Alan Ruck, Ally Sheedy, Clancy Brown
Prior to starring in the hard-edged 1983 drama Bad Boys, Sean Penn had proven his early promise in the TV movie The Killing of Randy Webster, played a memorable supporting role in Ta...( read more
) (with fellow newcomer Tom Cruise), and created the definitive California surfer dude as the perpetually stoned Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. But it was Bad Boys that cemented Penn's reputation as a rare talent--an actor whose skill transcended his youth, revealing a depth and maturity that the majority of his acting peers could only aspire to. That gravity and emotional dimension is evident throughout Penn's performance here as Mick O'Brien, a chronic offender whose path to a Chicago juvenile corrections facility seems utterly preordained. The institution is hardly conducive to reformation--it's a jail for problem kids, and a cauldron for all the societal ills that sent kids there in the first place. Mick's there because he was involved in a shootout during a botched robbery of drugs from rival street gangster Paco Moreno (Esai Morales), whose little brother was killed when Mick accidentally ran him over with his getaway car.
Overcrowding results in Mick and Paco's being sent to the same facility (one of the film's few stretches of credibility), and this leads to a rather predictable showdown that will take the juvie prison's violence to its inevitable extreme. It's a shame this conclusion ultimately doesn't live up to the film's superior first hour, but Bad Boys remains a remarkably authentic, even touching portrait of troubled youth whose torment is conveyed through thoughtful and richly emotional development of characters. Director Rick Rosenthal (who had previously helmed Halloween II) maintains a vivid sense of setting within the correctional facility's cold walls, and through the performances of Penn and a superb supporting cast (including Ally Sheedy in her film debut as Mick's girlfriend), Bad Boys emerges as one of the best films of its kind, forcing the viewer to ask difficult questions about at-risk youth and the proper way to improve or at least preserve their endangered lives. --Jeff Shannon
DVD Release Date: March 15, 2000
Stats: 738 reviews
This is a great little Made-for-TV movie starring a young Sean Penn in one of his first performances. You can see why he shot to the top soon after with his impressive performance as a young punk sent to borstal. It's in the same league as England's Scum, but it's an impressive a...( read more)
This is one of the best teen dramas I've seen. Strong performances by Sean Penn, who shows what a huge talent he is, and Esai Morales.
The film is gritty, raw and works on so many levels. The story moves along on a good pace, avoiding clichés and delivering an unforgettable movi...( read more)
"Bad Boys" is a well-executed, violent prison drama with the gritty look of 70's grainy cinema's finest. Despite predictability of the plot, it still is a powerful story of a awakening of a moral code through compassion and willpower, and young Sean Penn's tour de force performan...( read more)
Bad Boys is a gritty, suspenseful film dealing with drugs, rape, death and young delinquents existing in a hostile environment. n a juvenile facility for the vehicular manslaughter of his rival's younger brother. The rest of the plot is a riveting tale of suspense as his nemesis ...( read more)
Mar 09 - A not so much original story of a juvenile criminal who at the end chooses to reform in some way. Interesting to see a young Sean Penn though.
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A movie I will definitely try to see right away. Heck yeah! After Danielle's review!! AND it stars Sean Penn!!?? Did anyone else see All theKing's Men which starred uh hum..Sean Penn, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins etc etc ???
It's a pretty good movie, I didn't see the ending but he probably ends up with the girl (by the way, I didn't even see the start, so I dont know if their related, LOL) anyway, he probably gets out.
Having fond memories of this film I decided to rewatch it last night. I remember watching this film in early '84 and finding it to be an intense look at live behind bars for young boys. I remember becoming a fan of Sean Penn after viewing this film shortly after it was available on VHS. Last night, I found I still enjoyed the film. The direction and plot might not hold to today's standards, but it still provides a glimpse into what a young life filled with crime can lead one to. Sean Penn was brilliant then and he has only grown as an actor since. It is still a must own for a Penn fan....
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