Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)

Admirable film.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

There are some movies that perfectly encapsulate the late 80's, early 90's epitome of trash bag, chromed up, machismo soaked, violently silly over the top theme park ride vibe of the action genre at that time. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man is a perfect example of that. It's a down and dirty sleazeball flick that is just so fun. Mickey Rourke plays Harley, a biker cowboy on a steel horse who makes his way back to a slightly futuristic LA to reconnect with his old barfly friends, including the rodeo riding Marlboro Man (Don Johnson). Rourke claims he only did this one for the dough, but I call bullshit. He has such a ball with his leathery tan, cocky prick attitude and spiked hair it's impossible he wasn't invested, even in a purely camp form. Don Johnson is slick and deadly as his trigger happy buddy Marlboro. Between quips, fist and gunfights, smoking and boozing, they try to exact revenge on the tyrannical big city banker (Tom Sizemore) who laid waste to their friends inner city bar. Sizemore is no stranger to dangerous, mean spirited roles, and he plays the megalomaniac financier with a razor sharp, homicidal calm that's giddily entertaining. A young Tia Carrere shows up as his sultry assistant, as well as work from Daniel Baldwin, Kelly Hu, Vanessa Angel and Chelsea Field. It's no smart action flick, but it's a brutal, tongue in cheek modern western with dusty, broken glass and whiskey soaked style that will entertain anyone who has nostalgia for that era of action movies.

It has been reported that Mickey Rourke stated that he did this movie for the money, and it certainly says a lot about this movie. This was a very unlikeable movie and despite not having seen this rubbish in over 20 years, I have never forgotten how bad the movie was.Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson play (and infamously named) Harley Davidson, and The Marlboro Man, two unlikeable losers who set out to save their friend's bar by robbing banks and armoured cars, and also uncover the fictional drug named "Crystal Dream". Are you serious? Is somebody having a laugh? Come on, surely you can do better than that! Was this meant to be some sort of comedy? No. Is this just a rough and tumble action movie? Meant to be. Does it fail? In every way, yes. The dialogue is atrocious, and all the action scenes are poorly executed and unrealistic.I have nothing against Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson, but I wish that they could have teamed up in a better movie. It's good to see Mickey Rourke have his career resurrected after the success of the critically acclaimed 2008 movie The Wrestler for which he was deservedly nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Don Johnson, famously known for his role in Miami Vice, enjoyed success with the TV show Nash Bridges in the late 90's before popping up here and there with lesser known movies and TV shoes and small roles in such movies as Machete (2010) and Django Unchained (2013).Keep an eye out for Tom Sizemore (Heat, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down), Vanessa Williams (Eraser, TV's Ugly Betty), Tia Carrere (True Lies) and Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring in Breaking Bad) in small roles.It was no surprise this was a critical and box office failure back in 1991, although this has since become a cult classic following its release to home video. You may either like this movie or you won't like it. I certainly have never forgotten how unlikeable this movie was, and this is one movie I won't give a second thought to watching again.1/10.

Who was the Einstein to put Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson together, because their agreeable combination was a blast as the two novelty title characters … but as for the feature itself it was a very lukewarm conventional buddy action comedy with a modern western touch to it all. From guys having a good time, organising a heist that goes wrong (not money, but drugs… whoops) and then finding them on the run for it. Having strong protagonists is one thing (though you could say Rourke and Johnson do feel like they were on cruise control), but they do carry this one along, where as having weak villains is downright criminal. A less than imposing Tom Sizemore is wasted, despite being the main corporate villain oozing with confidence, while Daniel Baldwin just lacked any sort of punch even though looking the part decked in black leather as a henchman. Even the bit players come and go with little to no impact. Julius Harris adds some class, while there's amusing playful parts for Big John Studd and Giancarlo Esposito. Then the likes of Chelsea Field, Vanessa Williams, Tia Carrere and Robert Ginty's characters felt like secondary inclusions to add something ala filler, which probably could have been scrapped from its bloated script. Director Simon Wincer gives it slick technical treatment (crafty cinematography) and aplomb in it's vigorously over exaggerated action set-pieces and stunt-work, but its liveliness couldn't hide its generic score, banal story structure and silly plotting. A mindless popcorn action romp with its two stars having a ball. "It's better to be dead and cool, than alive and uncool".

What's not to love? This is a live-action cartoon; an homage to the classic oater of yesteryear that absolutely refuses to take itself seriously; a fun frantic buddy flick replete with motorcycles, guns, an explosion or two, a disgraced former Miss America, an army of villains gunning for our heroes, and a sleazy, wealthy, powerfully-connected bad guy directing the nefarious doings from the safety of his well-secured office. Hmmm.... Come to think of it, that bad guy has a lot in common with our last president....But I digress. Seriously, for all those who whine about the script, the chemistry, or the "unbelievability" of the scenario: carefully untwist your panties, butter your popcorn, and put your brain in low gear for an hour and a half. You might shock yourself and end up having a good time with a rompin', stompin' shoot-'em-up cowboy picture.And anyone should know, within the first five minutes of viewing, that a rompin', stompin' shoot-'em-up cowboy picture is what they've got. This is not the pretentious drop-your-Rolex-in-the-sand "artiness" of Easy Rider, or the heart-rending After School Special sob-story of Mask (the Sam Elliott and Cher Mask, not the Jim Carrey version). It isn't even the high-concept hi-jinks of my favorite road movie of all time, Roadside Prophets. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man is nothing more than FUN; escapist and cathartic fun with a couple of wise-crackin' rough riders ready to do battle against big corporate baddies. Come along for the ride!