Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Harley_Davidson_and_the_Marlboro_Man
Image via MGM

A mind-numbing thriller that bombed so hard its star left acting to get punched in the face for a living expands its streaming empire

If that's not a damning indictment, then nothing is.

After exploding onto the scene in the early 1980s, Mickey Rourke’s intoxicating blend of smoldering intensity, rugged good looks, and naturalistic acting style had everybody convinced he was well on his way to becoming an all-time great. However, a couple of flops can have a funny way of derailing a career, with Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man proving to be one of the straws that broke the camel’s back.

Recommended Videos

The 1991 action thriller certainly has an intriguing premise, with Rourke’s character named after the motorcycle company partnering up with Don Johnson’s cigarette-branded accomplice to mount a daring robbery of a corrupt bank in order to safeguard the future of their friend’s bar. After they uncover a shipment of illegal drugs, though, they end up caught in the crosshairs of nefarious forces.

Harley_Davidson_and_the_Marlboro_Man
Image via MGM

As well as being cold-shouldered by critics, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man was a box office disaster, cobbling together a diabolical $7.4 million domestically, less than a third of its production budge. Deciding that enough was enough, Rourke instead fled Hollywood altogether and opted to get punched in the face for a living.

The very same year the movie sank without a trace, the actor announced his intentions to return to the world of boxing, where he secured six wins and two draws from eight fights. Not a bad return, but little did he know it would only take 32 years for Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man to return to prominence, with FlixPatrol outing it as one of the most unexpected hits on Prime Video this week.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Scott Campbell
Scott Campbell
News, reviews, interviews. To paraphrase Keanu Reeves; Words. Lots of words.