Amazon.com Essentials:
Tom Hanks was a relatively unknown TV actor with a sitcom as his
biggest credit when
relatively unknown director Ron Howard (best known for his own sitcom
acting) cast him in this
surprise hit. It made stars of Hanks, Daryl Hannah, and John Candy and an
A-list director out
of Howard. Hannah is a mermaid who comes to Manhattan in search of Hanks, the
guy she has twice saved
from drowning. Hanks runs a business with his lovable blowhard
brother (Candy), whose
goal in life is to have a letter published in Penthouse. When this
perfect woman shows up,
Hanks can't believe his luck and plunges into a dizzyingly romantic
relationship, unaware of
her sea-water secret. But the mermaid needs to soak and unfurl her tail
from time to time,
which leads to complications, including her capture by the government
for scientific study
(what else?). Hanks is winningly charming and Hannah is a perfect match
in this enjoyably
high-spirited comedy, though the biggest laughs belong to Candy.
--Marshall Fine
