"Johnny Handsome": A Face Only a Mother... Almost Loved?

Okay, so I finally got around to watching "Johnny Handsome" (1989). Let's just say it's…a choice. The premise is pure high-concept pulp: Mickey Rourke as John Sedley, a career criminal saddled with a truly unfortunate facial deformity (practical effects, for better or worse, are really trying here), gets a shot at redemption via reconstructive surgery. It's a fascinating setup, right? New face, new life, but old grudges still simmer. Where it kind of fumbles, I think, is the execution. Frankly, the revenge plot feels oddly tacked on. Like they had this great 'second chance' narrative, but then panicked and grafted in a standard '80s crime thriller onto it. Ellen Barkin is...Ellen Barkin, which is to say, reliably watchable, but her character doesn't have a whole lot to do beyond look tough and maybe semi-romantically involved with Rourke. Forest Whitaker is excellent as the doctor, bringing a real sense of empathy (and I think selling the plausibility of the operation, tbh). And Lance Henriksen is reliably weaselly as the detective tracking Johnny. There's a confrontation in a bar that is one of the only times that the movie seems to find its groove, however. Rourke's performance is…complicated. He throws himself into the role, but the combination of the makeup and the post-surgery stuff is just…a lot. It's hard to really connect with him as Johnny, even after the operation. I think the director, whoever it was (Walter Hill? Never heard of him) had a good idea, but never quite figured out what story they were actually trying to tell. And it just feels clunky. Overall, "Johnny Handsome" is an odd, flawed, but ultimately kinda compelling watch. It's not a great movie, but there's enough interesting stuff going on under the surface that it's worth checking out if you're into these kinds of rough dramas. Just don't expect a masterpiece.