Colors (1988) review

Cocksure Danny McGavin (Sean Penn) of the Los Angeles Police Department gets partnered with much older Hodges (Robert Duvall) to attempt to deal with (and calm down) the gangs in their city - which include the Hispanics, the Bloods and the Crips, the latter led by Rocket (Don Cheadle) - when not arguing with each other.  I respect the effort made to make it feel "authentic," especially by casting actual drug dealers and criminals for "security" and as extras, and it at the very least ponders what leads young men into a life of crime (a lack of quality jobs is one reason), but it still feels distanced and impersonal, which Hopper tries to circumvent by having Danny have a relationship with waitress Louisa (María Conchita Alonso) that only seems superfluous.  As far as the soundtrack is concerned, I like Herbie Hancock a lot but this isn't his strongest material; the title song by Ice-T, however, has aged quite well.