Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

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Screenwise Verdict

Here's the truth: Splash was groundbreaking in 1984, and critics rightfully praised it. Tom Hanks is charming, the premise is sweet, and there's real craft in the filmmaking.

But it's 2025, and this movie is borderline unwatchable for modern kids. The pacing is so slow you could take a nap during the second act. The special effects look like they were made with a bathtub and some glitter. The gender dynamics—a literally speechless woman who exists to be beautiful and mysterious—feel cringey now.

The brief nudity and bedroom scenes mean you can't put this on for younger kids anyway, and tweens/teens raised on Marvel and Pixar will be checking their phones within 15 minutes. The 68% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (compared to 91% critics) tells the story: this hasn't aged well.

If you're a parent who loved Splash as a kid and want to share it, go ahead—but manage expectations. Your kids will probably ask to turn it off. There are much better mermaid movies (Moana, Ponyo, even the 1989 Little Mermaid) that actually hold kids' attention.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media says 12+, and that feels right given the nudity and sexual content. But honestly, most kids under 14 will find this painfully boring—the humor is gentle, the pacing is glacial, and the special effects look like a middle school play. This is really for nostalgic adults who remember it fondly from childhood.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

62

A sweet romantic comedy with genuine warmth between the leads, but the '80s treatment of women as objects (the mermaid literally can't speak for half the film) and some dated gender dynamics drag it down. The love story itself is tender and models commitment, but it's wrapped in a lot of male-gaze packaging that feels uncomfortable now.

Imaginative

71

The mermaid premise was genuinely fresh in 1984 and launched Disney's Touchstone Pictures. The underwater sequences and fish-out-of-water comedy invite curiosity about ocean life and mythology. However, the execution is more 'cute concept' than truly inventive—it doesn't push boundaries or inspire much creative thinking beyond 'what if mermaids were real?'

Safe

55

Common Sense Media rates it 12+, and that tracks. There's brief nudity (Daryl Hannah's backside, played for comedy), some sexual innuendo and bedroom scenes (nothing explicit but clearly implied), mild language, and a few scary moments with scientists chasing the mermaid. The tone is light, but parents expecting a Disney-style mermaid movie will be surprised—this is PG in the looser '80s sense.

Enriching

48

It's a rom-com, so enrichment isn't really the point. There's a thin thread about believing in magic and taking risks for love, but mostly it's just pleasant entertainment. The mermaid mythology is surface-level, and the fish-out-of-water jokes don't offer much beyond laughs. It won't teach kids anything meaningful or spark deep conversations.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Early Tom Hanks charm before he became America's dad—he's genuinely likable and funny here
The mermaid mythology angle is sweet and the underwater scenes were impressive for 1984
A rom-com that doesn't rely on cruelty or humiliation for laughs—the tone is warm and the relationship feels real
Critics loved it (91% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it launched an entire studio, so there's real craft here

⚠

What to Watch For

Brief nudity (Daryl Hannah's backside when she first comes ashore) and bedroom scenes that imply sex—not graphic but definitely present
The pacing is molasses-slow by 2025 standards—your kids will likely be bored within 20 minutes
Some scary chase sequences where scientists hunt the mermaid that might frighten younger viewers
Gender dynamics are very 1984: the mermaid literally cannot speak for much of the film and exists largely as a fantasy object

Conversation Starters

"What would you do if you met a real mermaid? Would you keep the secret?"
"Why do you think Allen fell in love with Madison even though they're so different?"
"How do you think mermaids would actually survive in the ocean? What would they eat?"
"The movie shows scientists trying to capture Madison—when is it okay to study something rare, and when should we leave things alone?"

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