It ain't easy in prison, but he won't back down.
Bad Boys is a 1983 prison drama film directed by Rick Rosenthal and starring Sean Penn.
It's about Mick O'Brien (Penn), a perpetual juvenile delinquent from Chicago whose life gets even more troublesome after a particular crime he commits. In an attempt to escape from the police, he runs over an eight-year-old boy—who was the younger brother of Paco Moreno, a criminal he tried to rip off—and gets caught. For his crime he gets sentenced to Rainford Juvenile Correctional Facility, which is one of the worst places for a young criminal to be because of the lack of order and violence. While serving his sentence, Mick reaches a crossroad: Stay on the criminal path he's on or change his ways.
Also in the cast are Reni Santoni, Esai Morales, Ally Sheedy, Clancy Brown, and Alan Ruck.
Not to be confused with the action/comedy film series headlined by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
Bad Boys includes examples of:
- Accidental Murder: Deconstructed. Mick runs over Paco's 8-year-old brother while trying to elude police, which causes him to crash, get caught, and sent to Juvenile hall due to being a minor. Mick himself claims that it was an accident but Ramon quickly shoots this down. After reading out his record, he makes it clear that the reason the kid died was because Mick created the situation that led to the boy's death in the first place. note
- Affably Evil: Barry, Mick's cellmate, who is incarcerated for a firebombing that killed three people note . He is a sociable, friendly, smart and loyal kid who befriends Mick fairly quickly. In fact, he's the first friend that Mick makes when he arrives.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Mick's beatdown of Tweety and Viking makes him the new Barn Boss as he gains the respect of the dorm. He doesn't want the responsibility at first until Barry reminds him of the perks that go with the job.
- Badass Teacher: Ramon is this for Mick and the other inmates. By the end of the film, it's clear that Mick did listen and the two share a meaningful look after defeating Paco.
- Berserk Button:
- Don't call Barry racial slurs to his face and don't tell him that he's spending time in solitary either.
- Don't insult Wagner, one of the guards. Especially while trying to escape and making him chase you.
- Mr Bendix does not like inmates possessing weapons.
- Big Bad: Paco Moreno, who Mick inadvertently wronged by accidentally killing his brother. Now the guy wants to give him hell, starting with raping the latter's girlfriend and eventually trying to kill him when he gets the chance.
- Big Bad Wanna Be: Mick is a small-time hoodlum who thinks himself an aspiring big shot. The story is about the reality of his bad decision-making catching up with him and what it'll lead to if he doesn't change for the better.
- Big Brother Mentor: Ramon, a former gang member turned counselor, is this for Mick.
- Bittersweet Ending: Mick is forced into fighting Paco Moreno due to the latter wounding Ramon, cutting off communications and locking any help out. Mick wins the fight and nearly finishes Paco off, but doesn't. He instead drags him over to the guards, shares a meaningful look with Ramon and calmly returns to his cell while breaking down in tears. While he might or might not get early release, his choice to not kill Paco shows that he has changed and there is hope for him.
- Boxed Crook: Ramon, one of the wardens, offers Mick early release if he stays out of trouble.
- Coming of Age Story: Doing the crime that gets him sent to juvie as well as life in juvie itself forces Mick to realize a violent criminal lifestyle really isn't the way to go.
- Delinquents: Mick is just one of many troubled ones whether it be from the prison's perspective, the country's or even the world.
- Dirty Coward: Viking acts all tough but when confronted by Mr. Bendix over his possession of a knife, he's entirely submissive.
- Drives Like Crazy: After a shootout gone wrong, Mick tries to escape but his terrible driving leads him to run over Paco's brother and end up in a fiery crash.
- Driven to Suicide: Barry tells Mick that his last cellmate killed himself by drinking half a gallon of cleaning fluid.
- Fate Worse than Death: After Barry nearly kills Lofgren with an improvised bomb, the Superintendent has him serve the remainder of his sentence in solitary confinement. Barry absolutely does not take the news well and makes it clear he'd rather die and fights the staff.
- Fight Scene: A ton of them are featured, but the biggest one is at the end with Mick vs Paco.
- Evil Genius: Mick's cellmate and friend Barry is a highly resourceful whiz at repairing electronics, is able to use acid to allow them to escape and a pyromaniac who ends up spending the remainder of his sentence in solitary confinement after nearly killing Lofgren.
- Improvised Weapon:
- Mick stuffs a pillow case full of soda cans that he uses to beat down Tweety and Viking.
- Barry is able to whip up an explosive charge using fertilizer and a timer and hide the package inside a small portable radio as a trap that nearly kills Lofgren. Mr. Bendix found it clever.
- Paco makes a shiv using an old nail and hides it in the bathroom.
- Institutional Apparel: Mick wears a blue uniform like everyone else imprisoned there for their crimes.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Mick's own crimes ends up indirectly getting his girlfriend beaten and raped by Paco. When he sees her injuries for himself, he breaks down crying.
- Offscreen Karma: Tweety is last seen being released from prison. A newspaper article reveals he soon returned to his old ways and was shot dead while trying to rob a liquor store.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Barry isn't a big or tall kid, but he packs quite a punch. It takes three fully-grown adults to subdue him when he fights against being sent to solitary confinement.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Ramon Herrera and the facility's superintendent Thomas Bendix (among a few others) are this for Mick and the other inmates. They genuinely want to help the kids under their charge change for the better.
- Rejected Apology: By the time Mick and Paco meet, the former is remorseful and has accepted responsibility and sincerely apologizes for killing his brother. Unfortunately, Paco doesn't accept it and sarcastically says that he's sorry he didn't kill Mick's girlfriend. Mike then makes it clear that Paco is equally responsible for his brother's death by not looking out for him. note
- Revenge:
- Paco stalks, beats, rapes and nearly kills Mick's girlfriend and later tries to kill Mick for killing his brother.
- Averted with Mick, who refuses to kill Paco and leaves him for the guards to take into custody.
- Scare 'Em Straight: After Mick escapes to comfort his girlfriend, Ramon himself personally takes Mick back, but stops at the Illinois State Penitentiary to show him what's in store for him if he stays on the path he's on. It's somewhat downplayed as Ramon is not trying to traumatize Mick, but just show him where his bad decision-making will lead and to let him think and make up his own mind.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: The Juvenile Judge that sentences Mick gives a scathing one. He states that the punishment he received is not enough. He then cites his long criminal record and that the only reason he's getting sentenced to Juvie instead of adult prison is because he's a minor.
- Too Dumb to Live: The Superintendent and Moreno really shouldn't be taking about inmate transfers in front of other inmates. In real life, prison staff never discuss inmate transfers out in the open (among other confidential information) to avoid exactly what happens at the film's climax.
- You also shouldn't have your golf clubs sitting in your office within easy reach of an inmate nor a lot of breakable glass.
- Barry, you really should learn when to keep your mouth shut.
- Ramon, who already knew about Paco and the danger he poses, should've been much more cautious when dealing with him.
- Viking, you should know better than to think that shiny radio sitting on your bunk was a gift.
- The Unapologetic: Barry, who is serving time for an arson that killed three people, has no remorse for any of his crimes.
