LeonLouisRicci Stylist Walter Hill has Directed some Very Underrated and Under-Appreciated Movies and this is One of them. With a Killer Cast including Lance Henriksen, Ellen Barkin, Morgan Freeman, and Forest Whitaker it is Mickey Rourke as the Title Character that Slinks Back in the Frame and Plays Off the Others with Pathos and Empathy that draws the Viewer into this Violent and Edgy Neo-Noir.It is a Colorful Downer of a Movie that has Roots in the Pulp Fiction and Film Noir of the Thirties and Forties. Set in Modern Day New Orleans the Mood is Bleak and Sombre. The Movie Burns with Style and the Charismatic Characters all Contribute to this Low Brow Version of a Greek Tragedy. The Film was Ignored and Panned but it is a Gem Waiting for Discovery by Modern Film Buffs and has a Packed in Quality that Unleashes a Baggage of Bang Up Scenes that Click with a Cutting Edge of Nastiness and Cynicism. Henriksen and Barkin are Foul Mouthed Low Lifes of the Highest Order and Morgan Freeman is on hand to Deliver some of the most Defeatist Dialog.Mickey Rourke shows once again a Knack for Picking the most Off Beat Roles and Delivers yet another take of Someone Outside the Orbit of Hollywood. The Ry Cooder Score is just One More Addition to this Already Rich Rumble of the Mean Streets.

Vivekmaru45 A man who is double-crossed by his partners, imprisoned and who is then knifed while in prison by a man paid by his partners.This man survives the knife-attack, gets a new face and a new identity. Now he knows, that hidden behind his new face he can pass undetected among those who tried to destroy him...This film is more than revenge flick. It shows a man with a severe facial deformity mocked by others as "Johnny Handsome." When he has plastic surgery performed on his face and later sees his new face, he has mixed feelings of both disbelief and exhilaration. Now he is no long stigmatized as a freak and can lead a normal life. He lands an honest job and begins seeing Donna McCarty, a respectable woman who knows little of his past. But in his way are the people who tried to kill him in prison. Overall: I'm at a loss to see why this film wasn't a Box Office success. I'm a big Lance Henriksen fan and in this film he plays his menacing best. Similar to the role he played in Jean Claude Van Damme film: Hard Target. Veteran actress Alen Barkin complements him well. For once Mickey Rourke does a good role in his part as the titular character Johnny. Verdict: Definitely a MUST BUY!Similar revenge films: Payback, For A Few Dollars More, Robocop, Zero Tolerance, Face/Off, and Commando.

lost-in-limbo Well renowned action director Walter Hill tackles a more moody, character driven crime drama in the shape of "Johnny Handsome" and it would have to be one of his under-the-radar productions. The story follows that of a deformed criminal John who stages a heist, however there's a double-cross which sees his best friend killed and him going to prison. There he is asked to take part in a rehabilitation program, where they clear him of his deformity while also getting him parole. Hoping now that he can start a new life, however John is still burning inside for vengeance. Presenting an ideal cast, Hill really does cast a spell over his audience with solid (even if it does feel a bit underdone) story-telling backed up by credibly good performances from leading man Mickey Rourke (within the peak of his career) and equally so support by Morgan Freeman, Ellen Barkin Lance Henrikson, Elizabeth McGovern and Forest Whitaker. Everybody chips in, adding their own stamp to proceedings and establishing gripping character rapports or confrontations (e.g. between Freeman's detective and Whitaker's doctor).Hill's cruise-like direction is crisp and tidy, engineering some intense passages and some well-oiled, edgy action set-pieces, although they are low-key (still violent) but this really does belong to its cast and the interestingly, smart story (that was adapted off John Godey's novel "The Three Worlds of Johnny Handsome"). The ambitious plot does have a lot going on and it might not all come together, but how it does play out stays constantly interesting and rather unpleasant in its details. Rourke's character Johnny is given a chance to start over and go straight, from this physical change brings much needed confidence but the hunger inside for revenge can't simply be cured or forgotten. Someone he cared for, who saw beyond his deformity deserved payback. Johnny would deliver it. So he carefully plans out the revenge, wanting to tease before actually ending it and things get even more suspenseful when the situation starts to go off the rails. Lance Henrikson and Ellen Barkin really do nail down their explosively sly parts of the two crooks who betrayed Johnny. The ever-reliable, Hill regular Ry Cooder adds a smoking touch to the music score.One of those films I didn't know all that much of, but came away pleasantly surprised.

erock7667 I wanted to just say that Mickey Rourke is one of my favorite actors...period.....but when i saw this flick i always wondered when he had surgery and had a normal face he learned to speak normally....well i found it weird that when Lance Henrikson(another of my favorite actors)slashed Mickeys face.....Mickey started talking like he was abnormal again....I always wondered if Mickey thought that was a good idea or that the director thought that was a good idea.....just seemed like bad acting to me....anyone else find that weird. ?.......all in all sometimes Mickey and Lance have made good role choices, but i think that someone should have told them that some of the dialog or scripts should be changed to make them look like great actors that they are.....Deniro and Pacino hardly ever make this mistake even though they do at times, but thats what makes them a little bit above the latter....i also wanted to point out that Mickey and Lance have made better choices lately and since i do love their acting and such that they keep it up.....thanks, Eddie