Directed by Simon Wincer 1991 this film, and let's admit it, is a a wonderful comedy even though it was not supposed to be one. Truly, who takes his film seriously?Even though this film is a biker film and produced in a time where being a biker was an ''in'' thing, we follow two men who live their lives the myth of what a biker life is: Freedom, drugs, alcohol, cheap hotel rooms, clash with the underworld, all the clichés of the biker world are united in one film.As humour and to defy the underworld which both men do by entering a bank where drug dealing is king, there is a scene or a parody of the Vietnam war with the helicopter shooting the bank. The use of the helicopter is a tribute to the Vietnam era.Secondly, the abandoned air field with airplane derelicts again seem to portray the vestiges of the Vietnam era. Probably the abandoned airfield is a symbol of the decrepitude of the biker era that was once a dream to be attained for many.The end of the film where Harley Davidson (Mickey Rourke) leaves his long life friend Marlboro Man (Don Johnson) to live a new life picks up a beautiful woman considered a Biker woman who would be bored by a mundane life and the myth of the biker picking up women is a cliché that is still in the dreams of anyone dreaming of becoming a biker and the freedom associated to this world.

Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson are the title characters, an outlaw biker and former rodeo cowboy, respectively. Harley rides his bike back to L.A. in a slightly "futuristic" year (1996) to hook up with old pals such as Marlboro, Jimmy (Giancarlo Esposito), Jose (Eloy Casados), Jack (wrestler Big John Studd), and their father figure (Julius Harris), who runs the Rock 'n' Roll Bar and Grill. It's about to be foreclosed by a greedy bank, so Harley gets the bright idea to hold up that same bank for the money. However, the take is not money but a new street drug, "Crystal Dream". Harley and Marlboro must spend the rest of the movie dodging persistent muscle men who represent the villain, Chance Wilder (Tom Sizemore).This movie is not so much blatant product placement (as the opening text tells us), as it is a fairly goofy, mildly amusing action thriller. There's nothing special here, but the pace, the costumes (dig those bulletproof overcoats on the thugs), the soundtrack, the solid supporting cast, and the rapport between Rourke and Johnson make it all watchable enough. Screenwriter Don Michael Paul does give our two leads some good character defining moments, as well as a romantic angle as Marlboro realizes that he's about to lose his girlfriend Virginia Slim (Chelsea Field) for good. Although this movie does get grim and pretty violent, it's still not something to take all that seriously. It sure as Hell doesn't worry about things such as credibility.Field at least has some material to work with, but the other super sexy ladies present (Vanessa Williams, Tia Carrere, and Kelly Hu) barely get anything to do. The cast also includes familiar faces such as Daniel Baldwin (as the primary henchman), Robert Ginty, Branscombe Richmond, and Sven-Ole Thorsen, with old pro Harris standing out. Sizemore is okay, but his bad guy role lacks any sort of personality or real threat. One funny touch is that Rourkes' Harley is NO good with a gun.Unmemorable, but it's decent brainless fun for 99 minutes.Six out of 10.

Biker Harley Davidson (Mickey Rourke) joins up with his cowboy friend Robert Lee Anderson aka The Marlboro Man (Don Johnson). Their friend is in danger of losing his bar to the bank. The boys and other cohorts decide to rob an armored truck from Great Trust Bank. Only they are attacked by heavily armed assassins. They escape with bags that are surprisingly filled with a special new drug. The bank president Chance Wilder (Tom Sizemore) is dealing the drugs and uses his gunmen to hunt down the boys.It's a silly action B-movie. I'm willing to buy the ridiculous title characters played competently by these two actors. They seem to have fun and this movie could be fun. However the villains especially the black coated assassins are too ridiculous. It pushes it over the edge for me. I can't enjoy this when it looks so stupid.

What's not to love? This is a live-action cartoon; an homage to the classic oater of yesteryear that absolutely refuses to take itself seriously; a fun frantic buddy flick replete with motorcycles, guns, an explosion or two, a disgraced former Miss America, an army of villains gunning for our heroes, and a sleazy, wealthy, powerfully-connected bad guy directing the nefarious doings from the safety of his well-secured office. Hmmm.... Come to think of it, that bad guy has a lot in common with our last president....But I digress. Seriously, for all those who whine about the script, the chemistry, or the "unbelievability" of the scenario: carefully untwist your panties, butter your popcorn, and put your brain in low gear for an hour and a half. You might shock yourself and end up having a good time with a rompin', stompin' shoot-'em-up cowboy picture.And anyone should know, within the first five minutes of viewing, that a rompin', stompin' shoot-'em-up cowboy picture is what they've got. This is not the pretentious drop-your-Rolex-in-the-sand "artiness" of Easy Rider, or the heart-rending After School Special sob-story of Mask (the Sam Elliott and Cher Mask, not the Jim Carrey version). It isn't even the high-concept hi-jinks of my favorite road movie of all time, Roadside Prophets. Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man is nothing more than FUN; escapist and cathartic fun with a couple of wise-crackin' rough riders ready to do battle against big corporate baddies. Come along for the ride!