The Max Crime Comedy That Breaks The Fourth Wall

Crime comedies are a dime a dozen, but Michael Keaton truly knew the assignment when starring in this film that lampoons the Mafia, breaks the fourth wall on numerous occasions, and is so over-the-top that you need to hit ‘pause’ several times to be able to take in every single sight gag properly.

Falling into the “so stupid it’s hilarious” category, Johnny Dangerously takes a simple premise and elevates it to enviable absurdity. 

Luckily, if you’ve yet to witness Johnny Dangerously in all of its glorious stupidity, you can stream it on Max as soon as possible.

But please watch with caution because your family will most definitely disown you after you start working malapropisms like “fargin,” “icehole,” and “somanumbatching” into everyday conversations. 

Michael Keaton portrays the titular character in Johnny Dangerously, and the film opens up, showing us that he no longer lives a life of crime. After a young boy tries shoplifting a puppy from his pet store, Johnny tells him a story about how he started working for crime boss Jocko Dundee (Peter Boyle).

That was to pay for his mother’s medical bills and put his little brother, Tommy (Griffin Dunne), through law school.

Through a series of flashbacks, we see a young Johnny impress the older gangsters on the block before eventually becoming the boss of the Dundee gang as a young adult. 

As Johnny Dangerously becomes a household name in his neighborhood, his bedridden mother and his book-smart brother are literally the only people who aren’t aware of his illegal activities.

But things catch up with Johnny before you know it, as his brother passes the bar exam and ends up working under District Attorney Burr, who just so happens to be on Johnny’s payroll.

When Burr conspires with some lower-level gangsters to kill Tommy, Johnny has him murdered, which allows his little brother to become the next District Attorney. 

Meanwhile, the physician in charge of treating Johnny Dangerously’s mother throughout the years gets more inventive with his diagnoses so he can make a quick buck for his medical practice.

Johnny has other things to worry about, so he pays the doctor large sums of cash without hesitation, even though he’s rightfully suspicious.

Johnny’s mother, who thinks she’s supporting her children with her laundry service, ends up living in squalor because the piles of clothes end up stacking up to the ceiling and taking over her entire apartment. 

Johnny Dangerously is very much a comedy of errors, and its self-awareness is what allows the humor to land so effectively.

Throughout the film, Johnny steps out of scene, and talks directly to the audience with a wink and a nudge while absolute bedlam unfolds in the background.

This method of storytelling is risky because it often takes you out of the film, but you’re willing to go along with it in this case because it’s for the sole purpose of setting up more jokes.

The unfortunate reality for films like Johnny Dangerously is that they cater to a very specific audience.

Despite its commercial success, this crime comedy garnered a 44 percent critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And if you agree with the critics, you’ll understand why comic book fans were so vehemently opposed to Tim Burton casting Michael Keaton as Batman just a few years later. 

But if you’re looking for simple entertainment, clever camera work, and Keaton’s usual deadpan delivery in the context of a slapstick comedy, then we urge you to give Johnny Dangerously a chance.