Where to watch Club Paradise
2 Stars
Injured while risking his life to save an angry German shepherd, Chicago Firefighter Jack Moniker retires and moves to a small Caribbean island named St. Nicholas. There, he is befriended by Ernest Reed, the owner of a run-down resort. Greedy developers are scheming to wrest Reed’s coveted beachfront property from him for non-payment of taxes. Jack comes to Ernest’s rescue, and together they renovate and reopen the resort catering to affluent Americans. The film follows the zany exploits of the proprietors, guests and various colorful island denizens, as they break in the new “Club Paradise”.
Club Paradise features a poster showcasing the famous cast standing in waist-high water. The poster suggests a fun time with likable stars in a tropical setting, but the movie is a slow-paced, tame comedy with a meandering storyline. The idea of a revolt between resistance forces and a military takeover of the island doesn’t seem like typical comedy material.
Robin Williams plays the lead role once intended for Bill Murray, and Peter O’Toole, the second-billed co-star, is given little screen time and doesn’t engage much with the story. Despite a catchy title and a title song, the movie fails to deliver big laughs and settles for political melodrama. Club Paradise has a catchy title and title song sung by co-star Jimmy Cliff, but that is where the entire rehaul of the project should have begun. Here is a movie with the goods, but it fumbles them with a convoluted story that lacks big laughs and settles for political melodrama.
Directed by: Harold Ramis
Written by: Harry Shearer, Tom Leopold, Chris Miller
Starring: Robin Williams, Peter O’Toole, Rick Moranis