Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)

An action-packed slog

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Directed by Simon Wincer 1991 this film, and let's admit it, is a a wonderful comedy even though it was not supposed to be one. Truly, who takes his film seriously?Even though this film is a biker film and produced in a time where being a biker was an ''in'' thing, we follow two men who live their lives the myth of what a biker life is: Freedom, drugs, alcohol, cheap hotel rooms, clash with the underworld, all the clichés of the biker world are united in one film.As humour and to defy the underworld which both men do by entering a bank where drug dealing is king, there is a scene or a parody of the Vietnam war with the helicopter shooting the bank. The use of the helicopter is a tribute to the Vietnam era.Secondly, the abandoned air field with airplane derelicts again seem to portray the vestiges of the Vietnam era. Probably the abandoned airfield is a symbol of the decrepitude of the biker era that was once a dream to be attained for many.The end of the film where Harley Davidson (Mickey Rourke) leaves his long life friend Marlboro Man (Don Johnson) to live a new life picks up a beautiful woman considered a Biker woman who would be bored by a mundane life and the myth of the biker picking up women is a cliché that is still in the dreams of anyone dreaming of becoming a biker and the freedom associated to this world.

Now let's see. I was getting a bit drunk this evening when I watched those 2 hillbillies in this awesome movie, but I think that made the movie even more fun to be honest. I had forgotten how sexy Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson were those days, but in this movie it's like a sex explosion with the needed violence and gunfights to make the movie what it is. It didn't really help me that both of them had a motorcycle either because motorcycles might just be sexier than those 2 men together in the same movie. This is a combination of fun and violence and like someone else said "Those movies aren't made anymore". Some people might not like this movie because today when watching a movie a lot of people seem to forget the real reason to watching a movie in the first place, did you enjoy it? Was it fun? In my opinion Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man is one of its best in this category. It is so totally worth watching more than once. Even the music in this movie is great with Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive! See this movie, I am sure you will have a great time and maybe even more fun with a bit of alcohol :)

Don Johnson steals this movie. I suspect one can use that statement as a barometer for gauging their interest in this particular film (no disrespect intended, Mr. Johnson).Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson star as the titular characters, respectively. When their favorite bar comes under threat of foreclosure, the two cowboys hatch a scheme to rob the bank for the $2.5 million needed for the lease renewal. But instead of money, the truck is carrying Crystal Dream - a high-potency drug of the future. Harley and Marlboro run into more trouble when the owner of the bank (bad-guy-for-hire Tom Sizemore) sends gunmen (led by the bored Daniel Baldwin) to recover his stolen drugs.Essentially a modern re-telling of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" takes place (primarily) in a not-too-distant future Los Angeles (5 years, to be exact), where hit men wear Kevlar trenchcoats, cars have barcode license plates, and the city of Burbank is an international airport.The film has the look and feel of your average early '90s action movie, although said action proceeds in fits and starts. And it doesn't help matters that the villains don't seem very threatening. I think this is where the film suffers most from a lackluster script. Tom Sizemore is fantastic at playing annoyed, but doesn't go any further than that. And Daniel Baldwin is just a stalking robot with a big gun, but his glassy-eyed stare gives the impression that he'd rather be somewhere else. Mickey Rourke has the same problem. It's my understanding that Rourke took the role for the money (and now regrets that decision) ... and it shows. Rourke's just going through the motions here. Any camaraderie that the lead characters are supposed to have suffers for this reason. Don Johnson's the only one having any fun here. He's the charming of the two, invests some energy into his character and he tends to steal every one of his scenes because of it. Indeed, Johnson ends up looking like the only one who cares about what is otherwise just a "paycheck movie". Still, the film retains a certain watchability. I still can't put my finger on why, but for a film that, on its surface, seems like a disposable affair, I still wouldn't mind sitting through it again. Mostly for Don Johnson.6.5/10

Ug. This film is not great. It's also not quite good, either. Hambone acting from everyone involved, with writing to match, makes it a good candidate for "Bad Movie Night". While it may find some merit in this regard, more isn't really deserved. The from-the-gut pat lines from Rourke and Johnson left me rolling my eyes. How Johnson finds his ex riding down the road is a mystery to me. Did I miss something? I do like Tom Sizemore, but his paper-thin bad-guy role is very tepid at best. I will say that Daniel Baldwin was better than I thought he would be. Even as cheesy as his performance was, I liked him. The method in which he and his mates appears is very much a cheese soaked experience. Have I mentioned the cheese? There is some. Much. And more. No, no. I'm full. Please stop. No..?Oh, I sat through the entire film and even paid attention (note title). Lots of folks rave about the buddy connection points of this film, but I thought it was vapid and ridiculous. Comic book style. It's certainly not the worst film 'evar', but it also never got over the hump of gaining my favor, but I guess you (The Reader) know that by now. For a brainless semi-action tough buddy film, it's okay, but Tango and Cash (7of10) would be a much better one in that genre. Check that one out. I give this one a 4 of 10.