Colors
Tags: violence, murder

Plot synopsis:
Two white cops, Bob "Uncle Bob" Hodges (Robert Duvall), a respected 19-year LAPD veteran, and rookie officer Danny McGavin (Sean Penn) have just been teamed together in the C.R.A.S.H. unit that patrols East L.A. and South central.
The older cop is appreciated on the local streets. He is diplomatic on the surface, preaching "rapport" to gang members to encourage them to offer help when it is truly needed and recognizes that every action cops take is scrutinized by the very people they are trying to help. Hodges explains his view on policing to his young partner with a joke about bulls and cows. Although the pair bond quickly, life lessons are seemingly lost on the aggressive, cavalier McGavin, whose stunted actions soon bring him quick notoriety with the local gang members and the people themselves, such as attacking a graffiti artist by spraying his eyes with the paint can. When McGavin wrecks their first unmarked car during a pursuit, its replacement, painted a vivid yellow, results in McGavin being nicknamed "Pac-Man" by officers and gang members alike.
McGavin also has a short lived romance with a waitress named Louisa (María Conchita Alonso) who, like the offended Hodges, feels the weight of the Pac-Man persona. Amidst the strains of these relationships, the murder of a Bloods gang member leads to a series of escalations between two other street gangs. A series of seemingly random incidents culminates in a plot that finds the two partners in the middle of the Crips, Bloods and Hispanic Barrio war. The 21st Street Gang, led by a criminal named Frog, attempts to negotiate a peace similar to Hodges and steer clear of the melee. To protect his partner, Hodges unwittingly exposes Frog as his source on the Crips leader Roccet (Don Cheadle) with his scheme to kill McGavin. Each group attempts to right the wrongs against their respective crews as police work to prevent the hit and stand their authority over the fall out.
In the end, the unit moves in on the would-be last crew standing - the 21st Street Gang. While arresting Frog, Hodges is fatally shot by a gunman trying to enact the hit on McGavin. With medics en route, McGavin comforts Hodges and breaks down with regret as the elder partner falls into delirium and dies.
Sometime later, a more conservative McGavin has a rookie partner, a black cop who grew up in the neighborhood where they patrol and sports an attitude similar to the "Pac-Man". McGavin tells him the same joke about the bulls that Hodges taught him, and the younger officer reciprocates in the same way as the younger McGavin did. The film ends with McGavin considering the cycle as the pair drive on and continue their patrol.

Review: Although most films like this would stick with the gang war as the main focus, COLORS has many different plot levels that all come together very nicely.
Well, I definitely think Dennis Hopper did an excellent job and I feel that violence is crucial in a film like this to add to its strong sense of reality which some people may not be too familiar with..
Dennis Hopper's film Colors may seem like hundreds of miles removed from his first feature as director Easy Rider, but it's made twenty years later and it shows effectively at least two things on his part: first, that he can express himself in material that would appear to be a "for-hire" work, specifically with having an older, calmer version of himself in Duvall (the kind that tries to think things through and can be ferocious but has experience from a life of work) and Penn (the young hot-head who you know is good but is troubled in other ways), and secondly that he can go back to some of his earliest acting roots, working in movies featuring rebels and gangs (not least of which Rebel Without a Cause) and actually give them the fire and energy and as-much-as-possible realism so desperately needed.
Colors is a mature work from a filmmaker who knows what he's doing, and will let the actors and the mood of the streets and the temperament of the current events (which were practically untenable in the late 80s and early 90s in gang-banger) LA.Matter of fact, this should have been Hopper's professional calling-card, showing that he can make a film that isn't an art-film or too experimental (Last Movie) or under the radar (Out of the Blue).
There's not a solid plot to speak of, more-so a character study of two cops, one older one younger, who are partnered up and have to tackle the ghettos and slums, loaded with "Blue" (Crips) and "Red") (Bloods), and also the various Hispanic gangs that are not as notorious but still as powerful and dangerous.It's a series of pieces that soon take shape into a story, but it's not even about that.
Penn's younger guy isn't a crooked cop or corrupted, but he's a hot-head, a junkie for adrenaline, while Duvall's been around the block way too many times (and even admits that he had a higher post before and is still on the streets for reasons not totally made clear) to put up with being "like a gangster" as he says.And the class part relates to the difference between McGavin (Penn) and his supposed girlfriend, who comes from the Latino parts of the hood and has family that Hodges has come in contact with as a cop, putting them up against the wall.
And, again, those gangs, some played by actors (Don Cheadle and Damon Wayans in early roles, Sy Richardson), others by I would assume real gang-bangers and people 'from the streets' (another thing Hopper is good at, casting real people, which he doesn't get enough credit for), that are allowed to be fleshed out and made into real people, or as real as they can be in this movie.The filmmakers don't make us feel sympathy for the gang members, but through making them human beings as opposed to just targets and caricatures, it adds to the whole experience of being about something.
Colors is a movie that shines brightly with quality actors Sean Penn and Robert Duvall headlining the movie and Dennis Hopper sitting in the director's chair for the first time since Easy Rider (1969).
The film could have easily been dismissed as a routine action movie but the end result is a gritty crime drama that highlights a major problem across the USA.Colors focuses on the Los Angeles Police Department's CRASH Division (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) combating the gang wars that could explode across Los Angeles at any moment.
Hodges and McGavin must work together to prevent an all out war on the streets of Los Angels between the Bloods and the Crips.Sean Penn made his mark with Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and since then has gone from strength to strength with movies such as Bad Boys (1983), The Falcon and the Snowman (1985) and At Close Range (1986) which was met with acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
Ironically, Sean Penn found himself on the wrong side of the law during the filming of Colors when he was jailed for punching an extra who photographed him and Robert Duvall without his permission.The ever reliable Robert Duvall who never puts a foot wrong no matter what role he plays or what movie he appears in.
Duvall does a fine job as veteran officer Bob Hodges who strives to keep the peace on the streets of Los Angeles as well as keeping his young hotheaded partner in line.María Conchita Alonso (The Running Man), Don Cheadle (Traffic), Damon Wayans (The Last Boy Scout), and Glenn Plummer (Speed) also appear in small but effective roles in Colors and support Sean Penn and Robert Duvall very well.The late Dennis Hopper was a surprise choice as director given that in his stellar career (Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet, Speed) he has only directed a handful of movies with Easy Rider (1969) being his only successful movie as a director.
It was also boosted by the star power of Sean Penn and Robert Duvall under the direction of Dennis Hopper.
Colors First-Viewing, TV(Dennis Hopper)- Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, Don Cheadle, Maria Conchita Alonso, Glen Plummer, Grand L.
Bush, Damon Wayans, Leon RobinsonRobert Duvall and Sean Penn star as two cops trying to fight gang violence in Los Angelos.
Gangs are still killing each other, and they seldom need a reason to do so.Colors is a fairly daring film directed by Dennis Hopper.
Robert Duvall and Sean Penn play basically the timeless "good cop/bad cop" duo out to learn what they can on the street and help prevent as much gang crime as possible.
Sean Penn, (Officer Danny McGavin) was a rookie who started out knowing just how to handle the various gangs in Los Angeles and even got all hot and bothered about a nice looking gal who could Tease and Please without any problems.
And so goes the chorus for rapper Ice-T's hit gang warfare anthem "Colors," which also happened to be the name of the 1988 gang warfare action film "Colors," which was directed by the late actor/director Dennis Hopper, who does not appear at all in the film."Colors" was one of the earliest films to deal with the bloody gang violence that by 1988 when the film was released, close to 400 gang-related murders had occurred in the greater Los Angeles area.
The police were overworked and unable to effectively deal with the increasing gang violence, communities were forced to live in fear, and the L.A. streets were a virtual war zone."Colors" was also different from previous films dealing with gangs in the fact that although it was told largely from the point-of-view of the dedicated police officers out there on the streets trying to curb the rising gang violence and ease community fears, it also showed us some of the inner-workings of gangs and why some people, mostly teenagers and young adults, join them and find such a dangerous lifestyle so rewarding.
At the beginning of the film, and using a set-up familiar to the many buddy-cop action films produced during the time, veteran C.R.A.S.H. officer Bob Hodges (Robert Duvall) is partnered up with the brash, young Danny McGavin (Sean Penn).
It was a brave and revealing, and unflinching, insight, and a departure, since not having this could have made "Colors" seem like your run-of-the-mill late-'80s cop movie.A great action-crime film that comes highly recommended from this viewer.8/10.
An experienced cop (Robert Duvall) and his rookie partner (Sean Penn) patrol the streets of East Los Angeles while trying to keep the gang violence under control.Looking back now (2017), this film seems so normal, something that could be included in a long list of L.A. gang movies, with the Crips and Bloods fighting it out for turf.
(Merriam-Webster, for example, does not even think the term "gangsta rap" was invented until 1989, even if Schoolly D and Ice-T were already around.)Although it is probably not true that "Colors" is the first film about gang violence in Los Angeles, it was probably the most influential at the time it came out.
Director Dennis Hopper does an excellent job in laying out what these neighborhoods are like and really tackles the crack epidemic head on.The original script by Richard DiLello (best known as a Beatles historian) actually took place in Chicago (the traditional gang stronghold) and was more about drug dealing than individual gang members.
Great performances by Sean Penn and Robert Duvall.A dark, and gritty portrayal of gang life in LA, and the special cop task force who deals with them.
His involvement with Maria Conchita Alonso who's seeing it from both sides helps a bit too for Sean, though not how he'd have liked it.Don Cheadle and Trinidad Silva lead a good supporting cast of gang bangers.
I thought it was interesting seeing the world of gangs through the eyes of the police and not just the black gangs in L.A.I thought the acting was very good, especially Sean Penn.And I agree with the others who say people in the movie it say "holmes" too much!A must see for all those who are interested in gang films..
Colors (1988) *** (out of 4) A veteran L.A. police officer (Robert Duvall) gets teamed up with a new, hot-tempered officer (Sean Penn) just as a war between rival gangs breaks out in the streets.
Robert Duvall and Sean Penn are both great actors and they work well together, the soundtrack was solid (especially the theme by Ice-T), and the film shows us the reality of gang wars in L.A., and how violent they are.
Hopper prided himself on casting real LA gang members in walk on parts , but this is negated by having two very well known actors in the lead roles as beat cops both of whom are written as the old clichéd " hard bitten cop who knows how the streets work " and " young cop who doesn't but he still wants to make a name for himself " .
Dennis Hopper's much discussed gang warfare drama was tailor made for controversy, being too honest for exploitation but, at the same time, shallow enough to frustrate viewers expecting something more than what it is: only another action-packed, urban cop story with a topical background.
Sean Penn and Robert Duvall make a formidable acting team, playing two LA policemen battling each other as well as the gangs, each of them bringing a measure of depth to their stereotypical macho cop characters with typically intense performances.
One of the original gang films, extremely realistic (which can only be a good thing in this genre), unrelenting, starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall, directed by the great Dennis Hopper, and even one of Don Cheadle's earlier roles.
Robert Duvall delivers a powerful performance as the aging and disillusioned gang-beat cop, but even Sean Penn didn't do anything memorable with his role.
An '80s crime drama film with a realistic depiction of Los Angeles street gangs.
The movie stars Robert Duvall as veteran police officer Bob Hodges and Sean Penn as his rookie partner Danny McGavin.
The story is about Robert Duvall and Sean Penn policing the most violent neighbourhoods of L.A. which are a warzone for several gangs.
This is one of the early movies that show gang wars and how hard there is to live in some neighborhoods.Colors is well acted and stars Sean Penn and Robert Duvall.Watch this movie if you would like to see how unfair the world is..
Aging, veteran L.A cop, Duvall and his new hot headed partner Mcgavin, nickname Pacman (a great written character for Penn-suitably brilliant, one would say) are after a killer, Rocket (a young Don Cheadle before he moved into more serious straight arrow characters) who's smoked a homie from another gang.
I'll make one concession to the America spelling of "Colors" because it is the film's title after all.I was amazed 20 years ago when Dennis Hopper made a cop drama set in the LA gang scene, I am amazed even now that it actually happened – and that aside from some minor quibbles it actually holds up very well.
I'm not sure, but Penn really disrupts the film (the date scene in the car with Alonso was hard to sit through!).One wonders what Hopper and the same cast (sans Penn) could have turned out with an indie budget and better script written by someone with actual gang/street cred.
Dennis Hopper,Sean Penn And Robert DuVall At Their Best..
All of those elements make Colors an unforgettable film that is Dennis Hopper.Sean Penn and Robert DuVall at their best.Set in Los Angeles,California,Colors tells the story of veteran LAPD cop Bob Hodges(Robert DuVall)who is teamed up with young hot shot cop Danny McGavin(Sean Penn)to patrol the streets and deal with local gangs such as the Crips,Bloods and Latino gangs while dealing with each other as partners.Before there was Boyz N The Hood(1991)and Menace II Society(1993)set the standard for Urban Drama in LA there was Colors a brilliant and intense Crime Drama that set the table and was also a mixture of amazing talents such as director Dennis Hopper and actors Sean Penn and Robert DuVall who all collaborated on this great film that was not only a critical and Box Office success but was also the right movie at the right time for Los Angeles in 1988.
Colors is movie that combines elements of not only Crime Drama but also Action film,Gang movie and Cop drama into fascinating study of Gang life and violence seen from the points of view from both the cops and the gangs from the LAPD to the Crips and Bloods in South Central to the Latino gangs in East LA with tons of characters getting enough screen time.
There is certain scenes with the gangs and cops that some will find a little over the top(and there is some funny moments in the film despite the serious subject matter)I think some of the scenes were pretty accurate about what was going on at the time on the mean streets of LA.
Also,listen for the classic Hip-Hop title song Colors by Ice-T.In final word,if you love Dennis Hopper,Sean Penn or Robert DuVall,I highly suggest you see Colors,an excellent,powerful and gripping Crime Drama that you will never forget.
Dennis Hopper's film is about a veteran cop named Bob Hodges who works as a member of the LAPD Crash Department which specializes in gang violence.
Overall, Colors may seem like an ordinary buddy cop film and in a sense it is, but the unique aspect is how it depicts gang violence and how it brings that issue to light.
Rated R for Violence,Language,Drug Use and Some Sexuality Colors is a 1980's film starring Sean Penn(Fast Times At Ridgemont High) and Robert Duvall(The Godfather).I usually like films that take place in a ghetto setting.Menace II Society is one of my favorite films of all time.I was interested in seeing this and I finally watched it yesterday night.I think its a good film.The acting is great and has Don Cheadle and Damon Wayans in roles before they were famous.The film is basically about two cops in Los Angelas.Duvall is the older cop and teachers Penn the tricks of the trade but Penn wants to live by his own rules which eventually makes him hated and his girlfriend leaves him.The film is pretty good but not as good as say Boyz in the hood or menace 2 society.But then again there not really in the same league..
I really enjoy watching this movie again and again.Back in 1988 I had purchased this movie on VHS.Know I own it on DVD.Sean Penn & Robert Duvall make a good team in this movie.I only had one question regarding What funky song is being played in the background of the 21st party before the drive by takes place of the crips.Can someone please!!
The film tells the story of two CRASH cops, experienced season veteran, Officer Bob Hodges (Robert Duvall) and rookie partner, and hot-head, Officer Danny McGavin (Sean Penn) patrolling the streets of East Los Angeles, trying hard to keep the gang violence between the Bloods, the Crips, and the Hispanic street gangs under control.
There are 2 good performances mainly by Robert Duvall and Sean Penn as the 2 police officers caught up in all this mayhem.Of course, the ending is tragic, but what else would you expect.
There are certainly some important plot points dealing with the gangs but this is the cops' show, this is the show of Robert Duvall and Sean Penn.
We see them doing their daily work activities, the film takes the typical formula of having a veteran cop (certainly played by Robert Duvall) dealing with a rookie that acts as wild as he once acted and is mostly about Sean Penn's character and how it changes.
It also works because both Duvall and Penn are nothing less than great; it's really good and entertaining to see these couple of cops.
Two great performances from Robert Duvall and Sean Penn, and some great direction by Dennis Hopper gives "Colors" an engrossing quality that's still alive and well, 25 years later.
Acting wise, Robert Duvall and Sean Penn work together as the old-cop/young cop duo as they try to control the streets of Los Angeles from these two feuding gangs.
With a movie that has Sean Penn & Robert Duvall as its main characters, you know it can't be all that bad.
The soundtrack includes great singers, Los Lobos and Ice-T.Dennis Hopper is a really good actor, with this movie, he shows he is an amazing film director..