Frankie & Johnny Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Frankie & Johnny Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 22, 2025

Garry Marshall's "Frankie & Johnny" (1991) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critic Scott Harrison and vintage theatrical trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

No, Garry Marshall’s film is not related to Frederick De Cordova’s film. Or, at least, not in any meaningful way. In both films, there is a lot of chatter about falling in love and happiness, but this is an irrelevant point. They also have a similar appreciation of good music, but this is an irrelevant point, too.

Shortly after he is released from Rockview State Prison in Pennsylvania, Johnny (Al Pacino) gets on a Greyhound bus that takes him to New York City, where, determined to start a better chapter in his life, he immediately begins searching for a job. Several hours later, Johnny asks Nick (Hector Elizondo), the owner of a small Greek diner, whether the short-order cook position he has advertised in the local paper is still available. Johnny is told that it is, and after Nick’s teenage daughter approves of his smile, he is hired on the spot.

In the days ahead, while working hard to meet expectations in the hectic diner, Johnny falls in love with Frankie (Michelle Pfeiffer), who makes ends meet as a waitress there, and, at the right time, asks her out on a date. Slightly amused and visibly annoyed, Frankie instantly rejects Johnny. However, Johnny immediately begins improvising and creating many more ‘right times’ to get Frankie to go out with him. Having casually observed the repetitive romantic theater from afar, Cupid eventually interferes, and much to Johnny’s delight, Frankie’s resistance crumbles. But it quickly becomes obvious that Frankie and Johnny are carrying too much baggage from their past, and the more they reveal of it, the more uncertain the future of their already too brittle romantic relationship becomes.

Marshall shot his film while working with a screenplay handed to him by Terrence McNally, who had adapted his play "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune", which had become a hit several years earlier. However, neither Marshall’s direction nor the quality of McNally’s original material and screenplay has much to do with what makes the film enjoyable. Pacino and Pfeiffer’s chemistry and how they manage it to make their characters and story special are the two reasons the film is enjoyable, perhaps even more so today than it was in the early ‘90s.

A substantial portion of the narrative is reserved for supposedly adult declarations of what love is, how it comes at a price, and, after it is corrupted and lost, how it can be rediscovered only by those who are willing to pursue it again. Some of these declarations are a bit too melodramatic, and Marshall’s uneven direction often makes the sequences where they are delivered appear very dated. However, just about all material with a melodramatic quality is pretty well countered by light adult humor of the kind that now feels like lost art. To be clear, it is not that the jokes are strikingly witty or bold. They are just unsanitized, but not vulgar, jokes that both sexes used to crack without immediately claiming that they are offensive in some extraordinarily controversial way.

The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Elizondo does not look or sound Greek at all, but as always, his personality and energy make his character likable. Kate Nelligan plays another romance-starved waitress, who ends up sleeping with Pacino, and spends the rest of her time behaving like a child. Nathan Lane, Pfeiffer’s gay best friend and neighbor, fires off a few good lines, but severely overplays his character, too. Jane Morris is made to look and behave like a human caricature.

Frankie & Johnny Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Frankie & Johnny arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The release is sourced from an older master, supplied by Paramount Pictures. However, this master quite easily produces very pleasing visuals with surprisingly good organic qualities. It helps that the film does not have a lot of diverse material with outdoor panoramic shots, and the majority of the close-ups are nicely lit, but delineation and depth are still unusually good. Grain exposure could be better, but I did not encounter any troubling anomalies because there are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Color reproduction and balance are good, too. However, small adjustments can be made, especially in some darker areas where select supporting nuances are not ideal, and if they are, the dynamic range of the visuals will be superior. Image stability is very good. Finally, I noticed a few blemishes, but there are no large cut, debris, marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Frankie & Johnny Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I chose to revisit the film with the LPCM 2.0 track. However, towards the end of it, I switch to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Whenever the current master was prepared, the audio must have been fully remastered as well. On both tracks, all dialogue is crystal clear and very even, and there are absolutely no traces of any age-related anomalies. The music sounds great, too. The film does not have any busy action material, so dynamic contrasts are modest, but this should not be surprising.

Frankie & Johnny Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Scott Harrison.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Frankie & Johnny. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Frankie & Johnny Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

True love is discovered by those who pursue it, even when it very much looks like it has permanently departed the reality in which they exist. Also, true love reveals itself to those who are willing to compromise so that it has a permanent place in their lives, not those who expect it to enter them under very specific conditions. This is what Frankie and Johnny, two scarred loners, learn after they begin working together in a busy Greek diner somewhere in New York City. Imprint Films' Blu-ray release of Garry Marshall's film is sourced from an old but surprisingly strong organic master, supplied by Paramount, and is Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.