THE MOVIE

Before he took on the role of Mick O’Brien in Bad Boys, Sean Penn was best known for his portrayal of a stoned-surfie in the 1982 classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

I doubt if anyone at the time knew just what a powerful actor he would become. It wasn’t until Bad Boys that we finally got to see the first few glimpses of that power.

Mick O’Brien (Sean Penn) is a young Chicago thug who thinks he’s indestructible and untouchable. But when he attempts a robbery, things go tragically wrong leaving a young boy killed, and a friend dead.

Arrested for his part, O’Brien is sent to a juvenile detention centre where he finally discovers the dark side to the life he has chosen. Initially forced to endure degradation and humiliation, O’Brien eventually learns how to survive inside but realises it’s a place he doesn’t want to stay.

When sworn enemy Paco (Esai Morales) ends up at the same detention centre, O’Brien needs to make the biggest decision he has ever made, and one that will forever alter the course of his life.

Quite a powerful little film here. The performances (especially from Penn) really are top notch.

What I especially liked was the fact they didn’t tone down O’Brien’s character for mainstream acceptance. This wasn’t an abused kid just trying to get by, or a good guy who fell in with the wrong crowd. This was an arrogant punk who had no clue of the ramifications of his actions. And while it makes us less sympathetic to his plight, it’s far more realistic.

Unfortunately though, Bad Boys falls into the trap of casting 20-somethings to play juveniles and it does hurt that realism somewhat. Nearly all the guys in the juvenile detention centre look like they’re far too old to be there. Only a few of the characters (like O’Brien’s friend Horowitz) actually look like they belong.

The film hasn't dated much over the past 20 years, aside from probably one aspect. The music. The original score of Bill Conti is great, but it sort of breaks the mood when you see one of the tough guys dancing to a cheesy LRB tune.

But after more than 20 years this film still manages to hold its ground with some quite intense performances and moments.

Make no mistake, Bad Boys is a good film.

Interesting, confronting and worthy of your time.

THE TRANSFER

Video:

Bad Boys has been presented at the widescreen aspect ratio of 1.75:1 and is 16:9 enhanced. This is very close to the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

And for a flick over two decades old, it comes up reasonably well on DVD.

This film is actually quite dark (both figuratively and literally) and there are times when black tends to overpower the image a little too much for my liking. Grain also tends to be quite strong throughout. Film artefacts are omnipresent although only a few stand out as being especially noticeable.

Colours are slightly muted but come across well overall.

This is a RSDL disc with the layer change popping in at 65.13. Nice change during a scene transition. I didn’t notice any serious compression issues.

It may not be the cleanest and clearest transfer you’ll see, but, considering its age, Bad Boys looks OK.

Audio:

Bad Boys has been provided with an English Dolby Digital 2.0 surround encoded track at 192kbps.

Not surprisingly, the track lacks power and depth. Dialogue is reasonably clean and clear but still sounds a little light and a tad harsh at times, while effects like punches and gun shots have no bottom end to them at all.

The music of legendary composer Bill Conti is excellent, it’s just a shame the age of the film prevents it from being as powerful as it perhaps it should be. Sounds decent enough though.

It may be a surround encoded track on offer here but to be honest this is a very front heavy mix with only the odd effect turning up in the rears.

Overall we get a decent, but unremarkable, audio presentation.

THE EXTRAS

Nothin’ here folks.

SUMMARY

Dark, violent, and at times a little disturbing, Bad Boys showcases the rise of one of Hollywood’s finest actors, Sean Penn. While it has dated SLIGHTLY, it still has the ability to unsettle and confront with its depictions of youth angst and violence.

Its presentation on DVD is pretty good with reasonable video and decent audio.

Not for the easily offended or squeamish, Bad Boys is still a film worthy of your consideration.