This comedy classic may be built on an insanely unlikely premise but the Oscar-nominated screenplay is tight and very funny. The teaming up of Tom Hanks with mermaid Daryl Hannah works well, and John Candy as Hanks brother is brilliant.

TV transmissions and the VHS version of this film do look rather tired so this DVD release is welcome but, unfortunately, rather sloppily put together. Aside from the cover misspelling of "Ron Howrard" as director, the disc is poorly transferred.

Image quality is certainly brighter in colour than the VHS version but the picture is at times grainy and lacks definition.

The soundtrack is more pleasing having been upgraded to Dolby Surround. It's not a busy track but some subtle touches, like the waves lapping in the rears in chapter 5, add to the scene where Hanks ends up stranded in a little boat.

There aren't any extras in sight on this disc but do look out for the entertaining roster of films showing at the cinema which Hanks and Hannah pass by. This includes "The Evil Dead", the Chuck Norris flick "Lone Wolf McQuade", and classic British nasty "Xtro"!

Chapters: 20
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0
Extra Features: Scene selection, multiple languages & subtitles, and English for the hearing impaired.