"Class of 1984" meets "High Noon" and subsequently gets transposed to the blighted, crime-ridden East Los Angeles ghetto area in this really solid and effective teen gang opus. A vicious street gang called the Cobras holds a reign of terror over Lincoln High School. Stand-up, no-nonsense tough guy Jeff Hanna (a commanding and believable performance by "My Bodyguard" 's hulking Adam Baldwin) quits the Cobras and decides he wants to live a normal, peaceful life. Alas, Jeff incurs the formidable wrath of savage, vengeful Cobra leader Cinco (a perfectly vile Danny De La Paz) when he refuses to take a dive for Cinco during a surprise police drug bust. So Cinco vows that he's gonna clean Jeff's clock but good come 3:15 after school, clinching the odds that Jeff will definitely show up for this lethal rumble by beating up Jeff's sweet newfound girlfriend Sherry (an endearing turn by the lovely, cuddly Deborah Foreman).
Granted, the plot provided by Sam Bernard and Michael Jacobs' blunt, no-frills, just cover all the necessary bases and nothing more script doesn't offer any fresh insights or novel twists on a timeworn Western-style big showdown premise. However, Larry Gross' precise, straightforward direction, Gary Chang's neatly percolating score, Misha Suslov's slick, smoothly gliding cinematography, a refreshing lack of pretense, and a thrilling finale with Jeff opening up a king-sized dose of raw, bloody hurting on the Cobras more than compensates for the dearth of originality. Plus, the supporting cast is totally up to snuff: "Benson" 's Rene Auberjonois as the school's manipulative Machiavellian principal, Ed Lauter as a cynical, world-weary cop, Wings Hauser as Sherry's overprotective jerk dad, Mario Van Peebles as a black gang leader, 80's horny teen regular Scott McGinnis in one of his standard smart-mouthed wiseguy roles, Joseph Brutsman as Jeff's loyal nerdy pal Marvin, and future "Showgirls" hottie Gina Gershon as a snarly Cobra gang moll. All in all, this flick's certainly punchy and violent enough to make the grade as a satisfying item.
Granted, the plot provided by Sam Bernard and Michael Jacobs' blunt, no-frills, just cover all the necessary bases and nothing more script doesn't offer any fresh insights or novel twists on a timeworn Western-style big showdown premise. However, Larry Gross' precise, straightforward direction, Gary Chang's neatly percolating score, Misha Suslov's slick, smoothly gliding cinematography, a refreshing lack of pretense, and a thrilling finale with Jeff opening up a king-sized dose of raw, bloody hurting on the Cobras more than compensates for the dearth of originality. Plus, the supporting cast is totally up to snuff: "Benson" 's Rene Auberjonois as the school's manipulative Machiavellian principal, Ed Lauter as a cynical, world-weary cop, Wings Hauser as Sherry's overprotective jerk dad, Mario Van Peebles as a black gang leader, 80's horny teen regular Scott McGinnis in one of his standard smart-mouthed wiseguy roles, Joseph Brutsman as Jeff's loyal nerdy pal Marvin, and future "Showgirls" hottie Gina Gershon as a snarly Cobra gang moll. All in all, this flick's certainly punchy and violent enough to make the grade as a satisfying item.