As one viewer had already pointed out in their comments, there were a large number of the almost laughable teenage street gang-centered action and dramas, especially of the early and mid 1980s, probably following the successes of cult films like 'The Warriors.' They were low budget, b- and c-grade films that usually centered on some gang in a west coast town (and especially, a dilapidated school) in which school officials are inexplicably helpless to the violence and destruction and some brave student must often take charge to alleviate. There have been so many of these that they are a genre in and of themselves and quite often, they have not only been cheaply made or poorly produced (the gangs usually don't seem dangerous, but more like obnoxious fashion victims) and the stories just blend together as unmemorable narratives that continue to tell the same story. 'Class of 1984', 'Tuff Turff,' 'Savage Streets', 'Knights of the City', and even '3:15' are the more laughable ones. 'The New Kids' (mostly because of its familiar cast) and 'Children of the Night' are the better productions. And Troma's 'Class of Nuke 'Em High' series and the low-visibility Spielberg-produced project, 'Three O'Clock High' are the amusing parodies of an out-of-whack perception of urban teenagers gone wild.
With little feeling and little suspense, '3:15' offers the cookie cutter story of a young high school student (Adam Baldwin) who, although credited as a dangerous gang leader, suddenly drops the gang when one his fellow Cobras kills a young guy during a parking lot rumble. His sudden decision to ditch the gang not only contradicts his reputation, but is left unexplained and more so unconvincing. The guy seeking to be the new leader to fill this power vacuum vows revenge on the traitor. When the dumb principal orders a police raid to rid the school of the gang members and their bad behavior, the rival Cobra runs into our fearless leader, hoping he can help him hide some drugs (in the presence of cops of course...oh, this is one unshakable alibi) and when the guy refuses and the new Cobra leader is sent to jail, he promises to punish the dude severely. With the help of his minions, he plots to terrorize pretty much our hero, his friends, and his wimpy girlfriend. But, of course he won't go down without a fight, despite all the odds against him and the psychotic tendencies of his rivals. Of course, the tale ends just as swift and numbly as the rest of the film, making it one who's accolades by other IMDb reviews has puzzled me. Why, of so many in this genre, is this one to be remembered so fondly? I would guess the familiarity of its cast (especially Scott McGinnis and Deborah Foreman who are b-movie 80s regulars by this point).
A more suitable substitute for this film? 'Three O'Clock High.' I mean, if something as bad as '3:15' is going to make you laugh (unintentionally) anyways, then why not just go for straight up comedy with a better knack for storytelling?
With little feeling and little suspense, '3:15' offers the cookie cutter story of a young high school student (Adam Baldwin) who, although credited as a dangerous gang leader, suddenly drops the gang when one his fellow Cobras kills a young guy during a parking lot rumble. His sudden decision to ditch the gang not only contradicts his reputation, but is left unexplained and more so unconvincing. The guy seeking to be the new leader to fill this power vacuum vows revenge on the traitor. When the dumb principal orders a police raid to rid the school of the gang members and their bad behavior, the rival Cobra runs into our fearless leader, hoping he can help him hide some drugs (in the presence of cops of course...oh, this is one unshakable alibi) and when the guy refuses and the new Cobra leader is sent to jail, he promises to punish the dude severely. With the help of his minions, he plots to terrorize pretty much our hero, his friends, and his wimpy girlfriend. But, of course he won't go down without a fight, despite all the odds against him and the psychotic tendencies of his rivals. Of course, the tale ends just as swift and numbly as the rest of the film, making it one who's accolades by other IMDb reviews has puzzled me. Why, of so many in this genre, is this one to be remembered so fondly? I would guess the familiarity of its cast (especially Scott McGinnis and Deborah Foreman who are b-movie 80s regulars by this point).
A more suitable substitute for this film? 'Three O'Clock High.' I mean, if something as bad as '3:15' is going to make you laugh (unintentionally) anyways, then why not just go for straight up comedy with a better knack for storytelling?