John austin This big time early eighties release has been all but forgotten until it started showing up on cable a few times recently.Sean Pean was still too young to be a political agitator, and he was desperate to shed his Jeff Spicoli image with this tough youth prison flick. He does a good job as O'Brien, who winds up behind bars after killing someone during his juvenile crime spree. He rises up the ranks of the prison hierarchy until Esai Morales, the brother of the boy he killed, winds up in the same jail looking for revenge. It's an old time prison movie right down to the wailing siren you hear during a daylight escape. In addition to Penn and Santoni, you'll also see a youthful Clancy Brown perfecting his on screen villainy as a brutal con.This movie was kind of a big deal in our area when it was filmed. I lived near where they shot most of it, and I remember the newspaper put out a casting call for local kids to try out for bit parts in the movie.

Matt Bouchard It's pretty dark and definitely of the "gritty and important" genre, but I enjoyed it. Well, I should say I was satisfied. Basic plot rundown: 1) kid going down the wrong path, has a girlfriend, friend and rival. 2) Heist goes wrong, friend dies, hero accidentally kills little brother of rival. 3) Hero goes to prison. Interesting characters there. Finds a new friend and some new enemies. 4) Deals with enemies (though not completely), friend is kind of awesome. 5) Out of prison rival sexually assaults and nearly kills girlfriend then ends up in same juvey facility as hero 6) Tension mounts! 7) Climactic battle! In a moment I didn't really know which way they would go, Hero decides not to kill Rival. End. No wrap up with girlfriend (in fact, he burns his picture of her before the final battle). No leaving prison to reform. Very interesting.It was a little flabby in the middle (though I imagine that's an era thing), and the writing felt a little...forced to me. The kids sounded like they were TRYING to be cool, rather than being cool. But again, that might have been purposeful or even just a problem of it being an older moving (I'm seeing it for the first time in 2014). The performances were just excellent, and it's nice to see where Sean Penn probably came from. I quite enjoyed it though I said it was dark and long enough that you weren't looking for happiness in the end, just resolution and some satisfaction. Both delivered.

charlessmith702210 Mick O'Brien (Sean Penn) usually wants things his way. He is right in the heart of Chicago's slums where street gangs will slug it out with drugs as well as guns, but the only problem is his sweetheart played by Ally Sheedy. So, in the first gang retaliation scene, Mick O'Brien gets several enforcers of Paco's street gang in a ambush and drive-by shooting, killing off several of Paco Moreno's gang buddies, but then, Mick realizes that the police are coming. He realizes that during his escape from his pursuit by police cars, he evades a quasi-police roadblock but then his car then hones in into Paco's child brother and slams him hard and the boy immediately dies from what is technically a vehicular homicide..as he crashes and his car bursts into flames..but he survives.So he ends up in custody, ends up in court--Mick--on multiple counts of 1st degree murder by association, eluding police and reckless vehicular homicide--but the judge tells him that he is spared because he is a juvenile. If he was not, he would have been sent to prison for the rest of his natural life, but the judge remands him to the Rainford Juvenile Detention Center.As soon as he gets into this detention center, he meets Gene Daniels, a sort of semi-warden at Rainford. Later on, as Mick O'Brien is introduced to something like a juvenile version of Alcatraz...although mainly a minimum-security facility, he eventually meets up with several other inmates who are ready to explode to fights or rioting like Mick. As Mick approaches his cell block..and his individual cell...he is greeted by a taunting line just like it happens at the first day of military boot camp. He then befriends quickly Horowitz, one of his cellmates, an avid anarchist-like scientist who informs O'Brien that Horowitz knows several members of Paco's street gang. The whole prison scene, is not terribly Alcatraz-like, but more of something a bit out of the Joilet Correctional Center scenes in "The Blues Brothers", with a security fence surrounding the detention grounds. Ramon Herrera then tells Mick about his gargantuan rap sheet he had-- long enough to even dwarf even some of the famous rap sheets by mobsters. He says to Mick that the killing of Paco's child was likely intentional and worthy of possible retaliation by cellmates who have ties to Paco's gang. Paco's surviving gang members then plan their revenge for the death of the Paco's kid, targeting Mick's girlfriend. Before this happens, Paco's gang members who are in the facility--this Mick doesn't know, set off several taunt actions against Mick. Then, Ally, on the way home to the store in the Chicago's streets at night under the "El", are ambushed by Paco and his surviving gang sidekick. And Paco, then gets his revenge, trapping Ally under the "El" tracks and raping her in the height of an oncoming CTA train thundering over them. Fortunately, we do not see most of the actual rape. Afterwards, Paco was about to kill that lady by orders of the other attacker but he refuses. Then an approaching Chicago police car stops their actions--a police officer shoots his attacking friend dead, and Paco has no escape, arrested, and finally, sent to Rainford as Ally Sheedy recognizes the character Paco in a police lineup.A cellmate then informs Mick about the sexual assault of his sweetie, and then Mick plans a bold escape from Rainford, and then, with a help of a truck going outside of the facility, was able to go back to the girlfriend's apartment. Mick and his sweetheart finally embrace each other and Mick strongly consoles her for that horrible incident she faced.Ramon Herrera then comes in and tells Mick that his escape is over, and is whisked back to a van to sent him back to Rainford. The warden then came close to giving him an extension-of-time penalty for the escape but he forgives and lets Mick serve the rest of his sentence.But now, Ramon Herrera then quickly tells Mick to go to his room in private because Ramon is fearing major revenge by the guy who raped Mick's girlfriend...Paco Moreno, who would be transferred immediately to Rainford. This sets up the big fight by Mick and Paco. Paco during lights out makes a ruse that allures Ramon, knocks out Ramon, sends him back to the room, and locks him up. At the same time, Mick burns the only picture he has of his sweetie so he can focus on Paco. Then, Paco goes into Mick's cell but Paco is waiting for him and hits him from behind, starting this final fight. The cellmates then come out and see this no-holds barred fight ensue. As the fight explodes to its climax, it is almost like the "Rumble" in West Side Story, but this rumble is in prison. Like the "rumble", two hard-headed guys, one with a knife. In the end, Mick wins the fight but spares Paco's life before he could drive the knife right into his chest. He drags Paco's injured body right in front of Ramon, goes back to his cell and that's it. The cellmates are then ordered back to their cells because the fight is over, and orders "lights out", and that was it. Mick got his revenge against Paco, but Mick was not too bold to kill Paco off...

James Lawrence Bad Boys, starring Sean Penn as Mick O'Brien and Esai Morales as Paco Moreno, is one of the most entertaining and disturbing movies ever. But to focus on the two leads is unfair to the host of other actors who put in magnificent performances, particularly actor Eric Gurry as Barry Horowitz.Teen Mick O'Brien is a vicious gangster punk. When one of his armed robbery schemes goes awry, a robbery of a drug deal involving Paco Moreno, he unintentionally runs down and kills Moreno's little brother, and ends up in juvenile prison. His cell mate is Horowitz. After an awkward start they become close friends and confidantes. Horowitz, who has been there a while, teaches O'Brien the ropes. Meanwhile prison guard and counselor Ramon Herrera (actor Reni Santoni) wants to set Mick on the right path, but this is not an easy task.The prison officials have given authority over other prisoners to two tough inmates, cell mates Viking (actor Clancy Brown) and Tweety (actor Robert Lee Rush), who get to hand out prison work assignments, receive the profits from cigarette sales, etc. They immediately come into conflict with O'Brien and Horowitz. O'Brien manages to usurp their position of authority, leading to further conflicts. O'Brien's toughness and street smarts make him the winner time and again.The character of Horowitz, a young Jewish boy who came to juvey after a botched revenge plot, is worth a whole review by itself. What a shame that this magnificent actor, Eric Gurry, has appeared in relatively few films. Though he is small and weak and would appear to be of little help in a fight, his wit, dogged determination and superior intelligence help him to survive in this environment where he is very out of place. Despite being nothing like the other prisoners, as the film progresses we learn that he has strong criminal tendencies and prison is probably where he belongs.Moreno, seeking revenge on O'Brien, beats and rapes O'Brien's girlfriend (actress Ally Sheedy) so he can go to prison and get even. Tweety is paroled, and Moreno moves in as Viking's roommate. These kindred spirits promptly begin plotting against O'Brien.Circumstances take both Viking and Horowitz out of the picture, leaving Moreno and O'Brien to face a final showdown alone.