Three teens just a hair away from jail make an arrangement to pose as undercover cops to redeem themselves and clear their records. Lincoln Hayes (Omar Epps) is straight out of .the ghetto and unafraid to admit that he committed the crime, Pete Cochrane (Giovanni Ribisi) is a rich boy turned bad and provides the laughs, and Julie Barnes (Claire Danes) is the tough ex-addict. Given no guns or badges, they infiltrate underground clubs that regular cops can’t even get close to. It is their experience with street life and their common sense that keeps them alive; they live the L. A. nightlife in order to avoid blowing their cover.
Each Mod Squad member delivers a powerful performance: Ribisi entertains the audience with his monkey boy role, Danes is a hard-ass, but manages to look sexy in all of her scenes, and Epps brilliantly plays the coolest and most responsible Squad member.
Director Scott Silver wonderfully stages life-like scenes from beginning to end. The film is full of action. The laughs are provided by Ribisi’s character Pete, from the first scene where he gets into a brawl at a club to when he is eventually crying to his parents for help.
The only crime that this movie committed was the costuming for Linc. No teen that is out of the ghetto dresses in retro seventies clothing. He should have been in baggy pants, not butt-huggers. Wardrobe aside, the film is a hit.
+ kim hutchison
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