Johny Handsome (BD)

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Director Walter Hill became popular after the huge success of “48 Hours” at the box-office. He is also one of the producers of the “Alien” series. “Johnny Handsome” (1989) follows a similar pattern and style as seen in “48 Hours,” “Red Heat,” and “Extreme Prejudice” in that it deals with redemption and revenge. Add to this mix cops chasing bad guys and double-crossing, and you have a thriller that pays homage to Forties’ film noirs as well as Western movies.

“Johnny Handsome” arrived in the late Eighties, following the cult success of “Angel Heart” in which Mickey Rourke played as an obsessive private investigator. Nonetheless, it was also the time that started the slide for Mickey Rourke: “Wild Orchid,” “Desperate Hours,” and “Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man” all failed at the box-office. The big projects faded for him, and Hollywood kind of shunned him. Of course, “Sin City” and “The Wrestler” and the recent, “Iron Man 2” brought him back to the big leagues of Hollywood.

In “Johnny Handsome” Rourke plays John Sedley, also known as Johnny Handsome, a hoodlum who suffers from a rare skin deformity. He persuades his mentor and father figure to do one last job that involves a bank robbery. Things don’t go as planned, and Johnny’s mentor dies in a shoot-out, his other two partners, Sunny (Ellen Barkin) and Rafe (Lance Henriksen), leaving Johnny alone at the crime scene. Johnny is arrested and taken to prison, where he is soon paroled. A doctor, Dr. Steven Fisher (Forest Whitaker), operates on him and gives him a new face that is devoid of any abnormalities. Meanwhile, A.Z. Drones (Morgan Freeman) is convinced that Johnny will commit another crime, and he begins to track his movements. Soon, Johnny teams up Sunny and Rafe to plan another robbery that, in fact, is his last chance to avenge his mentor’s death.

The opening robbery shot in the film is very well executed and probably reminds us of the robbery in “The Dark Knight.” With sharp editing, the film excels in this technical aspect. The story is ordinary, but Mickey Rourke runs the show convincingly. In initial segments, we see him struggling to talk, and the makeup perfectly transforms him to a man born with an incurable abnormality. His persona conjures up images from David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man.” Later, after the operation, Johnny’s handsome appearance never overpowers the screen as he is fully aware of his ugly past.

Morgan Freeman’s character is a bit irritating at times and forcibly scripted in some scenes; however, the supporting cast keep things interesting in the story line. A.Z. Drones’s motive and his appearance with a black hat only refreshes memory of film noirs from the past. The final shoot-out is done in a typical Western style, with the last man standing winning the battle. The entire sequence along with the dialogue is a tribute to movies like “Stagecoach” and “High Noon.”

“Johnny Handsome” is a conventional revenge tale that showcases a superb performance from Mickey Rourke. Nonetheless, the movie is bogged down due to a predictable story. There are a few moments of occasional fun, but, otherwise, the film is worth viewing for Rourke’s performance alone.

Video:

Just as with Lionsgate’s previous catalog title, “Jimmy Hollywood,” the 1080p, Blu-ray transfer for “Johnny Handsome” is inconsistent. In one scene, Johnny’s love interest gives him a ride. As the scene progresses, the image looks dull and soft during close-ups. In fact, there is a fair amount grain in indoor and nighttime scenes. Further, the colors lack vibrancy. The image is rough in nighttime scenes, with a lack of detail and poor contrast. The movie is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

Audio:

Lionsgate provides a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track for this release. The movie does have a couple of action sequences, but they are driven by the front channels. The dialogue is clear, but it sounds a bit flat at times. Overall, the quality of this audio track is acceptable. Also, provided is the option to view the movie with Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Lionsgate has included three short features for this release. In the first featurette, “Wordsmith,” Ken Friedman talks about the style employed in the movie and how “Johnny Handsome” has elements of a film noir. Following this featurette, we get another one, “Eye of the beholder,” that provides insights on challenges involved during the filming process and thoughts on its main star, Mickey Rourke. The final featurette, “Action Man,” talks about various action sequences in the film and how they were filmed, specifically the opening robbery scene.

Also, Lionsgate has included a theatrical trailer for this movie, along with a video stills gallery.

Parting Shots:

“Johnny Handsome” lacks unique and satisfying elements to make it a standout in the overcrowded cop-action field. The film is largely forgettable, but fans of Mickey Rourke might want to check it out anyway.


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