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Michael Keaton, Joe Piscopo, Marilu Henner, Maureen Stapleton, Peter Boyle ... see more see more... , Griffin Dunne , Richard Dimitri , Glynnis O'Connor , Byron Thames , Danny DeVito , Dom DeLuise , Ray Walston , Elizabeth Arlen , Mike Bacarella , Sudie Bond , Dick Butkus , Ron Carey , Mike Finneran , Hank Garrett , Chuck Hicks , Katie La Bourdette , Trisha Long , Dean Miller , Jack Nance , Harvey Parry , Paul B. Price , Hal Riddle , Will Seltzer , Troy W. Slaten , Cynthia Szigeti , Leonard Termo , Scott Thomson , Richard Warwick , Gary Watkins , Jeffrey Weissman , Bob Eubanks , Carl Gottlieb , Alan Hale Jr. , Neal Israel , Rick Rosenthal , Richard A. Roth , Norman Steinberg , Dick Balduzzi , Georg Olden , Shelley Pogoda , Frank Slaten , Mike Fenton , Jane Feinberg , Russell Forte , Michael Joy , Jerome Michaels , Edward Short , Gordon Zimmerman

This spoof of the 1930s and '40s crime stories ranges from the ridiculous to the sublime as it tells the story of Johnny Dangerously (Byron Thames as the young Johnny, Michael Keaton as the older), a ... read more read more...devoted son to his ailing mother (Maureen Stapleton), so ill that she needs money for several operations. Johnny has nowhere to turn, and because gangsters tend to flourish in his neighborhood he goes to work for Dundee, a benevolent godfather-gangster type, in order to cover his mother's medical bills. Johnny hides his association with Dundee from his younger brother Tommy (Griffin Dunne) and goes so far as to pay for Tommy's law school fees -- supporting him until Tommy joins the staff of the local (and corrupt) district attorney's office for Burr (Danny DeVito). When Johnny starts working for Dundee, he clashes with the evil Vermin (Joe Piscopo) right from the beginning, but things only get worse. After Dundee decides to retire, Johnny ascends to the helm, and it does not look like Vermin is going to take that sitting down. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Flixster Users

60% liked it

8,644 ratings

Critics

47% liked it

15 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Amy Heckerling

Release Date: December 21, 1984

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DVD Release Date: August 27, 2002

Stats: 486 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (486)

  • garyX
    May 20, 2007
    garyX
    This pastiche of old school gangster films has a couple of funny moments, but spread over 90 minutes it soon wears out it's welcome.
  • mjgildea
    November 28, 2006
    mjgildea
    The Indian mobster was hilarious!
  • deano
    November 1, 2006
    deano
    Not bad of wild spoof 1930's gangster film.
  • toejambaseball24
    June 28, 2009
    toejambaseball24
    A little-known 80's comedy that me and my family find quite funny...lots of quoteable lines here.
  • fb9426219
    January 20, 2012
    fb9426219
    There are no big knee slapping hard laughs to be found here but I thought it was somewhat fun, lightly humorous, and quirky. Michael Keaton is the movieā(TM)s strongest asset as he portrays a character of a reluctant 1930s mobster with a kinder heart than most of his gangster pee... read morers. Joe Piscopo and Peter Boyle are nice castings but the would have benefited the movie if they had bigger parts. The largest drawback to this movie is that it never really gets going and putters along with the same level of mild humor the whole way through. After a while it does loses its luster and settles for mediocrity. It was a decent idea for a comedy movie and the cast seemed right for the job, but it was missing a few things.
  • kenscheck
    January 18, 2012
    kenscheck
    This movie is like the Airplane of Gangster movies, with goofy gags, a title song by 'Weird Al" Yankovic, starring Michael Keaton and Joe Piscopo...all set during the roaring twenties. I like having Peter Boyle in any movie as well. Keaton is great, and the Education Film about... read more testicles is hilarious. I think it is definitely funny and is certainly a solid way to spend 90 minutes.
  • Philliesking34
    January 10, 2012
    Philliesking34
    This is my favorite Michael Keaton film,its a "Keaton Classic" as I like to call it. You'll Laugh and have a good time with this movie.
  • placeinthesun455
    August 8, 2011
    placeinthesun455
    not a very impressive comedy. most of the jokes fell pretty flat, either because they were way too awkward or just outright not funny. the stuff that actually was funny was way overused, so by the end, it wasn't funny anymore. the acting was average, the characters were pretty b... read moreland, and the whole thing basically felt like a Mel Brooks movie gone horribly wrong. it's pretty sad when the highlight of your comedy is the Weird Al song in the opening credits.
  • raven824481
    October 21, 2008
    raven824481
    One of the first comedies I fell in love with back in the 80's! However, I age myself saying so. Now my own kids love this! "Ya shouldn't hang me on a door, Johnny, my mother hung me on a door once... Once!"
  • skootertaylor
    May 29, 2008
    skootertaylor
    This is just as funny as I remember it. Not for you if you don't like spoofy, ridiculous comedy (think Airplane!)

View All Johnny Dangerously Reviews

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum
March 6, 2008
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

Keaton in starring role helps, but overall average laughs.

Michael E. Grost
August 13, 2005
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television

Good spoof of The Roaring Twenties

Rob Thomas
October 2, 2003
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Sorta funny for a while, but it runs out of ammo long before it's over

Rob Vaux
April 14, 2003
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium

I know I shouldn't like this film, but dammit, it's just so gloriously exuberantly silly that there's no use condemning it.

Beth Accomando
March 30, 2003
Beth Accomando, KPBS.org

A mob comedy that shoots only blanks.

John J. Puccio
September 18, 2002
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

...the film doesn't just run out of laughs; it becomes positively leaden by the last half hour.

James Sanford
July 29, 2002
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette

"what looks like a sure thing misfires miserably"

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

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    • Priest: I missed the bus, you missed the bus, when's the next bus?
    • Johnny Dangerously: How is she, Doc?
    • Dr. Magnus: It's her thyroid, Johnny.
    • Johnny Dangerously: Oh. What's wrong with it?
    • Dr. Magnus: That's the thing! I can't find it! We're going to have to do a thyroid search.
    • Lil: I hope this is doing something for your morale.
    • Vermin: You shouldn't hang me on a door. My father hung me on a door, once. ONCE.
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Johnny Dangerously Trivia

  • Who starred as Johnny Dangerously in the movie 'Johnny Dangerously'?  Answer »
  • In Johnny Dangerously what does the bullet hit instead of Johnny?  Answer »
  • Michael Keaton stars in a hilarious movie about a mobster who owns a pet shop.  Answer »
  • In what movie was this line said and who said it.."my mother hit me once.....once!!"  Answer »
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