Product Details

• Actors: Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown, Elisabeth Shue, Lisa Banes, Laurence Luckinbill
• Directors: Roger Donaldson
• Writers: Heywood Gould
• Producers: Daniel J. Heffner, Robert W. Cort, Ted Field
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Touchstone / Disney
• VHS Release Date: April 21, 1994
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301276930
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #144,828 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This 1988 effort at creating a milestone coming-of-age story with the impact of The Graduate is commendable, but the results are mostly shaky and garish. Tom Cruise plays an ambitious young man who arrives in New York City and becomes known as a flashy bartender in a hot club. After falling for Elisabeth Shue's girl-next-door character, however, his desire for success causes him to travel down a more selfish path with an older woman. The film, directed by Roger Donaldson (Bounty), is built on entirely on appearances (Cruise's star charisma) and flash (the way Cruise and his character's bartending mentor, played by Bryan Brown, toss bottles of booze around). The more interesting and underlying themes, however, particularly the hero's obvious Oedipal dilemmas, are lost beneath this window dressing, as if everyone involved was afraid to commit to the story's intrinsic value. Cruise fans might want to take a look at this, but otherwise there isn't much to recommend it. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Tom Cruise is electrifying as Brian Flanagan, a young, confident, and ambitious bartender who, with the help of a seasoned pro (Bryan Brown -- GORILLAS IN THE MIST, F/X 2), becomes the toast of Manhattan's Upper East Side. But when he moves to Jamaica and meets an independent artist (Elisabeth Shue -- ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING, HOLLOW MAN), their vivid romance brings a new perspective to the self-centered bartender's life. Sizzling with high-powered performances and a #1 hit soundtrack, the box office blockbuster COCKTAIL has it all!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun film, July 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Cocktail (DVD)

For those people who gave this film poor ratings, I think they're missing the point. It's supposed to be a fun film over all. It's not supposed to be serious acting with a heavy plot. Sometimes it's nice to watch a film where you don't have to think... you just sit down and enjoy. I personally enjoy films that 'take me someplace,' either physically or emotionally. This one takes you on a bit of a roller coast ride with Tom Cruise's character. While on that ride, you get to travel around to hip bars and tropical islands. There are a few emotional bumps in his path, but all turns out well with a nice happy ending. No, the film is not rocket science, nor is it supposed to be. It won't win an Oscar either, but if you're looking for an enjoyable movie where you can just sit down, relax, and have a good time, this might be a good selection for you.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Coming From A Batender......, June 29, 2000

By 

Rick (Long Island, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cocktail [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This movie was very entertaining in all ways! I actually learned a lot from this movie as a bartender! Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown worked extremely well together. Get this movie if you want to laugh, feel sad, and then feel good again.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of Tom Cruise's earliest and best movies, January 22, 2001

By 

jasenao (Dothan, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cocktail [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Flanagan (Tom Cruise) is a student studying business and who takes up a new job being a bartender. Flanagan proves to be a great bartender, but he doesn't want to be a bartender all his life, especially after his co-worker betrays him and after he drops out of college. Flanagan isn't really satisfied with anything in his life until he meets an attractive girl named Jordan (Elisabeth Shue) and falls in love with her. But even then everything doesn't go as planned after he takes up a bet with his betraying former co-worker.

"Cocktail" is a pretty good movie. It was one of the best of Tom Cruise's older movies. It has a good plot and the soundtrack isn't bad either. I recommend anybody to at least watch "Cocktail."