Bad Boys (1983)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Rick Rosenthal

Writer:

Richard Di Lello (written by)

Release Date:

25 March 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

In their world, if you're 17 and still alive you're a survivor [Video Australia]

Plot:

Chicago crime kid Mick O'Brien is sent to reform school after accidentally killing Paco Moreno's kid brother.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Revenge | Showdown | Murder | Gang

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Mick O'Brien
Reni Santoni	...	Ramon Herrera
Jim Moody	...	Gene Daniels
Eric Gurry	...	Horowitz
Esai Morales	...	Paco Moreno
Ally Sheedy	...	J. C. Walenski
Clancy Brown	...	Viking Lofgren
Robert Lee Rush	...	Tweety
John Zenda	...	Wagner
Alan Ruck	...	Carl Brennan
Tony Mockus Jr.	...	Warden Bendix (as Tony Mockus)
Erik Barefield	...	Terrell
Dean Fortunato	...	Perretti
Lawrence Mah	...	Ricky Lee
Jorge Noa	...	Carlos

Runtime:

104 min | UK:123 min (original release) | Sweden:105 min | USA:123 min (original release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Astrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:18A (Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Singapore:M18 | Canada:R (Canadian Home Video rating) | UK:18 | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (#26898) | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

To prepare for the movie, Rick Rosenthal and Sean Penn went out riding with the Chicago Police Dept. Gang Squad Unit. On the second night, Penn was mistaken for a real criminal and was assaulted by one of the officers.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In a fight scene near the climax, a member of crew (complete with camera).

Quotes:

Mick O'Brien: I'm sorry about your little brother, Moreno.
Paco Moreno: Oh, you really break my heart, you know that? I'm sorry about your old lady. I'm sorry I didn't get to finish the job.

Movie Connections:

References Halloween II (1981)

Soundtrack:

Run To Her

Not your ordinary teen movie

I recently saw this movie again (on video, not the uncut DVD). I hadn't seen it in about twenty years, but it affected me the same at 35 as it did when I saw it on cable at 14. It is one of the grittiest, rawest movies I have ever seen, and it works on a visceral level. The performances of Sean Penn and Esai Morales in this film go to show why they have both continued to be two of the hardest working actors in Hollywood. After seeing Penn as Jeff Spiccolli in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," I was amazed by his range in this film (although he was excellent in "Racing With the Moon," which if memory serves me right also came out around this time). Morales took what could have been a one-note role and turned it into a caricature of a revenge-bent punk, but his talent even back then was clear that he was up to the challenge of putting emotion into the role and bringing some sympathy to Paco's plight. Clancy Brown and Ally Sheedy were excellent in their roles as well.

The movie worked not just because the acting was great, but because the story moved along at an exciting pace. It was suspenseful and was not overly cliché or pat. Overall, it was an unforgettable movie experience, a strong cautionary tale that still makes people think.