Return to Paradise Movie Review 1998

Sheriff (Vaughn) and Tony (Conrad), along with their new friend Lewis (Phoenix), take a vice-filled vacation in Malaysia. Done with the partying, the two New Yorkers return home while Lewis stays in Asia to work with orangutans. Two years later, Lewis is in a Malaysian prison, facing execution for a brick of hashish, which Sheriff haphazardly tossed into the garbage. Enter Heche as lawyer Beth, who finds Sheriff and tells him that in order to save Lewis, he and Tony must return and take their share of the responsibility (and serve time in a squalid third-world prison). Despite contributing an important twist to the extremely powerful climax, Pinkett Smith's role feels too contrived and is the biggest flaw in the film. Loose retelling of the 1989 French film "Force Majeure."

Distribution

USA Home Entertainment, 1 W. Forest, Englewood, NJ 07631-4004, Phone: (201)871-1000, URL: http://www.polygram-us.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 112 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Buddies, Men in Prison, Race Against Time, Drug Use & Abuse, Law & Lawyers, Order in the Court, Foreign Intrigue, New York, New York, Ethics & Morals, Stolen from France

Screenplay

Wesley Strick, Bruce Robinson

Cast

Vince Vaughn, Joaquin Rafael (Leaf) Phoenix, Anne Heche, David Conrad, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vera Farmiga, Nick Sandow

Cinematography

Reynaldo Villalobos

Director

Joseph Ruben

Music

Mark Mancina

Producer

Polygram Filmed Entertainment