Copacabana

Who knew that the man who wrote the songs can't act. Barry Manilow has always been a showman, yet somehow playing a showman (even an up and coming one) is beyond him. His acting is stiff...so stiff that when he is shot at the end (this is not a spoiler, you've HEARD the song, there is no more plot to this fiasco than what you get in the song) he looks more like a redwood toppling to the floor than a human. If a Manilow falls in the movie and nobody watches it, what is the sound of no fans clapping. Add to that the awful makeup that "ages" Lola at the beginning and end of the movie, and you have a totally miss-able film. So why not a 1 vote? There was enough that I actually made it to the end of the film. It might be worth it to you for the badness, but the only entertainment value is making fun of this with your friends.

OK, I have been looking for this movie for years, I can't believe it's FINALLY on DVD. ( I too had a worn out VHS copy that I lost). My sis & I can practically sing every song from this movie....We've loved the song copacabana since it came out (I was a little kid at the time) so when they made a movie about it we were stoked to watch it, and watch we did, over & over. This is campy fun, with great costumes & one of the few musicals with cuban characters (albeit not very authentic) so if you like Latin music & choreography and enjoy great original songs...you'll love this movie. All of Manilow's songs here are well-written & are woven into the story in a pretty ingenious way. So do the merengue & the cha cha, you're at the COPA!

I must admit, I am a Barry fan, and any one who is will certainly enjoy this movie. However, even those who may not consider themselves fans will find this lighthearted musical comedy to be a treat. It's fast-paced, the musical numbers are splendid, and Barry Manilow is a surprisingly good actor. I wonder why he never did any more theatrical roles, other than this. Unfortunately, the DVD offers no additional insights or extras on this movie, a dissappointment. All in all, if you are a fan of the romantic comedies of yesteryear, "This one's for you, where ever you are...". They just don't make 'em like THAT anymore!

I have loved Barry Manilow's music since 1978. Someone really should have told him that he cannot act as his performance in this is embarrassing and excruciating to watch. His movie career hardly took off since, did it? Not recommended except to the fans who think he can do no wrong.

First off...I'm a Manilow fan, so my review of this movie can be considered a bit skewed. But, seeing that probably only people who ARE Manilow fans will be viewing this movie, I guess that's OK. For you Fanilows, please change the rating above to an 8, simply because Barry looks good in this and his charm shines through his mediocre acting ability. Obviously, the plot revolves around his 1978 mega-hit "Copacabana." If you know the song, you know the movie, but there are a few twists in the storyline. Annette O'Toole is FABULOUS as Lola--she's sweet and sexy, and doesn't have a bad voice herself. Mr. Bologna does an OK job as Rico, but it seems he's playing the same part as he did in "My Favorite Year." I kept waiting for him to ask if they were serving tongue at the Tropicana! Barry is the real star here. He shines in his songs "Sweet Heaven" and "Who Needs to Dream" and there are nice snippets of him playing some of his album-cut classic tunes as a piano bar performer throughout. The movie itself is a nice way to spend about an hour and a half of your time, but is necessary viewing for all Barry Manilow fans.