Blu-ray Review – Paradise (1982)

I don't believe anyone was more shocked by the success of 1980's "The Blue Lagoon" than the very people who made the picture. A small feature aimed at a teenage audience, "The Blue Lagoon" managed to attract all demographics with its depiction of island survival and sexual awakening, becoming a phenomenon and the ninth highest-grossing release of the year (sandwiched between "Smokey and the Bandit II" and "The Blues Brothers"). The stars of the endeavor, Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins, also became media sensations, encouraging the creation of a devoted fanbase. Obviously, other producers weren't going to miss a chance to cash-in on something so red-hot, paving the way to the creation of 1982's "Paradise," which once again pairs a curly-haired young man and a straight-haired young woman, capturing their trials and offerings of nudity while exploring a little corner of the world on their own. Writer/director Stuart Gillard ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III," "WarGames: The Dead Code") is under strict orders to stay close to the highlights of the 1980 effort, also laboring to expand the adventure elements of the plot. He's also greatly in love with supporting turns from chimpanzees, representing one of several puzzling creative choices in this ineffective knock off, which has a great deal of difficulty trying to get through a simple study of sexploitation and nature's ways. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com