User reviews

Any 80-90 Miami vice or even Acapulco heat episode has better acting. Cant understand why such pros like Willis and Travolta did not give any advice for director or writer. Maybe they are more tired than Nicolas Cage.

Hawaii nature ahots did not save those bad dialogues, that dond fit no cinema, no theater stage - too flat. No right emotion. Bachground music fits more of robin hood or dragon and dungeon scenery, but not Hawaii.

Every second scene is out of logic. If you have drug lord in custody and stand before 20 of his goons aiming at you. You dont drop him, but use him as a live shield. BAD.

NO suspense. NO thrill. The action is laughably amateurish.

NOT a Bruce Willis movie, because (as usual) he is only starring in it for 15 minutes tops.

NOT a John Travolta movie either, because he isnt the leading actor either.

Stephen Dorff DOES have a bigger role and he is still as cool as in his younger days, but he is surrounded by LOTS of terrible supporting actors, who take up way too much screentime. Bummer.

The bad: LOTS of silly dialogue and LOTS of silly storylines. The direction is cheap and uninspired. With such great acting talents, more could have come of it. But it didnt...

Not any good then? It's always nice to see these 3 old powerhouse actors, but it only reminds me that they used to star in much better movies in the eighties and nineties...

NOT recommended. 100% FLOP.

Actually, I wasn't really harboring much of any grand expectations for the 2022 action thriller "Paradise City" from director Chuck Russell. Not that it is based on the director or anything, but the numerous movies these last couple of years coming from Bruce Willis just haven't been top notch stellar movies, if you know what I mean.

But still, I had the opportunity to watch "Paradise City", and I do believe in giving a movie a fair chance. So of course I opted to sit down and watch this movie without ever having heard about it.

The storyline in "Paradise City", as written by Edward Drake, Corey Large and Chuck Russell, was pretty simplistic. I mean, you could leave the movie for an extended period of time to go do something else and return only to find that you were not missing out on anything. Well, at least that makes "Paradise City" a very easy movie to watch, as it requires zero invenstment of attention from the viewers.

The movie does have some familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Stephen Dorff, Noel Gugliemi and Branscombe Richmond. However, I can't really claim that I witnessed any particularly memorable or outstanding performances as the movie trotted on.

Was I entertained by "Paradise City"? Hardly. Yet, I actually still managed to sit through all 92 minutes of it. However, once the movie came to an end, I must admit that I was left with an overwhelming sense of 'was that it?' and a feeling of having wasted 92 minutes on nothing.

If you enjoy action thrillers, then there are far, far better movies readily available out there. And "Paradise City" came and went without leaving any kind of impression. So this was just another dubious movie in a long line of dubious movies starring Bruce Willis.

My rating of "Paradise City" lands on a three out of ten stars.

It feels like John Travolta & Bruce Willis vacationed in Hawaii and ran into Stephen Dorff and someone lost a bet... and this movie was made the following week before they all flew back home.

I seriously can't believe this movie was made with these stars. Sad.

There were scenes where it felt the actors (if they could be called that) were reading the lines for the first time. No suspense, no character development, poor timing...

Did the female "actress" just get lip fillers the day of shooting, maybe that's why the acting was so poor? I'm looking for reasonable explanations as to justify what prevented her from trying to act... It felt like she has no experience but paid her way to be on the set with some movie stars for fun... she wasn't even trying.

At least they had some fun in a beautiful location :)

Not sure how this ever left the camera and went to the editing, best guess is that it didn't. Terrible acting, terrible videography, nothing makes this movie worth while. I'd venture to say that the budget stopped at the top two names and location, but even then, the acting was so bad that I can't imagine it was just the writing. There is no story, no good acting, no emotion. The movie felt like a joke in the beginning because of the acting, but we soon realized that it's just the way the movie is. Nothing improved and it just got harder and harder to watch. I've seen some bad acting, and this takes the cake.

Okay, I'm not going to lie, I only gave this film a shot because of Bruce; great guy and actor. But sadly, this movie clearly misses its mark. The story is boring, the pacing is bad, and whom ever directed this, needs to turn in their Director's cars; this movie is just a mess of nothingness. Quite frankly my 5 year old could've done a better job directing this film; did they even try? It's as if they took a good idea and plot and just ignored the whole point of making a movie; to entertain and keep its viewers interested in the film, that's the point. It's no wonder this movie flopped big time; simply sad.

The Thai chick was hot. Bruce Willis can never do wrong in my opinion. Throw in a hot Thai chick. Who cares about the story. Thai chick was hot. Did I mention the Thai chick? She was hot. Was the film plot flat? Yes it was. Was the Thai chick hot? Absolutely. Was there any suspense? None whatsoever. But the Thai chick... she was outrageously hot. Would I watch it. Absolutely for the hot Thai chick. Apparently she is a goodwill embassador with the UN! That's really impressive. It's probably because she is so hot. I read she is 33. That's outstanding because that's kinda old. But she is so hot. In conclusion the movie was awful. The Thai chick was hot. But she can't act. She was painful to listen to but she's hot.

Very poor acting from the main characters. Should have just concentrated Bruce Willis and John Travolta instead of the rest of the amateur cast. The plot is not believable, neither are the 'natives'. The rest of the cast are totally unconvincing. The words came out alright but their lack of connection with their facial expressions and body language is laughable. Bad guys, aside from Travolta, are about as menacing as NOT!! Just because you are carrying an automatic weapon and say a few F-words, does not make a convincing thug. There's no humour, no excitement and the plot is extremely predictable. Enough said of a non-event.

If you think you're in for a good movie with some legendary actors... well then don't watch it.

It's bad I mean really really bad. I kept watching it because it was funny it was so bad. But not "cult" classic funny. It looks like a cheesy cheap tv citcom.

Can't believe I had to watch travolta and Bruce Willis and Stephen Dwarf humiliate themselves by sinking to this level of bad. The whole movie is hilarious the tribe folk all have terrible Botox and lip injections and can't even take the screen without looking ridiculous and confused "duck faces" with no expression. How are you going to be convincing in a movie if your face DOESN'T MOVE?!? Just stop already. The fight scenes and gun training are soooo bad it's like I said "funny" If you're gonna play a cop or RAMBO maybe just maybe you should learn how to at least hold a gun.

Anyway I could go on forever.

Watch it if you can make it past first 10min.

Not the worst thing I've seen, and beautiful scenery.

Start with the negatives, the plot isn't the greatest at all, stuff just sort of happens, and the acting from the supporting cast isn't exactly the greatest. Also, someone gets shot in the leg and ties a belt BELOW the wound yet survives?

On a positive note though, BRUCE WILLIS ACTUALLY ACTS in this film. The majority of his films in recent years have seen Willis just bumble through his spoon fed lines, but he actually acts and gets a fair amount of screen time. John Trovolta also puts in a decent performance.

The scenery was absolutely beautiful as well.

The film is average, but its to be expected with a modern day Bruce Willis film.

I love Hawaii been many times, so love the scenery and all the places I've been and seen.... However........ I saw the trailer and saw the actors.... I thought... wow, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Stephen Dorff, this has be be a great movie. Was I wrong! This was one of the worst movies I've seen in a while. Love all the BIG name actors in this but the worst acting I've seen from these actors EVER! Great location and cinematic.. but the acting is horrible. Don't waste your time.

The story was good but could've been done (with better acting skills) much better.

I serious think, John Travolta and Bruce Willis did this movie to get a free trip To Hawaii.. lol. Seriously not worth the time.

I think this was meant to be an old CSI show. It was some of the worst acting I have seen. The effects and camera film was awful- I think this might have been shot on an iPhone and the graphics were done by a college class.

John and Bruce were ok but really, they were not in the movie that much. They had plenty of cheesy lines, bad moments, and a few funny ones. The story line was not that great. I don't want to give any of the plot away but this turd didn't really have one.

There were some parts that gave you hopes of a good movie but they were quickly ended.

I can wrap this up by saying - - Almost so bad it's funny. Don't give it a shot.

Really a cheese ball of a movie Minus the Hawaiian scenery, cinematography and native/cultural inclusions it's absolute cheese.

Travolta, Dorff and Willis were pretty much true to form film stars, but less than stellar performance from anywhere else.

The plot is absolutely predictable and you've seen it a thousand times before. It has the feel of "throw this together quickly and enjoy our time on the islands". The action scenes were fairly unrealistic for the most part.

I almost just turned it off about 20 minutes in, but decided to weather through it.

That being said, I did enjoy all the Hawaiian aspects of it.

Very rarely does a cast of this calibre dial it in so badly. Why did they agree to make this pile of crap? Terrible plot, terrible script, awful acting. It is painful to watch this movie and a complete waste of time and effort.

I can't actually believe this got beyond the script stage never mind get made, edited (?) and released. Something went wrong somewhere along the line and all the actual acting was removed. The actors speak all the lines with no emotion or feeling leaving it impossible to care about anything or anyone on screen. One of the worst movies I've ever seen. And does not deserved the number of characters I have to write to submit this review!

First of all its total waste of talented and reputed casting.

The movie lacks all the basics it takes to make a good film. The plot, writing and direction all were lacking to make it a movie worth watching. There's no suspense to keep the audiences on their seats till the last.

Talking about story it seems good to me but with some improvements it would have been wonderful. Same goes for the writing, the ending seemed so blunt, like it was just a cold good bye.

While Bruce Willis and John Travolta give justice to their roles while some of the cast were not up to the mark.

To sum it up it's average which lacks the potential.

This movie in my humble opinion could have had some amazing scenery .. it's filmed in Hawaii.. while the scene shot in paradise city was beautiful more could have been done and maybe not film it at night.

Acting.. or writing ... either was responsible for this being a three star rating. It's hard to make a movie.. and this would be a show I would show to my students to show them what can cause a bad movie.

Main stream actors... so what... they didn't make the movie any better... we need to stop paying actors that are already wealthy and put more effort behind unknown actors. Bring them forward.. dont put John on your inventory sheet and expect a block buster..

Just ... do better... this fake it till we make it .. really needs to stop.. if you dont know how to do something .. learn.. then get the cash together to make a movie...

What a way to end a career. This film's release was subsequently followed by the news that Willis was retiring due to a brain condition, and more recently we've learnt that he's suffering from dementia. All eyes on him here then, but of course he's barely in it, often doubled, and with just a few half-hearted lines of dialogue fed to him by others in an ear piece. Sadly, the rest of the film isn't much cop either. There are lots of different characters, none of them interesting, including a cheesy John Travolta and a slumming it Stephen Dorff. The most surprising thing is that this one was directed by Chuck Russell, who once made the class act that is THE BLOB.

Bruce Willis plays bounty hunter Ian Swan - get it? Because it's his swan song, his final film (not counting the two Detective Knight sequels, which were apparently shot back to back with the first one).

His condition is no secret by now, and he has trouble with the tone of his lines, but every now and then, there's still a glimpse of his old charm. He will be missed.

Right off the bat, the worst aspect of the film jumps at you. Any time willis is not shot from the front, it's a stunt double, even for shots of him just standing or walking. Weirdly, this even happens of closeup shots of his hands. Willis has white hair on back of his head, his arms and hands, but the stunt double has dark hair. He also doesn't have Willis's beard. In the age of deepfakes, this is unforgivable. How hard would it have been to either bleach his arm hair or add a latex cap with white stubble to his head? The stunt double is mostly shot in the shadow, which makes the transition to Willis well lit shots even more jarring. They also have a different physique and move differently. In other words... it's bad. Willis doesn't look healthy, and I sincerely hope he can relax during his retirement and that his physical health won't deteriorate. He deserves respect for taking on so many roles despite his illness, in order to make some fast extra cash for his family.

All that out of the way, I am happy to say that this final film is actually quite watchable. The script is mostly coherent, there is some decent character building, the pacing is pretty good except for the middle part, nice establishing shots and some good acting.

Stephen Dorff and John Travolta truly shine in their roles. Much like in Face Off, Travolta strikes the perfect balance of charm and sinistry, a master manipulator, who speaks softly and wears a smile that only thinly disguises a ruthless and calculating man beneath. He's given a son whom he appears to care for, which is a nice touch and gives him some humanity. John Travolta deserves more and better roles. He's truly one of the greats.

Stephen Dorff plays a gruff, world weary guy, but retains his boyish charm. Another criminally underappreciated actor. It's a pity he doesn't get more screentime.

Sadly the movie suffers from having too many characters. Some, like the MMA fighter serve no purpose at all, while others, like Willis's son and the police woman are underwritten. In fact, Stephen Dorff and the son's characters could have even been combined into one, or their arcs streamlined. Dorff sits out the middle of the film, while the son doesn't really do much during the beginning and end.

The supporting actors aren't very good for the most part. Pity.

The script has two twists. Nothing super fancy, but they were competent enough.

The action scenes sadly were not. Using digital blood spurts is such a waste.

Likwise, the ending sucked. In a final film, you want to see the hero riding off into the sunset, smiling one last time at the camera. That was a major missed opportunity.

Still, overall I enjoyed the film, and I'm glad Bruce Willis sendoff wasn't something dreadful like Fortress, Deadlock or 10 Minutes Gone or some trash like that. Farewell Bruce, thank you decades of entertainment!

An experienced viewer knows what they're in for with 'Paradise City'. Five production companies logos to start. Bruce Willis puts in minimal screen time, effort, collects an easy paycheck. A fairly below average cops vs bad guys caper with John Travolta in a one note role, but the heavy work goes to little known actors.

Ian Swan (Willis) an ex-cop turned bounty hunter is shot in Hawaii and presumed dead after trying to capture a big time fugitive. His also bounty hunter son Ryan (Blake Jenner) seeks answers while crossing paths with his dad's ex partner Robbie (Stephen Dorff) who wants to help. Ditto Det. Savannah (Praya Lundberg). Meanwhile money man Buck (Travolta) is backing a local Hawaiian native for governor in a bid for more power & control.

Everything is low energy right down to barely any action and when there is some it isn't very good. CGI blood and all. A brain dead opening where henchmen can't hit a single person out in the open to save their lives. Mercs take out a hotel maid with a blind long distance shot while the good guys are nowhere even close to her or the window. Zzz. This gunfire startles people attending a party one property over, but not the people down below at the hotel pool. Just lazy.

Beautiful young ladies in the cast, Hawaiian sights. 'Paradise City' is competently made, but also predictable to the max and not very smart. We continue to give poor movies a go because big name stars past their prime appear in drivel for quick paydays. This is yet another example of it. Don't waste your time & money.

I have not seen acting as bad as this is for a long time!!!! At one point, I wondered if it might be a parody of an adventure film... Nope! It's the real deal! The actors, even the most well known, put on such a terrible show that I feel sad that they were paid for it. An amateur troop would have done better. Moreover, the story feels like something teenagers could have written for their drama class. The only interesting part of the movie is Hawaii. The landscapes are beautiful, but it's not enough to save the movie. Really not worth wasting anyone's time. Sad, too, that this could be one of Mr. Willis' last films.