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*Bad Boys*, starring a very young Sean Penn, tells the story of a couple of street lads from Chicago who get into a lot of trouble, end up in a youth detention centre and get into even more trouble there. Unfortunately, cinema always demands that films like this reach a moral resolution at a certain point: when the bad boys become good boys. That’s a shame, but up until then, *Bad Boys* is a really good film with a great feel for its setting! Sean Penn plays Mick O’Brien, a teenager of Irish descent from the Bridgeport neighbourhood, and Esai Morales plays Paco from the Latino district of Pilsen. Both are tough, mean and anti-social. Their paths cross over a drug deal. A shootout ensues in which Paco’s younger brother is killed. Mick killed him. Paco takes his revenge, rapes Mick’s girlfriend (Ally Sheedy), is caught and sent to the same prison as Mick. Mick already knows his way around prison, and Paco’s a quick learner. Only the strongest survive, and everyone in prison knows that Mick and Paco will have to fight each other to the death for their honour... The first hour is so good it’s actually a bit scary! Incidentally, *Bad Boys* is the first film about street gangs in which they aren’t glorified (*The Warriors*) or romanticised (*The Wanderers*). That was back in 1983. Unfortunately, though, the film becomes a bit predictable in the second half, even though the day-to-day life in prison is portrayed in great detail and feels authentic. But the absolute best thing about *Bad Boys* is, of course, the young Sean Penn!