagues wedding goes for a boat ride by the sea, where he falls in and is saved again by the same girl, but now grown (Daryl Hannah).

Much later she comes to the city to look for Allen and they met and fell in love, but she is keeping a secret from Allen and Allen is dying to know.

Yes of cause there is more, a scientist (Eugene Levy) seeks to expose her for the mermaid that she is.

The acting in this movie will make your mouth water as Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah and John Candy delivered such a mind blowing adaptation of the script, that you wouldn’t forget the movie so quickly. The movie’s screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay.

Directed by Ron Howard (How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) & A Beautiful Mind (2001)) who did a masterful job in the bringing to life the script to the screen, Splash is one film that stood out in the 80s and I bet if you were born then, you are aching to see it again.

Splash was a major financial success for Disney, the movie was made with $ 8 million as budget and it went on to gross over $ 69 million in the box office alone.

The was a TV-movie sequel that was done in 1988 called Splash Too, I can recall only a few scenes from this, but the movie didn’t have the stars of the first in it. It had Todd Waring as Allen Bauer (instead of Tom Hanks) and Amy Yasbeck as Madison Bauer (instead of Daryl Hannah) and it was directed by Greg Antonacci.

Enough said about Splash, if you have not be privilege enough to have seen it, go see it now.