Bad Boys (1983)

93% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(59,352 ratings)

Following magnetic performances in Taps (1981) and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), young actor Sean Penn sealed his reputation as one of his generation's most gifted performers with his gritty star turn in Bad Boys (1983), an entertaining tale of teen hoodlums in juvenile lock-up. Penn plays… More Following magnetic performances in Taps (1981) and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), young actor Sean Penn sealed his reputation as one of his generation's most gifted performers with his gritty star turn in Bad Boys (1983), an entertaining tale of teen hoodlums in juvenile lock-up. Penn plays Mick O'Brien, a Chicago street tough who's planning on ripping off drug dealer Paco Moreno (Esai Morales). When the scam goes bad and his partner Carl (Alan Ruck) is slain, Mick flees from the cops in his car and accidentally runs over Paco's little brother, killing the boy. Sent to juvenile hall, Mick encounters a violent prison society run by the murderous trustees Viking (Clancy Brown) and Tweety (Robert Lee Rush). After Mick defends himself by savagely beating Viking, he becomes the facility's new top dog. On the outside, however, Paco seeks revenge by raping Mick's girlfriend J.C. (Ally Sheedy). Enraged, Mick escapes with the help of his brainy roommate Horowitz (Eric Gurry), but Mick is captured by compassionate guard Ramon (Reni Santoni). When Paco is arrested and unwisely sent to the same jail holding Mick, a showdown between the two old rivals is inevitable. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 3 min.
Directed By: Rick Rosenthal
Written By: Richard Di Lello
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jun 1, 1982 Wide
On DVD: Mar 15, 2000
Studio: HBO Video

Critic Reviews

Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
Mediocre movie with excellent performance by Penn.
Jon Niccum, Lawrence Journal-World
Gritty prison flick with a fine lead by Penn
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Sean Penn pretty much explodes in this great (and often overlooked) visit to an ugly juvenile prison.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
strong performances led by Sean Penn in a role that solidified his status as the best young actor of the 1980s

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Melvin W

Mick O'Brien: Hey. What are the odds on me now, Perretti? Perretti: Three to two... against you. Nothing personal. Bad Boys is a solid teenage, juvenile prison drama, that contains two really food performances from Sean Penn and Esai Morales. For Sean Penn, this was his third… More
Mick O'Brien: Hey. What are the odds on me now, Perretti? Perretti: Three to two... against you. Nothing personal. Bad Boys is a solid teenage, juvenile prison drama, that contains two really food performances from Sean Penn and Esai Morales. For Sean Penn, this was his third major role. He had already starred in TAPS in a small role and as the iconic Spicoli in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. His role here as Mick O'Brien; a street tough who lands himself in a Juvenile Prison is the first time we see just how powerful a dramatic actor he was going to become. We got glimpses of it in TAPS, but he didn't have a big role. Here, he's the star and he does shine bright. The drama revolves around O'Brien and Moreno(Morales). Both are punks who attend the same school. One night while Moreno has a drug deal going down, O'Brien tries to steal everything. His plans backfire and it results in him being in a car chase with the cops. The chase ends with O'Brien hitting Moreno's brother and killing him. Now this is just the setup because soon after, O'Brien and Moreno find themselves in the same prison. I completely love this movie and it is really overlooked. It's also not widely known or very accessible. Even with how much I love this movie; I'm not going to say it's flawless. The movie contains some pretty awful acting from some of it's supporting actors. It contains a huge editing error and the last fight scene. A camera man is easily visible in front of the crowd of cheering kids. It's music score is really a complete waste and I can't say it's aged too well. As a movie that really gives us a really good plot and performance from Sean Penn; it's worth a look. If your a big fan of Penn, like me, you owe it to yourself to watch this. It really does show signs of what he would become.
Conner R

It's the teen drama from hell. You couldn't ask for more of a rough and mature content. Sean Penn gives his best early performance as the sociopath Mick O'Brien. Chalk full of John Hughes favorites, it's sort of interesting to see them play such different… More
It's the teen drama from hell. You couldn't ask for more of a rough and mature content. Sean Penn gives his best early performance as the sociopath Mick O'Brien. Chalk full of John Hughes favorites, it's sort of interesting to see them play such different characters. I really think the story is revolutionary for it's time and opened the flood gate for better and more sophisticated coming-of-age stories.
Anthony L

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… More
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 and interesting comparison.
Jani H

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… 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 movie experience.
Professor W

A great film following the life of a kid in Juvy. Overall: 8.8/10
Mike T

This film certainly feels like a product of its time; it revels in its share of '80s excess. Sometimes it gets bogged down in cliches and the writing doesn't always feel sincere. At the same time, director Rick Rosenthal's direction is quite strong. This film achieves a… More
This film certainly feels like a product of its time; it revels in its share of '80s excess. Sometimes it gets bogged down in cliches and the writing doesn't always feel sincere. At the same time, director Rick Rosenthal's direction is quite strong. This film achieves a strong sense of place and moves smoothly, drawing the audience in with the opening scene and keeping hold. It also serves as a vessel for one of Sean Penn's typically stunning performances. His acting here doesn't appear to be from someone fairly new to the business - his character portrait is intuitive and complete. The rest of the cast is quite good too, and the subject matter is fascinating.
Erin C

This was very brutal. It made me cringe quite a few times. The ending was a little eh, but the movie overall wasn't bad. It was good to see one of Penn's earlier movies - he was a good actor even back then.
Lee K

This movie is extremly hard to find but I finally did, one of Sean Penn's first movies and although his acting is new as he was at this time the movie is powerful and a xvery good storyline. Mick O'Brien ( Sean Penn) after botching up a drug deal heist flees in a stolen car… More
This movie is extremly hard to find but I finally did, one of Sean Penn's first movies and although his acting is new as he was at this time the movie is powerful and a xvery good storyline. Mick O'Brien ( Sean Penn) after botching up a drug deal heist flees in a stolen car only to run over the drug dealers little brother just before being detained by the police. Mick gets sent to juevenile detention and quickly learns the laws and the grittiness of junior prison. The drug dealer Paco Moreno (Esai Morales) learning of where Mick has been sent decides to rape Mick's girlfriend J.C. (Ally Sheedy) unmasked so he will purposely get sent to the same detention center. The guards have to keep these two hotheads away from each other while the fuse quickly burns. Until they can get Moreno transfered. When will they blow, or will they stay cool? An older flick like i said if you are lucky enough to either rent or buy make sure you make the time to watch this its time well spent.