Just re-watched SPLASH - still holds up (mostly!)

Okay, so I just revisited Splash after probably 20 years, and it's still got that 80s charm. Tom Hanks is peak Tom Hanks-ness, right? You just believe in him, even when he's doing crazy stuff. But I was really paying attention to some of the effects this time around, and considering it was '84, they're pretty decent. Daryl Hannah's tail transformation sequence in the bathtub? Not bad! I mean, you can see the seams a little now, but back then it must've been mind-blowing, especially for kids. The underwater scenes are also surprisingly well done. I'm guessing they didn't have the CGI tools we have now, so I wonder if they built a special tank or something. What did kind of pull me out of it a few times was the sound design. In a few scenes, especially when Madison is using her powers, the sound effects felt a little... generic? Like a stock sound effects library type-of thing. I understand it was the 80s! I'm used to a lot more sound layering and ambience these days. It's also funny how many people just accepted a mermaid was real back then, based on a dude's word. Seems much harder to pull-off now! Eugene Levy is amazing, as always, though! He's got some of the best lines. Like, the scene where he's trying to catch her in the tank at the research facility? Classic. I was also thinking that the movie's got some interestingly subtle commentary about science and curiosity versus exploitation. I wouldn't call it deep, but it's there in the background. All in all, a fun watch. It's not gonna win any Oscars for vfx now, but it's a good reminder of how far things have come and how simpler stories can be really, really effective. And I'm still jealous of Allen Bauer for getting to live in an underwater grotto! Anyone know what kind of camera equipment they used for those underwater scenes? I'm thinking it might have been some custom housing for a Panavision.