Bad Boys (1983)

Just to be clear: this is NOT the 1995 Bad Boys starring Will Smith and Lawrence Martin. 

Synopsis: Jeff Spicoli goes to jail! 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “On the mean streets of Chicago, Mick O’Brien (Sean Penn) plays by the rules - the wrong rules.” 

What Did I Learn?: It’s possible for a tough guy to carry the nickname “Tweety.”

You Might Like This Movie If: you've always wanted to see Sean Penn play a violent, antisocial douchebag. 

Really?: 1) So, wait… the prison authorities know that Mick and Paco (Esai Morales) hate, and will likely attempt to kill each other, but they send them to the same youth prison for an indefinite term because there’s no room downstate? Why couldn’t they swap Paco for a prisoner in another facility, even one in neighbouring Wisconsin? 2) Honestly, I’m surprised Horowitz (Eric Gurry) wasn’t murdered after his first week in the slammer. 

Rating: I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised when I sat down to watch Bad Boys last weekend. I expected something akin to an After-School Special, but the film works both as a thriller and as a gritty prison drama. My only real complaint - and it is a big one - is that while Penn is clearly a talented actor, his character Mick O’Brien isn’t a terribly sympathetic or interesting protagonist. Mick never really shows any remorse for his crimes, so I have to wonder what sort of man he would become after his release from juvie. 7.5/10 stars. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085210/?ref_=hm_rvi_tt