George Miller’s film tells a story about a rough-looking dog who develops feelings for a graceful creature that's far beyond his reach—not just in terms of species, but also recalling Steve Guttenberg and Kathleen Quinlan’s pairings. Zeus is the dog owned by widower Terry (Steve Guttenberg) and his son Jordan (Miko Hughes). Roxanne is a dolphin being studied by Mary Beth (Kathleen Quinlan), aside from her duties with daughters Judith (Majandra Delfino) and Nora (Jessica Howell). The dog and dolphin first encounter each other in the film’s opening moments, and they appear to share an unusual connection that isn't fully explored within the script. Terry and Mary Beth happen to live next door to one another, and Zeus follows her to work so he can see Roxanne. We also meet Dr. Carver (Arnold Vosloo), who keeps his dolphins in captivity for research instead of allowing them freedom like Roxanne experiences. After witnessing the interaction between Zeus and Roxanne, Mary Beth decides to apply for funding to investigate communication across different species. The children orchestrate a date between Terry and Mary Beth, which goes so well that they decide moving in together would be the next step. Terry has doubts (leading one to wonder about his initial thoughts considering both adults are easily influenced by their kids), and runs off with his son and dog, while Roxanne reacts in her own way. Conflict is inevitable in a story like this, so Carver steals Mary Beth’s idea and attempts interspecies communication with his dolphins, resulting in the film's only genuinely humorous scene. Zeus leaves Terry and Jordan to return to Roxanne, while rumors circulate about the dolphin’s death and Mary Beth begins searching for her. If I had to sum up "Zeus and Roxanne" with a single word, it would be “unremarkable.” The filmmakers clearly identified their target audience—families—and simplified every element of the production. What results is a bland movie that seems more appropriate for basic cable or sandwiched between older sitcom reruns. Terry and Jordan, two of the film’s central characters, could honestly have been left out entirely. Zeus could have simply been a stray dog discovered by Mary Beth, and the core plot involving the dog and dolphin would still be intact. Instead, we are forced to endure the predictable romantic developments between Mary Beth and Terry, while the animals take a backseat to the human story. Jordan’s photographs of Zeus reminded me of Robert Mapplethorpe's early work. Kathleen Quinlan delivers a decent performance. Although her character isn't as reserved or proper as she may have initially been intended, she is the strongest aspect of the film. Guttenberg is given little to work with, which forces that familiar grin and likely leaves him wondering what happened between "Cocoon" and this project. The Bahamas setting and underwater photography are visually appealing, since it would be difficult to ruin those elements. Unfortunately, director Miller’s direction feels as formulaic as Tom Benedek's screenplay is. Repeated shots of the animals doing cute things become tiresome quickly. Bruce Rowland’s high-pitched musical score is so unpleasant that I frequently muted my television, assuming my neighbors were playing their stereo too loud. The most amusing thing about this film is the enthusiastic endorsement on the back of the VHS box from critic Jeffrey Lyons, who raves: "A charmer! Zeus and Roxanne will melt your hearts—and parents will enjoy it, guaranteed!" If I hadn’t borrowed this movie from the library for free, I would have considered writing to Lyons and requesting a refund. Just return "Zeus and Roxanne."

Source on TMDB