Customer Reviews

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Bon Jovi sings over the opening credits. Heavy on the heavy metal, chopper hogs and chrome fetishes. Loud motorcycles and pole-dancing strip clubs. Even the convenience store clerk is drop dead gorgeous. Loud guns, bar fights, big explosions and high speed chases.
HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN is one of those testosterone loaded guy flicks that more or less defies criticism. Set in the near future - 1996 (the movie was released in 1991) - Mickey Rourke plays Harley Davidson and Don Johnson plays Marlboro Man, a pair of hard-living buddies who find themselves in possession of $2.5 million worth of `crystal dream,' a street drug that its owner, sleazy banker Tom Sizemore, will go to great lengths to get back. He sends heavily-armed and kevlar armored Daniel Baldwin and his gang of identically clad goons to retrieve the stuff.
Okay, it ain't Citizen Kane, but if you like watching stuff blowing up, guys getting into a lot of fights and women dressed in tight-and-clingy (and fading into the deep background after breakfast) HARLEY DAVIDSON & THE MARLBORO MAN is recommended.

As cheesy as it is, and totally testosterone driven, I can never get tired of watching it. It's defiantly entertaining and if you need to kick back with a beer after work and forget about things you can just pop this ... in and its instant gratification. I love the performances in it and the custom bike mickey rode in this speaks for itself..

i knew this film from television broadcast in jakarta indonesia, i interest to know about the film because since children i like cow boy for example bonanza. And so i'm very glad now for dvd edition.i want to know many cow boy film maybe you can help me
best regard from indonesia

First, I actually saw this movie at the theater. Anyone else out there? I loved it then, and I love it now.

I'm a big fan of Mickey Rourke, and this is my favorite role of his (a close second is SIN CITY). Is there one guy out there that wouldn't love to trade places on that great bike of his for at least an hour? Too cool; he was the only pick to make that role as believable as the script could carry.

Next is Don Johnson. I personally think the guy is a shmuck, but he's great in this role. As a buddy movie, he was the perfect compliment to Rourke. And he provides some of the best lines of the film.

The supporting characters are also great, with Tom Sizemore (who makes great military and home porn flicks, and beats his girlfriends), Big John Studd (of pro wrestling fame), Daniel Baldwin (before he got fat), Tia Carrera (before WAYNE'S WORLD), and of course a gorgeous Vanessa Williams (the real hottie of this movie).

The script and acting overall may be suspect (especially that little twerp Giancarlo Esposito), but who cares...it's lots of violence, hotties, and action.

Bottomline is that this is one of the best movies for guys that like movies, and a must-have for the film collection.

This is a much deeper more evolved movie than most realize at first glance. On the surface, its a simple action adventure movie about the little guy vs. the BIG corporation. It has enough action in it to satisfy the action movie buff many times over with everything from exploding motorcycles to jumping off of rooftops. On a more subtle level, character development is strong and quick. The internal demons that haunt Harley Davidson (Mickey Rourke) and the Marlboro Man (Don Johnson) are very real bringing these characters to life. Their moral dilemmas and loyalty to themselves, each other and their friends are believable. The movie does take the 'action' movie formula: Good Guys versus Bad Guys but includes an element often not seen in 'classic action' movies where the good guys actually have flaws. This movie is more 'classical' in that respect where the villian is the villian, but the good guy isn't perfect. For a comparative type movie, 'The Replacement Killers' is a good example: Action Movie where the 'good guys' aren't necessarily all that good but 'Do the Right' thing. Another way to view it would be 'Robin Hood' meets the 21st Century. This is must have 'Classic' of eighties film making. Amazingly deep dialog for an 'action' movie. It includes excellent cameo performances by Chelsea Field, Vanessa Williams, and Tia Carrera. The last three lines of the movie are classic in themselves: Harley: 'Hey, where you headed?', Girl: 'Nowhere Special.', Harley: 'Get on, I'll take you there'.

If you're a "highbrow" that thinks only movies like African Queen or Amadeus have any merit then don't watch. But if you want to escape to a world of good time biker fantasy and good old male bonding, this one's for you. The first two scenes alone are worth the price. The second scene, where Don Johnson gives the five rules of playing pool for money, is priceless. He has a straight in shot on the 8-ball and instead does four banks, and says "Schools out boys!" Then the fight begins. The bad guy is one of those classic bad guys, that just looks the part. The good guys win in this movie, and the folks who made it have a good sense of fun.

This is one my all time favorite movies. Sure it's full off corny one liners, and predictable action shots, but that, for me, is just part of it's charm. If you love to cheer for the good guys, and hiss at the bad guys, this is a movie for you. If you're lookin for a deep meaningful plot with lots of brainy twists, you aren't looking for an action movie in the first place. This movie will not keep you on the edge of your seat, or give you anything deep to contemplate after you've watched it. It will simply entertain you while you watch it,and isn't that what a movie is supposed to do.

Ever since I saw the movie I wanted the soundtrack but couldn't find. One of my favorite songs on the disc is C'mon. It's a great all-around rock and roll song. I'm definitely gonna order it as soon as possible.

Its fun, its got action, humour, some big bad money corporate dudes, and some emotional scenes.
Classic lines abound in this film.
Tom Sizemore makes an A grade villain, and some great shots show the most cool bike riding, great kitsch, and some plain basic hollywood fun.
Too many classic lines to list them all. But it should be a Classic film ... its got all the right moves and all the right curves.
ENJOY

What a great movie! Two cool dudes, one excellent bike, great support, good story and cinematography......and then a lousy bloody trailer which probably kept the vast majority away from seeing this movie when it launched and so stopped it becoming a far bigger hit than it ever was.
Great, escapist fun. Turn the lights out, turn the surround sound to 10, couple of cold tinnies and just watch the opening few minutes...woow, what a bike! and a great opening track with Jovi at their best!