Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Homeboy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 24, 2020

Before his career began to take flight, there was a moment in the late 1970s when Mickey Rourke was just beginning to show interest in acting, but he wasn’t sure Hollywood had interest in him. Playing bit roles in big movies such as “1941” and “Heaven’s Gate,” Rourke elected to pour his frustrations into a screenplay loosely based on his own experiences as a boxer, taking years to shape what would become the 1988 feature, “Homeboy.” There’s definitely a lived-in quality to the picture, which deals with desperate people and bruised minds, but Rourke works to achieve something profound through the art of aimlessness, coming up with static drama that fails to do little more than showcase the star’s acting, also saving room for co-star Christopher Walken to do what Christopher Walken usually does.

Johnny (Mickey Rourke) has arrived at a coastal town looking for another shot at boxing glory, trying to impress local promoters with his ring endurance, secretly fighting the development of brain damage incurred while being pummeled by his opponents. Taking a shine to the boxer is Wesley (Christopher Walken), a small-time loser aiming to boost his fortunes by planning a diamond theft at a local jewelry store, looking to bring Johnny in on the mission. While the fighter struggles with his career, slowly making a name for himself, Johnny also finds possible redemption in the company of Ruby (Debra Feuer), a carnival employee who shares his sense of detachment and loneliness.

Rourke doesn’t identify Johnny’s issues with any urgency, taking the long way to exploring the character’s woes, as seen in an introductory sequence where the battered man makes his way into a bar, confronting the locals with his silent demeanor and his cowboy look. Johnny has issues with his brain, which pop up periodically in “Homeboy,” with director Michael Seresin (the famous cinematographer of “Angela’s Ashes,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”) using a video-esque effect to communicate Johnny’s slowed view of the world around him, while the sound design pushes his hearing underwater as well. Johnny’s hurt but doesn’t admit it, continuing on his quest to make something of himself in boxing, ending up in a town of hustlers, crooks, and loners, trying to fit in.

Rourke offers a classic characterization in Johnny, a pure-hearted guy who’s looking for someone to lean on. He initially finds a connection with Wesley, a stooge trying to be a become a big player in boxing while working the evening shift as a terrible lounge singer in a strip club (his band is called Bernie Beaner and the Busted Hymens). Wesley offers Johnny attention and the illusion of friendship, while the boxer also makes time for Ruby, who’s also stuck in a bad situation, but doesn’t take a criminal path. “Homeboy” tries to make something out of these personalities, positioning Johnny as an easily confused man guided by primal emotions, but there’s not a lot of editing in the picture, which doesn’t tighten the suspense of Wesley or the warmth of Ruby. Instead, the movie lumbers from scene to scene, hitting broad metaphors and brooding contests, with stillness occasionally broken up by boxing sequences, which always shine brightest simply because they’re the only things in the feature that feels authentic. Rourke knows this world, but he doesn’t have a firm enough grip on the dramatic arcs of the writing.

Homeboy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Homeboy" is a rather obscure title, and while Shout Factory deserves credit for trying to bring the feature to Blu-ray, the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a very old scan of the movie. The viewing experience is drab, with muted colors all around, with only the most extreme carnival and boxing ring lighting making any noticeable impact, along with pugilist gear. Skintones are flat, and greenery lacks snap. Delineation is prone to solidification. Detail isn't there in full , as age tends to flatten facial particulars, finding some filtering present. Town distances aren't very dimensional. Damage isn't an issue.

Homeboy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Age also flattens the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix, which doesn't possess the proper authority one might expect from a dramatic endeavor. Dialogue exchanges are mostly protected, but early sequences featuring outdoor elements compete with performances. Scoring is present and louder, offering passable instrumentation. Atmospherics for weather and crowd activity isn't sharply defined, and sound effects are inherently thin and cheap, with boxing punches sounding like facial slaps at times. It's very weird.

Homeboy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Vintage Featurette (11:26, SD) is pulled from the "Homeboy" EPK, spending time with Mickey Rourke on the set as he describes his intent for the character and his own boxing history, requiring him to resume training after years of sporting dormancy. Rourke developed the screenplay for a full decade before production began, tinkering with material that was conceived when he was having trouble finding work as an actor. Additional interviews include producer Alan Marshall and director Michael Seresin, who admits he doesn't care much for boxing, instead drawn to the physical state of the boxers. Some brief BTS footage is provided, and the whole shebang is padded with extended clips from "Homeboy."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:03, SD) is included.

Homeboy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Homeboy" wants to be a crime drama, but there's not enough gas in the tank for that, heading toward a violent climax that's not particularly well- staged by Seresin, who, understandably, never helmed another movie. Performances are mostly dreary save for Walken, who turns on the high beams with his acting, knowing he's the only electric thing in the picture. Rourke endeavors to replicate melodrama from the 1950s with "Homeboy," digging into primal emotions and downtrodden individuals, but he doesn't have enough ideas to support an entire feature, often indulging himself to a point where the film stops, struggling to get back up to speed with uninspired writing and flat direction.