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. For once, gang members are given a human face so that we understand why they may do what they do as gangs.The film focuses on the L.A. Police Department's anti-gang C.R.A.S.H. (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) unit. 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). Hodges knows the streets and has an informal rapport with many of the local L.A. gangs, and many of them know him; there's a sense of mutual respect between Hodges and the gang members. Danny also knows the streets, but knows nothing of how to fight the gangs terrorizing them and he just wants to bust heads and make arrests."Colors" is almost episodic as Hodges and Danny go from one anti-gang operation to another, but a plot of sorts forms at the scene of the latest gang homicide. A young "Blood" gang member is gunned down in his backyard by a rival "Crips" crew, led by Rocket (Don Cheadle, in an early role playing a character with much restrained malevolence). Hodges and McGavin are put on the case, and as their investigation goes on, it brings them into contact with many of the other local L.A. gangs fighting for "turf" in the streets - eventually culminating in a bloody turf war with the cops and surrounding communities caught in the middle."Colors" does have its weaknesses in an occasionally spotty script and weak dialogue. But the film keeps you watching and engaged to what's going on on the screen. Fault can be found, of course, with the buddy-cop formula of pairing a veteran like Robert Duvall with an unseasoned rookie in Sean Penn. But their pairing works, as the two constantly clash with one another over their differing approaches to the job - but gradually build a grudging respect for the other man and his perspective on how to best handle their situation."Colors" was also remarkable, as I mentioned earlier, in that the gang members themselves are not nameless, faceless entities occupying your typical us-vs.-them war flick. No. Hopper actually took the opportunity to go inside the gangs so that we get to know some of them as characters. We don't condone anything they do, but we get to know them and understand why gang-banging is so appealing - family, belonging, lack of ambition and/or opportunity, power/status, the overall lifestyle, etc. 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

Young brash officer Danny McGavin (Sean Penn) is newly teamed up with old veteran officer Bob Hodges (Robert Duvall). They patrol the gang infested neighborhoods of East L.A. between the Bloods and the Crips as well as the Latino gangs. McGavin is hot for Louisa (María Conchita Alonso). While McGavin is itching to make arrests, Hodges tries to stay in touch with the gangs. The duo gets into the middle of a complicated gang battle.Director Dennis Hopper is trying to bring some sort of gritty realism and stereotypes to this Hollywood construct. All the 80s gang stereotypes are here but it's done well. There are some great minority actors. In addition to Penn and Duvall, they form wide range of colors to give a wide swath of life in the streets. It's wild and random as it paves the way for other gangster rap movies of its kind in the 90s and its accompanying cop drama. Heck this is years before 'Boyz n the Hood'. It's probably the first time a lot of this gang inner workings is seen on screen. It's the first time I noticed somebody being beaten into a gang. Looking back, the stereotypes and the lingo can make this look dated but that time has come and gone. The movie is bound to look dated.

This is a masterpiece of gangland all the way, rough, raw, and perfectly shot, that engrosses the viewer every minute. This is the truest depiction of gangland L.A. you'll ever see. Sometimes it's too close for comfort. 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. Violence shown is occasional, sometimes heavy, but really when only necessary. Penn and Duvall form a great team, part of a unit called CRASH, crimes only related to gangland. Unlike Riggs and Murtaugh, they're always disagreeing, or getting into some heated arguments. It was great, the family scene, where Duvall invited Penn and his new date over for lunch after a quite thrilling car chase, where their squad car has just upturned. But too, one of my favourite scenes, was Duvall lecturing Penn in his backyard, about the hang ups Penn's future has in law enforcement, where Penn defends himself, arguing his points, totally the opposite of Duvall, who's like the mediator of the duo. Penn's points about not buttering up these homies, and not getting respect is true, but then again you have to gain respect, where Penn's character would have zero tolerance on that one. When Penn goes too far, like a cop having a bad day with these nemesis's, Duvall's retaliation, knocking Penn back in line, was truly something unexpected. It then has Penn, balking. This was truly a powerful moment. Damon Wayans was a hoot as a gang member parading shirtless, in a stereo place, bunny uniform and all, until his act is brought to a standstill. The whole near two hour movie has our dynamic duo, and other enforcers, trying to track down Rocket, that lead to interrogations, where we take delight in watching Mr Macho Penn, do his thing, one scene I would love to acted out. Also we have a sub plot, an accidental shooting that puts one cop on the stand, but also in an earlier scene we have one full frontal beaver shot, after a place is raided, Penn just stilted by the beautiful sight. The tragic finale is memorable in a great slow zoom upward shot, where not every cop tale ends well. This film is no doubt Hopper's piece of resistance, an undying portrait of L.A. how it should of really been shown. I highly advise you to give this 88 pic a viewing over. It's reality will hit you in the face.

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. The two officers are constantly butting heads over the proper way to handle the situations of the street and things don't get any better once the gangs start fighting back. COLORS was a very popular movie in the day but it's not really a great film. I think there are many very good and many great things in the film but I think a major re-write on the screenplay could have really helped things because no matter how many times I watch the film I can't help but think they're trying to do way too much and end up missing a lot of stuff that should have been simple. On one hand you're looking at a cop-buddy picture and then you have a film trying to show people the law of the streets. I'm sure many were seeing these type of gangs for the first time and director Hopper certainly tries to make one understand why they're in these gangs and why they're willing to lay down their blood for their cause. What doesn't work overly well are a couple side plots dealing with Penn and his relationship with a Mexican woman (Maria Conchita Alonso) with connections to the street. Another thing that doesn't work overly well are all sorts of other subplots dealing with lower entry gang members that never really add up to much. I think there are some moments where the film goes away from the two leads for too long, which certainly makes the film drag in spots. What does work however are the performances by those two leads with both actors doing a great job and even better is the chemistry they have together. The old school Duvall and the new school Penn were the perfect selection for partners here because their acting styles are just so different that they end up mixing together so well. No actor can sell a veteran as great as Duvall and Penn was certainly starting to come into his own around this point in his career and that hot-tempered manor of his was nailed perfectly. The supporting players add some nice performances including Ron Delaney, Larry Sylvester, Don Cheadle and Marlon Wayans in a small role. I've read some reviews that say COLORS is nothing more than a blaxploitation flick for white people but I think this is a tad bit unfair. I think Hopper did a very good job at showing this gang life without glamorizing it and I also think the film does a good job at making the members humans and not just some sort of targets. Hopper certainly seemed to know the material quite well and his direction gets the job done but I think less could have been more.