Publisher: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Ages: eight and up
Parental
Advisory:
Partial
nudity, edgy language, adult situations
It's a captivating love
story that is appropriate,
with some caveats, for the family.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment's Splash
is a true charmer. In this fish-out-of-water
story, Tom Hanks, in an early movie role,
stars as Allen Bauer, a workaholic who's
convinced that he can't fall in love. That is, until he meets Daryl Hannah's
mesmerizing Madison, a mysterious mermaid. The movie shows the couple falling
in love, and all of the adventures and mis-adventures you would expect when
a mermaid comes to live in modern-day Manhattan.
Directed by Ron Howard, the film serves a compelling love story and lots of comedy through characters portrayed by John Candy and Eugene Levy. Kids will love the whimsical underwater mermaid scenes that show Hannah's character swimming through reefs and her innocent discovery of city life.
DVD extras include commentary by director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and writers Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz and original audition tapes of a young Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. Most fun is the "Making A Splash" featurette that has the stars and creative team reminiscing about the development and making of the movie.
Twenty year ago, Splash was the first film to be released by Disney under its Touchstone label and it received a PG rating. Be warned, the film features partial nudity, as well as adult situations and edgy language. Despite this, it's still a fun film that a family can enjoy.
4/19/04 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
