Customer Reviews

Johnny Be Good [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've been a big fan of this movie since it first came out, with that said I give the movie alone a 5 star rating. However, the MGM DVD release is edited, which brings the score way down. There's a scene in the movie where Johnny is playing football to win back his girlfriend from her father, during the game 3 cheerleaders flash the cops to distract them. This has been edited and all that is shown is them starting to lift their shirts then it cuts quickly to the next scene. Now I didn't buy this movie for the nudity but censorship in any form is just unforgivable especially when it's unnecessary because all the other scenes containing nudity (that I can remember) are intact. Though more scenes could have been edited I'm not sure. The DVD extras include only one trailer for the movie, so it's basically barebone which I expected it to be. I still suggest you buy this DVD the quality is excellent just a little warning it's not the original.

Hey, I know it's not Citizen Kane, but it was never intended to be. Anthony Micheal Hall is actually the cool guy in this one... enough said. It is truly one of the most overlooked 80's film ever (this and Emilo Estevez's brilliant directorial debut, "Wisdom")and actually contains one of the 3 inspired performances Robert Downey Jr has commited to film (Johnny Be Goode, Less than Zero and Weird Science).
I was extremely glad to see this finally released on DVD, but MGM has mislabled this version as "R" rated. This is a glaring and lazy oversight. This DVD version is actually the "PG-13" theatrical version. Once "Johnny Be Goode" came out on video, it was released with extended footage in an "R" rated version. It contained more nudity and showed a great deal more footage of Johnny's visit with "Ole Tex". I know this sounds crazy but this particular version of the movie helped enhance the other "Ole Tex" candidates roles quite a bit and showed why they backed Johnny's ultimate decision towards the end of the movie.
I believe MGM should correct this lazy mistake by either releasing the actual "R" rated version or re-labeling this version as "PG-13".

Johnny Be Good is your typical 80's film. Goofy, funny, dumb, be loved, and finally, ending with a positive note.

In the movie, Anthony Michael Hall plays Johnny, an All-State QB who is being scouted by the top universities in the country (they don't mention the actual school, but they do reference them pretty good).

At all the schools, he get's perks like women, cars, money, clothes, etc.

But there is no school that he likes that gives him nothing because they don't do that.

All the meanwhile, Johnny's actions are being recorded by an undercover College football investigator out to expose all the illegal activities that the schools are going through to land Johnny.

Overall, the movie is solid. It's funny, goofy, and it's got a very young Uma Thurman and Robert Downey Jr included.

I also liked that Anthony Michael Hall could actually throw the football, lots of movies get people who can't even throw a football 10 yards, but Anthony's got skills. You can tell he played football.

I admit, I am a fan of cheesy, juvenile, FUN movies, and that's what this is. Don't look here for any real substance. The highlight for me was seeing Hall as something other than a "nerd" for a change. Downey, Jr. was fantastic as the sidekick. Hall's character, Johnny, did a fine job of handling the agressive scouting measures used by various college football coaches. He ultimately decides to go to school close to home, after seeing what his new-found fame has done to those close to him. I can't say too much negatively about this movie.

It was great to see AMH back in the day. I've just recently started watching all of his movies and I loved all of the characters he plays. He is a delightful actor to watch.

2 of 5 stars to the 1980's typical teen comedy movie Johnny Be Good. To the movies credit, it has several young actors who turn out to be name-brand people. How about Uma Thurman? Robert Downey Jr? Anthony Michael Hall? So that was good.

The plot is about a high school football star who is trying to decide which college to attend. So, we follow AM Hall as his character visits several colleges who each roll-out the red carpet with VIP perks to get him to decide in their favor. The whole thing would be OK if you can possible believe that Hall COULD be a football star. My thinking is that on his first tackle, he'd be broken-up into little parts. He simply was not believeable as a star player.

So, the movie was mildly funny with the usual plot twists and gags. Nothing special to recommend this movie. As I said at the start, a typical 1980's style comedy. Oh, it had too much 1980's synthesized music--my head hurts.

You can skip this one.

It's a great football story with an excellent ending.
Johnny Walker is a sought after Senior Quarterback who has College Universities looking to sign him to a commitment under "any means necessary", and that means breaking all the rules.
Meanwhile Uma Thurman plays his girlfriend who helps Johnny reach for the stars, but keep his feet firmly on the ground.

The ending has a wonderful message too.

As a huge fan of bad movies, this one is essential to see. Boasting Uma Thurman's big-screen debut as well as Anthony Michael Hall (of Breakfast Club, Vacation fame), this is a must-see. A truly horrible movie, a truly good laugh.

Even at the tender age of sixteen, Uma Thurman has the good sense not to appear very much in this death-rattle of a teen flick. Anthony Michael Hall, impressive as a nerd in The Breakfast Club appears to have been living on cow pie ever since, and has filled out to become a most ungainly quarterback. Some colleges try to recruit him. He eventually realise this is a bad thing, and money isn't everything. Ho hum. Funniest bit was realising that people ... now think that the geek is attractive.

How this movie can be out print is beyond me. This is the best John Hughes movie that Hughes never did. Where else can you see Uma Therman before she had her teeth fixed. Anthony M. Hall in the part that he was born to play. Robert Downey didn't even have a script, which is nice. There have been some fine football movies made in the past, The Longest Yard & North Dallas Forty come to mind. Those others might have made my father laugh, but I will stick to comdey duo that almost killed Saturday Night Live. Open the vault and release this beast.