
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane
Seen it?1990 | 102 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Action
Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe
With just 25% on Rotten Tomatoes, a lukewarm 6.1 out of 10 from audiences and a box office loss, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and anyone who wants a laugh. If you loved The Nice Guys or Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, start here. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Darkly funny, tense.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 42 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect violence.
- Critics were cooler on it than audiences.
- It "won" the Razzie for Worst Picture (and 2 more Razzies).
To the Los Angeles elite, Ford Fairlane is known as "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll Detective." This loudmouthed ladies' man serves an exclusive rock star clientele, who depend on his keen eye and smug discretion. So when a heavy-metal musician dies mid-concert, Fairlane is on the case before the lights come up. But things turn shocking when radio personality Johnny Crunch hires Fairlane to find a missing groupie mere hours before he is electrocuted live on air.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsWeak
25% on Rotten Tomatoes, 24 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
6.1 out of 10
- AwardsBelow par
2 wins and 0 nominations from smaller awards and festivals. Plus: "Won" 3 Razzies, the "worst of the year" awards, including Worst Picture.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$20 million worldwide on a $49 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 77K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
The Nice GuysSaturday SpecialAnother detective crime comedy, and a Saturday Special.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out MysterySaturday SpecialAnother detective mystery.
After the Thin ManSunday Safe BetAnother detective crime comedy, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Crooked HouseWeeknight WatchAnother detective mystery, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
2 GunsSunday Safe BetAnother crime comedy, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Renny Harlin
- Andrew Dice ClayFord Fairlane
- Wayne NewtonJulian Grendel
- Priscilla PresleyColleen Sutton
- Morris DayDon Cleveland
- Lauren HollyJazz
- Ed O'NeillLt. Amos
- Maddie CormanZuzu Petals
- Gilbert GottfriedJohnny Crunch
- Robert EnglundSmiley
- Vince NeilBobby Black