Customer Reviews

Cocktail [VHS]

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

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.

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.

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."

This is the best film to come out of , the fire I had in my shed.The other two being INTRUCTIONS FOR GROWING DANDELIONS , in japanese , and COALMINING AND ITS AFFECT ON THE SHADE OF MOLEHAIR . Tom Cruise plays a barman whos hair changes from scene to scene like a traffic light . The boy has ambition to strike it rich ,and in between studies ,goes to work in Bryon Browns bar.Where the two of them dance about and throw bottles into the air like a chimps teaparty .Meanwhile all the customers die of thirst, so tom goes off into the sun to find a rich woman to latch onto . He soon finds one that has a thing for men in elevator shoes . Will he stay with the money ,or marry his true love ,the queen of the leprechauns , in a traditional . lets all walk under a snakes belly wedding . I belive the film was originally ,to be called TWO SHOW OFFS . Then after the film was viewed in its entirety and the investors had killed themselfs ,they settled for COCKTAIL . Changing hair the insomniacs cure .

I don't know Tom Cruise personally, but the person he appears to be in tv interviews doesn't seem very different from the performance he delivers in almost every one of his movies.

Early in his career, Mr. Cruise developed a cocky, in-your-face persona that he used in film after film.
He played the cocky unlikable fighter pilot, the cocky unlikable bartender, the cocky unlikable NASCAR driver and the cocky unlikable pool hustler in movies that were limited by his character. Even in films that were saved by the superior performances of others - such as Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man", or Paul Newman in "The Color of Money"- Tom still played the cocky unlikable character.

With a handful of bizarre public appearances, he developed a nearly universal reputation, Sloane Crosley wrote in Village Voice, as "one spoke behind Michael Jackson on the freak wheel."

This is his cocky bartender movie.

this was a great movie. tom cruise played a dead sexy young guy trying to make his way in the bartending business. he falls for a cute ny city rich girl in jamaica. after going through rough times the 2 get married and have twins

Don't listen to that review that said this movie was AWFUL, because I'm here to tell you that it's not. It is a fantastic story of a guy named Brian's adventures bartending in New York City and Jamaica. If you don't find this film mega entertaining, then you'd better have yourself checked out.

Cruise plays Brian Flanagan, I guess because people think he does a decent Irish accent. Nevertheless while under the drink mixing tutelage of "Obi-wan" Coughlin (Brown) he gets involved with Coral (Gina Gershon) later telling Coughlin of their bedroom exploits. To ensure that Flanagan sees the light, Coughlin sleeps with Coral to try to show Flanagan she was no good for him. Why Coral would sleep with Coughlin just because Flanagan said they were making nikki-nikki is a mystery (she's seen sleeping over at the apartment and all cuddily with Tom's character for God's sake). Anyway, what a pal, nice to see Coughlin really cares. Later, actually just a brief dissolve to ocean shores & islands, despite this friendship-ending dastardly deed Flanagan befriend's Coughlin while working in Jamaica. Now that (Brown) has found "true" happiness (Lynch), you'd think he'd want the same for (Tom), right? Wrong. Despite Flanagan's seriously developing affinity for Jordan (Shue), he dares (Tom) to bed the mature, rich and connected Bonnie (Lisa Banes). Of course, this destroys Cruise & Shue's chance for romance, despite his explanation that it's okay because "when a guy lays down a dare, you just got to." What kind of logic is that? Still later trying to make up with her, he claims he got spooked by Jordan, so which one is it? Finally, how nice for Hollywood to wrap everything up with death, attempted seduction, pregnancy, attempted bribery, and Flanagan striking out on his own in one of the riskiest businesses around a "Theme" bar. Although, cute at times, one has to wonder the next time someone dares Tom's character.

The story behind this film is a real hedonistic example of what most blokes would love to do. Hardly any responsibility being a bar-tender, except to those you tend - and all the while having a great time. The plot is thin which is why it is so easy to understand and this is what makes the film - the moment you have to think about a film like this, is the moment you miss the point. The soundtrack is great, and the movie soundtrack CD is missing some of the best songs from the film too, the best one when Tom and Elizabeth get frisky under the waterfall in Jamaica (Jimmy Cliff - Shelter of Your Love). Overall, most people can relate to many aspects of this movie, and many of the situations the characters are in such as hope, love, lust, vacations to hot tropical places, and of course at the end - family.
Great film - you must see it if you haven't already!

Before Tom Cruise was known as a crazed, jumping individual (anyone remember his appearance on "Oprah"?) and after his breakthrough performance in 1986's "Top Gun" Tom appeared in a line of successful Hollywood films making him the biggest box office attraction of his generation. "Cocktail" is one of the films that solidified Cruise as the most popular male star of the late eighties and early nineties.

I hadn't watched "Cocktail" in over ten years, but recently purchased the film on DVD. I completely forgot how dated the movie is; everything from the big, curly female hairdos to the tacky eighties music score and songs epitomozes how much the film was of its era. Still, if you can get past those minor issues the film is quite good. Tom gives a convincing performance as a young man who comes to New York City with dreams of becoming successful in the business world. After failing miserably in college (while bartending) Brian Flannigan (Cruise's character) decides to go to Jamaica with his best friend, make some quick cash, and open his own bar in the Big Apple. There's a nice love story here and Tom has never looked better, especially in the Jamaican scenes with his amazing tan.

The film grossed an amazing $80,000,000 on a $6,000,000 budget and is now known for some of the songs used in the film, tracks performed by the Beach Boys and Bobby McFarrin.

In recent years Touchstone Pictures has released "Cocktail" in a two DVD set with Tom's "The Color of Money" film from 1986, a picture he starred in with Paul Newman.