Splash (March 21/04)

Splash is probably the ultimate fish-out-of-water film, primarily because it literally features a fish out of water. With engaging performances from Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, the movie is an agreeable enough romantic comedy that's deservedly become a classic of sorts.

Hanks stars as Allen Bauer, a busy workaholic who's just been dumped by a long-term girlfriend. He heads out to Cape Cod to clear his head, and though he can't swim, he accidentally falls into the water en route. A fetching mermaid (Hannah) saves him from drowning and brings him back to shore. Out of the water, said mermaid is able to adopt a human form (ie her big flipper turns into legs) - which proves to be invaluable in wooing Allen. The two begin a relationship, with Allen completely unaware of Madison's (she chooses the name while walking in New York) true identity.

It's certainly an oddball premise, but the film works thanks mostly to a fantastic and charismatic performance from Tom Hanks. Splash marked his first attempt at a romantic leading man, and there's no denying that even at this early stage in his career he had screen presence to spare. Even in some of the more dramatic portions of the film, Hanks is surprisingly effective - a real feat considering he was, at the time, best known for playing the cross-dressing Kip on Bosom Buddies. Likewise, Hannah brings a real innocence to this role; the script requires the actress to approach common items with wide-eyed wonder, and Hannah does a nice job of holding her own opposite Hanks.

Director Ron Howard brings his usual light touch to the proceedings, and manages to hold our interest even through the movie's oddly action-packed final third. With Madison's secret out in the open, the film becomes more of a thriller than a cute little romantic comedy and there's even a chase sequence as the army attempts to capture the mermaid/woman. Such elements appear to have been included to force Allen into choosing between life above or below sea level, but such a decision could've been made without the unnecessary action stuff - and in the process, the film likely would've clocked in at a much more reasonable 90 minutes (as it is, Splash runs close to two hours).

Still, for most of its running time, Splash is awfully entertaining and features a wonderful early performance from Hanks. As a romantic comedy, the film contains all the requisite ingredients - including an appropriately sappy conclusion.