Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991)

Director:

Simon Wincer

Writer (WGA):

Don Michael Paul (written by)

Release Date:

23 August 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

When the going gets tough... the tough take the law into their own hands.

Plot:

The tuff biker Harley and his no less tuff Cowboy friend Marlboro learn that an old friend of them will lose his bar...

Plot Keywords:

Marlboro | Drugs | Biker | Cowboy | Bar

Cast

Mickey Rourke	...	Harley Davidson
Don Johnson	...	Marlboro
Chelsea Field	...	Virginia Slim
Daniel Baldwin	...	Alexander
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Jimmy Jiles
Vanessa Williams	...	Lulu Daniels
Robert Ginty	...	Thom
Tia Carrere	...	Kimiko
Julius Harris	...	Old Man
Eloy Casados	...	Jose
Big John Studd	...	Jack Daniels
Tom Sizemore	...	Chance Wilder
Mitzi Martin	...	The Woman
Kelly Hu	...	Suzie
James Nardini	...	Punk with Gun

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and sensuality.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Denmark:15 (2003) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Krisjair

Trivia:

Several references to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969); including trick shots by Marlboro, the sudden appearance of a "super-posse", the reference to Marlboro's hometown, and jumping from a great height into the water.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Marlboro Man (Don Johnson) spits in Alexander's (Daniel Baldwin) face, you see the spit appear, then disappear from Alexander's face.

Quotes:

Virginia Slim: Robert, you've got to tell me where you are.
Marlboro: Nope, can't do that. I've already dug enough graves, and none of them my own.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Matrix (1999)

Soundtrack:

Wild Obsession

Bikers With Hearts Of Gold

Two biking buddies team up to help a friend save his L.A. nightclub from an evil banker who wants to replace the beloved bar with an impersonal high-rise. The ensuing plot has the two bikers repeatedly confronting the banker's cold blooded, robotic henchmen, who make quite a fashion statement with their slicked-back hair, their blank faces, and their irritatingly hip, long black coats. The numerous confrontations between the two bikers and the thugs culminate in explosions, fights, and gunfire.

The story is standard Hollywood fluff, aimed at kids, young boys in particular. Except for the unique "airplane graveyard" setting, the plot is mostly a dud. Fortunately, the characterizations of the two leads rescue the film from banality.

Harley (Mickey Rourke) and Marlboro (Don Johnson), swagger, posture, and strut their macho stuff, as you would expect, for two bikers. They swear. They fight. And, of course, they follow the babes. Underneath the public toughness, however, are two nonconformists, and each has his own brand of insecurity. And, they have a conscience. They want to do the right thing. It is this textured characterization of Harley and Marlboro that makes the film worth watching, especially in the first twenty-five minutes, before the action plot interferes.

The is a working man's movie ... with all the gritty realism of urban street life. The film's first half features some good cinematography, sultry music and atmosphere, great production design, and costumes suitable for the most hip biker bar. The best approach to this film is to ignore the silly action plot, and focus instead on Harley and Marlboro, and their unorthodox outlook on life.