Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #246928 in DVD
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Running time: 104 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

Coming From A Batender......
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.

A fun film
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.

One of Tom Cruise's earliest and best movies
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."