Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- sardonic
- lazy sunday
- comedy movie night
What critics said
Critics recognized an energetic, witty parody of 1930s gangster films with a strong comic cast, but generally found its sophomoric humor uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story sends up old-school gangster pictures through criminal archetypes, genre conventions, sight gags, and exaggerated underworld situations.
Johnny turns to organized crime to pay for his mother's escalating medical bills despite being honest and goodhearted.
Critical reception specifically highlights the film's one-liners, puns, numerous sexual jokes, and heavy use of sight gags.
Johnny's criminal life, Vermin, Dundee, and the surrounding mob milieu are presented through broad farce and parody.
Films like Johnny Dangerously, and why
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
shared gangster-film parody, rapid-fire jokes, slapstick, and affectionate genre homage
The Kentucky Fried Movie
shared crime-comedy framework, broad physical humor, and stylized send-up of familiar genre conventions
Bugsy Malone
shared 1930s gangster milieu, comic criminal protagonists, and playful parody of old-school crime pictures
The Freshman
shared fast-paced repartee, exaggerated comic performances, and satirical treatment of criminal underworld conventions
Movie Details
- Director
- Amy Heckerling
- Release Date
- 1984-12-21
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (221)
Cast
- Michael Keaton
- Joe Piscopo
- Marilu Henner
- Maureen Stapleton
- Peter Boyle
- Griffin Dunne
- Glynnis O'Connor
- Dom DeLuise
- Richard Dimitri
- Danny DeVito
Common questions
- What is Johnny Dangerously about?
- An earnest son becomes an improbably flamboyant gangster when his mother's medical expenses push him into the criminal underworld.
- What is Johnny Dangerously like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Johnny Dangerously as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Johnny Dangerously violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Johnny Dangerously as mild.
- What did critics think of Johnny Dangerously?
- Critics recognized an energetic, witty parody of 1930s gangster films with a strong comic cast, but generally found its sophomoric humor uneven.
- Which films are like Johnny Dangerously?
- Films with a similar feel include The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Kentucky Fried Movie, Bugsy Malone, and The Freshman.
- How long is Johnny Dangerously?
- Johnny Dangerously runs 90 minutes.
