Action,Comedy,Thriller,Crime
United States of America
Johnny Dangerously is a 1984 comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling. The film is set in the 1930s in New York City and follows the story of Johnny Kelly, played by Michael Keaton, who is an honest and goodhearted man who is forced to turn to a life of crime to finance his mother's skyrocketing medical bills.
Johnny's mother, played by Maureen Stapleton, is a hypochondriac who is always ordering expensive and unnecessary medical tests. Johnny works at a gas station but struggles to make ends meet to pay his mother's bills. He takes on a job from a gangster named Jocko Dundee, played by Peter Boyle, to pay for his mother's bills. Johnny soon becomes a successful criminal, and his good deeds make him popular among the public.
However, Johnny's success attracts the attention of the rival gangster Vermin, played by Joe Piscopo, who wants to take over Johnny's operations. Johnny falls in love with a woman named Lil, played by Marilu Henner, who is initially unaware of his criminal activities. Meanwhile, the city's corrupt mayor, played by Danny DeVito, is planning to put Johnny and Vermin behind bars.
The film is a parody of the gangster genre, and it uses absurd humor to poke fun at the tropes of the genre. Michael Keaton delivers an energetic performance as Johnny, and the supporting cast, including Joe Piscopo and Danny DeVito, add to the film's comedic value. The film also features anachronistic elements, such as characters using contemporary slang and technology that did not exist in the 1930s. Despite receiving mixed reviews upon its release, Johnny Dangerously has since gained a cult following.
