Director: Walter Hill
Screenplay: Ken Friedman
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Ellen Barkin, Elizabeth McGovern, Forest Whitaker, Morgan Freeman
Country: USA
Running Time: 94 minutes
Year: 1989
BBFC Certificate: 15
Johnny Handsome (1989) is an entertaining over-the-top flick starring Mickey Rourke. It follows a hideous criminal’s journey as he’s given transformative plastic surgery, free of charge, in the hopes he will reform his ways.
StudioCanal is releasing the film in 4K UHD, Bluray and digital, as part of the label’s Cult Classics range. It contains an avalanche of extras with four commentary tracks, two of which are new, and five interviews, including a new one with actress Elizabeth McGovern.
The quick-paced 96-minute neo-noir has some exhilarating heist sequences but is fairly mediocre and forgettable, on the whole. It was helmed by director Walter Hill, who was behind The Warriors (1979) and 48 Hrs (1982).
Rourke, better known for Angel Heart (1987), Sin City (2005), and The Wrestler (2008), as Johnny is convincing and sympathetic, while retaining an air of menace. He does a good job of acting while wearing a truly insane amount of latex. The fact his face looks utterly ridiculous, to begin with, feeds into the fun B-movie nature of the movie.
The film has a phenomenal cast which includes Morgan Freeman as a wily cop hellbent on catching out Johnny. This seems an easy role for him. Forest Whitaker plays an excitable plastic surgeon and has a phenomenal monologue
Ellen Barkin and Lance Henriksen play a great set of bad guys. Barkin is particularly enjoyable to watch as she’s equally sassy and alluring in the role – she stole every scene. McGovern is serviceable in the, again, not particularly challenging role as the love interest.
The picture quality is fantastic, featuring a crystal-clear image that accentuates the dark and moody neo-noir New Orleans setting. Most of the scenes take place at night – and muted colours of the gritty setting appear on the screen in high contrast with the neon bathed nightlife.
It includes a Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) soundtrack which worked great with my surround sound system with atmospheric sounds and action noises firing out of my rear speakers. The film also had a jazzy blues inspired soundtrack which was evocative of the era and setting.
The sound and picture combined to make for some thrilling heist sequences.
Film:
Special Features
- Brand new 4K restoration
- Includes 12 page booklet with new essay by Peter Raleigh
- NEW Elizabeth McGovern on Johnny Handsome
- NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Edgar Pablos with Film Historians Nathaniel Thompson and Howard S. Berger
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Critics Alain Silver and James Ursini
- Audio Commentary with film critic/author Walter Chaw
- Audio Commentary with film historians Daniel Kremer and Scout Tafoya
- Codes to Live By: 2020 Walter Hill on Johnny Handsome
- Wordsmith: Interview with writer Ken Friedman
- Eye of the Beholder: Interview with makeup artist Michael Westmore
- Action Man: Interview with stuntman Allan Graf
- Trailer
FOUR audio commentaries seems overkill for a fairly mediocre and lesser known movie. That’s six hours and 24 minutes of bonus content alone. If this film had the legacy of Ben-Hur (1959), I’d understand.
Rather than commissioning three new commentaries, it’s a shame they couldn’t have curated a range of video essays, instead. They could have even asked the same film authors/historians to write them.
The Pablos/Thompson/Berger commentary looks closely at shot composition and how this informs the subtext. Silver/Ursini commentary focuses more on the neo-noir genre, providing analysis on the semiotics of the film. The Chaw commentary focuses more on the production and the book the film was based on. Kremer/Tafoya feels like a more academic take on the film.
McGovern’s interview is the only new one included – she speaks about working with the director and the other actors. It was amusing to learn that Barkin was fairly method with her role.
The rest of the interviews seem quite dated. The Hill interview is over 40 minutes long and full of detail about how he got involved and the casting – interesting to learn he didn’t see it as a film that would “advance his career”.
The writer, Friedkin, talks (12.39mins) about the challenges of adapting the book. Makeup artist Westmore (10.15mins) speaks about making the Johnny ugly mask and the thinking that went into its design.
Stuntman interview with Graft (11.12mins) talks about getting involved in the project and gives a fascinating insight into his job. He also comments about performing key sequences.
Extras:
StudioCanal releases Johnny Handsome on 4K UHD, Bluray and digital on 17 August, 2026.