Alicia I love this movie so much

Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Konterr Brilliant and touching

SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

catherine yronwode I would have rated this film with 1 star, but it got an additional 1 for Lloyd Nolan's brave performance as a security officer and an extra 1/2 for Ida Lupino as a shrewish wife, and an extra 1/2 for Ralph Meeker's role as a truculent drunk bad dad.But the MUSIC! Oh my God. The music. The horrible synthesizer music bubbling away like little rodential heartbeats as we are supposed to feel fear, tension, drama, interest, or some other emotion which we cannot feel because the music is popping like popcorn farts! Oh, Lord have mercy. If you are the kind of person who can't take bad music, please, be cautious -- the sound track may damage your internal organs.Also this film is a wasteland of bad late 1970s architecture, as it was filmed right before Post-Modern architecture saved us all from architectural cultural suicide. Just keep reciting your mantra, "Later on there would be good architecture. This was not the end of the world." Oh, and there's this insane fainting-gas stuff. The teens buy it at the local convenience store, no doubt. Another reviewer suggested the idea came from "Batman." I concur.And i will offer a sparkly reward to anyone who can tell me the name of the book that Ida Lupino is reading on her bed when Ralph Meeker comes home after a long day in the armoured car industry. My TV was too small to zero in on it, but i have the feeling that if i could have read that title, i would have been rewarded by some sort of fabulous in-joke. Or maybe not.Lloyd Nolan is okay. Ida Lupino is okay. Ralph Meeker is okay. The rest of this movie is insanely useless except to people who want to watch cars crash into one another over and over and over and over again.

wes-connors Reform school resident Sean Thomas Roche (as Tommy Morton) receives a visit from father Ralph Meeker (as Bert Morton), who informs him schoolteacher mother Ida Lupino (as Bess Morton) is retiring. Clearly, Mr. Meeker and Mr. Roche have some "generation gap" difficulties; but, they pale in comparison with the love lost between the two men and Ms. Lupino. Lupino could care less about her delinquent son; instead, she enjoys tutoring pretty young Kerry Lynn (as Priscilla). Little do the adults know, but the "kids" are plotting… This sometimes confusing, and seldom plausible, "misunderstood kids drama" has a few interesting attributes. Old pro Lloyd Nolan tries to sort out the plot; he contributes greatly to an interesting cast. Prrforming admirably, Mr. Nolan makes everyone sharing his screen time look better. David Doyle, waiting for "Charlie's Angels" to resume, has quite a "My Boys Are Good Boys" backstory to tell. Notably, Lupino's shrewish characterization was her last film appearance, before retiring.

kidboots It was interesting to read the above reviews. gbuttkus' insights into the production gave the film a new interest to me.When I first saw it - I was surprised that Ralph Meeker was in it - I could remember him from "Paths of Glory" and "Kiss Me Deadly", I thought he was such an underrated actor. The next shock was Ida Lupino (one of my favourite actresses) and then Lloyd Nolan. What were they thinking!!! Perhaps they were doing it as a favour to Meeker.Ralph Meeker was executive producer so it was obviously a subject he felt strongly about.Tommy is ticked off with his dad for failing to bail him out of a detention centre (as Dad says "I've bailed you out 5 times already"). Things aren't much better at home - Mom (Ida Lupino) treats Dad like dirt. She also has no time for their son, Tommy, but treats her pupil Priscilla, like a princess. (Priscilla, is the brains behind the weekend armoured car robbery).Tommy and some of his detention centre mates have decided to rob an armoured van on the weekend. One of the kids, Chunky, looks as though he would be more at home on a "Happy Days" set. The detention centre is peopled with happy, laid back guards that think their "boys are good boys". They are pushovers for any kid out of kindergarten."Chunky" pretends to faint because of lack of food and the guards not only believe him they run around looking for chocolate bars. That gives the boys ample time to steal the guards keys, tie them up and escape.There are a few crazy car chases .Ralph looks permanently hung over - what with the lines he has to speak and putting up with Ida's tirades, who can blame him!!!! David Doyle's speech about why "my boys are good boys" showed why he shouldn't be working in a tough detention centre.You will never guess the ending - but maybe you will!!!!

Steven Omilian This film is available on Mill Creek Entertainment's Action Classics 100 Movie Pack. After watching Trained to Kill: USA (the real reason I bought the box set) I switched to the next movie My Boys Are Good Boys, at first I assumed it was about rebellious youths and the whole movie would take place in the reformatory where they are held, but the story seemed to have more surprising twists and turns then an episode of 24. A somewhat easy escape leads to the youths robbing an armored truck. This is one of the best stories I have seen in a long time. What was also surprising was the performances. More notably David Doyle who played Harry Klinger the reformatory guard giving his my boys are good boys speech, Kerry Lynn as Priscilla, and the always hungry Chunky played by Robert Cokjlat. This film is a classic and a joy to discover.