Club Paradise (DVD)

Brilliant comic Robin Williams, brilliant actor Peter O’Toole, brilliant musician Jimmy Cliff, and lovely, affable Twiggy – what could go wrong? Absolutely nothing. Guaranteed to bring smiles and the inclination to dance. Recommended for anyone seeking a respite from the wearied world. Is it given to silliness and even slapstick at times? Of course, it is. Harold Ramis, a genius, directed. A wonderful film and a wonderful way to remember so many stars that have passed.

Funny movie!

Sad that Robin Williams is no longer with us. Otherwise, a corny, ad libbed, comic treat. We always watch it before going on holiday in the Caribbean.

One of the coolest things about the internet, that I'm continually discovering, is that you get the chance to check out movies that you might have missed out on or maybe even passed over the first time around. Barely do I even remember the trailer of Club Paradise back in 1986, but because of Robin Williams and Adolph Cesar (who gave a truly outstanding and forever hauntingly Oscar worthy performance in A SOLDIER'S STORY), I bought this movie off of Amazon.com for like under 8 bucks or so with shipping. I must say that this is the most enjoyable 8 bucks I've spent in a while...(and this is coming from a guy whose hemorrhaged thousands of dollars on child support payments)! However, I did noticed that Robin Williams is kind of laid back this time around and has a soft kind of subtle charm in this movie but it still doesn't stop Williams from delivering some of the funniest one-liners that I've ever heard. What's really special, for me, about this film is that it's one of the last performances from the undeniably and extremely talented, Mr. Adolph Cesar(Mr. Gundy), who sadly passed away before this funny film even premiered in the theaters. Without a doubt, though, Club Paradise has got a bunch of laugh out loud moments going for it! Sure, it could've been better and was a little slow in a few parts while the next joke or visual gag was making it's way around the corner of the silver screen, but I'll keep pulling this one out from my DVD collection from time to time because I love laughter and I'm a still a little kid at heart from the 1980's. Oh, yeah!..Club Paradise most definitely has earned it's place in my collection of DVD movies!...

Great movie, love the actors and I watch it all the time!

This movie is a must for people like my husband and myself. We experienced life "in the islands." We lived on a small island in Caribbean in the 80's and loved the life...we stayed 8 years and returned for 2 more years in 2004 ... like scenes in the movie we suffered "upper class British types and "let's save the world and the natives" types like Jack Moniker (Robin Williams; tourist types like Carol White (Andrea Martin);heard and used phrases like "cool vibes", had daily bouts with inconsistent water pressure; toilets backing up; met the Prime Minister who was also the Finance Minister, Minister of Tourism and Treasurer! We learned to relax and appreciate that "soon come" meant anything from minutes to hours to days, and that there was nothing that we could do to change it! The cast and "crew" were exemplary in their depiction of over the top patrons of a "Third World" tourist resort. Like Jack I have often wondered where the other two worlds were????? The two Barry's were a hoot ..who didn't meet guys like these in bars in the 80's???? Andrea Martin and Brian Doyle Murray were a fun bunch. Peter O'Toole's portrayal of a tired washed up aristocrat who could live nowhere else but on "the islands" was so accurate. People thinking of buying this DVD should bear in mind the fact that this is life as it was in the islands in the 80's when anyone with money could start a resort and did! We purchased a DVD version of the movie as our video copy was showing signs of age and repeated viewing. When we want a jolt of "reality" and a good belly laugh we watch Club Paradise. It should come with a warning...only for those with island experience!!!!

I really, really love this movie. Of course starring beloved Robin, most of the amazing star cast from SC TV, Peter O'Toole, Adolph Cesar, Twiggy and Jimmy Cliff, to name a few. Then to top it off it's directed by Harold Ramis. I smile when I think of the great lines from this movie. Even though it's a product of the eighties it still holds up well over time. Good comedy is timeless.

CLUB PARADISE, while having a promising premise, is a largely disappointing misfire. Even Robin Williams seems to be a bit bored, and is clearly not at his best here. Granted, there is a great ensemble cast, but none of them are given a whole lot to do and, save Robin Williams, are underdeveloped. Still, I'll give credit where credit is due. The film does start off rather well, with Robin Williams' character Jack Moniker retiring from the Chicago Fire Department on a disability settlement and heading off to St. Nicholas, a tropical island. There, he settles in and gets involved with a local businessman/musician named Ernest Reed (Jimmy Cliff, who gives some excellent musical performances) who runs a resort called Club Paradise. These initial scenes were quite funny as they showed Jack getting used to his surroundings and later, dealing with the tourists who visit the island. Among those visitors are Eugene Levy and Rick Moranis, two losers who are trying to score with women and get high. These two comedians have been good elsewhere, but here their talents were wasted on one-dimensional characters that really weren't that funny. Well-meaning, maybe, but not funny. To add some conflict, the prime minister of the island is trying to drive Ernest out so that foreign investors can develop the land. In my opinion, the film really didn't need this as the cast was already large enough that they could have focused on something else besides island politics. Also in the mix is Peter O'Toole as the local British governor. Even though his role wasn't too substantial, I did like him in the several scenes he was in. He and Robin Williams even get to play off each other a little bit. However, if there's one major flaw in the movie it's that it tries to do too much in its finale. Instead of wrapping up the various subplots that were percolating over the run time, they opt instead for something more ridiculous, i.e., a "revolution." By doing that, they really gave short shrift to the great cast of characters they had been following previously. The film's humor was also rather dated, but I can live with that. On the good side of things, the best element outside of Robin Williams and Peter O'Toole was the music, consisting almost exclusively of reggae. Overall, while the film is a nice 80's time capsule it's quite forgettable and I wouldn't consider it essential viewing for Robin Williams fans.