1987 Dead-Bang: Don Johnson, What?

People don't rent movies with Don Johnson on the cover. Nobody strolls down the aisles of a rental store looking for Don Johnson movies or even pick up a DVD that has Don Johnson on its cover. This is why the guy did Nash Bridges (read: garbage) for years - because he had no film career. Never.

Now, I'm not ragging on the guy. I personally think that he could possibly, maybe, perhaps be slightly underrated. I could be killed for saying that. People have killed for less.

I have virtually no basis for saying that he is underrated...except, well, for GUILTY AS SIN, where he plays a perfectly good villain, in fact, quite a good, nasty SOB. Some people might say he overacts, but I think he does incredibly well in that film and overwhelms, completely, Rebecca De Mornay, when she was still considered an actress and not just boobs.

Another example of a solid Don Johnson is this little flick - DEAD BANG. Here is a really good, rock-hard cop thriller that is astoundingly well-directed by a master of the action genre, John Frankenheimer. He directed the original Manchurian Candidate, Ronin, The French Connection 2 (read: spectacular sequel) and Grand Prix. This guy can handle taut, realistic action sequences. He wrote the book.

The movie stars Don Johnson as a dogged, alcoholic cop (is there another kind), who finds himself on the trail of some vicious white supremacists. On top of his alcholism, he has a clear rage issue and a divorce from a wife who rarely allows him to see his kids. All he has is his job and Frankenheimer goes to great lengths not to glorify it like other cop flicks - Johnson's cop clearly makes very little money, has nothing outside of his job (ie: personal relationships, hobbies) aside from the bottle. His is a shit existence. So, when he finds a case, he works it to death.

This particular case takes him all over the country and into middle-America where he joins forces, reluctantly, with a buttoned-up FBI agent played by William Forsythe. They really hate each other, but come to respect one another, as these things go. The difference is; theirs is strictly a professional respect, as they could never really be friends, a la Lethal Weapon or 48hrs. Johnson curses up a storm and truly offends Forsythe and their interactions, with rage-fueled Johnson, are really funny.

But, what makes this one unique are the tiny details that Frankenheimer includes: Johnson not getting wire transfers to pay for his trips, Johnson having to REALLY answer to his superiors, Johnson bullying a psychiatrist, and in the film's classic scene - Johnson, severely hungover, puking all over a suspect while he interrogates him. Its gross and hilarious because Movie Cops don't get so hungover they puke on suspects after a footchase. Well, in this movie, they do.