deemo31 The teacher who is attacked in New York find a yearbook with the number 187 written in it. This leads him to believe that his life is being threatened because penal code 187 is supposedly murder. The problem is, in New York, penal code 125 is murder. In California, where he moves, penal code 187 is murder. Using that code in New York is a serious factual error that detracts from the overall quality of the writing and research that goes into a credible movie.Aside from that,the movie is OK, but some of the acting is extremely weak. Even from Hurt and Jackson. The student gangstah parts are particularly weak and cliché. It's a disappointing attempt at an American version of To Sir With Love, and it doesn't quite make it.

Leonard Smalls: The Lone Biker of the Apocalypse In the world of 'teacher takes revenge' flicks, we have tons of flops. I think "187" is certainly not one of those flops. It is a film that has held up well since its release in 1997.Samuel L. Jackson turns in one of his good performances here. The setting is perfect: a hazy, smoggy east Los Angeles in the 90's. Films like "American Me" and "Falling Down" also captured that 'L.A. thing' well. "187" does that. It makes you feel like you are there.Some of it definitely plays like an after school special, but most of the plot here is gritty and believable...this is no "Class of 1984." Awesome soundtrack with lots of good Massive Attack too.7 out of 10, kids.

Arlis Fuson I have seen a lot of films similar to this from Stand and Deliver to Substitute to Dangerous Minds, but this one was pretty good and I liked it.A New York teacher is stabbed by a gang member because he failed him, so he relocates to L.A. and becomes a sub. There he finds its chocked full of gang members as well. He tries to make a difference, but sees that some of these kids are making it difficult so he becomes a vigilante and wipes out one and tortures others. The kids retaliate and although he helps some students, ultimately its questionable as to whether or not his methods were worth it.The production was pretty good and it was basic, yet it all seemed to somehow stand out from the rest. The acting was great Samuel L. Jackson was perfect for the role, he is one of the coolest actors ever, and it was nice to see him acting scared and being more human and realistic as opposed to being all Bad A**. I thought Method Man did good in his first film too.It's not a gang movie, its a drama about problems being faced in areas that have many gang members. It's always a nice topic to discuss and make people take notice of. A lot of the problems in these areas in and out of the classrooms have to do with the fact many of these kids cant get the educations they need and deserve.I recommend it it to anyone wanting a good drama..4 out of 10 stars..

elshikh4 At the end of 1960s the ideal teacher faced his students' disturbance by good understanding and sympathy, then at the 1990s became the only way for the ideal teacher to face his students' savagery is a more wild savagery. So it's not (To Sir With Love) anymore...It's (The Count of Monte Cristo) or (Psycho) ! (187) is the satirical movie in a form of a horror, or it's the case of our nightmare factual life already, or maybe it's one of the most melancholic "what if" movies ever. But anyway its highest point was that concept of (meet violence with violence) whereas the chaos will bring nothing but chaos, the blood which leads to more blood, and the ultimate havoc will be definitely for the both sides (The teacher and the student) as long as the previous side (the system) is absolute free at decision and insanity ! This is the message of this movie, its good premonition, and its discrete antecedence despite its own exaggerations and its too melodramatic ending.Actually (Kevin Reynolds) made solid, turbid, and dismal atmosphere out of this story by using a lot of elements to express such a dreadful experience. For instance you'll find so many red (blood) and blue (grief) all over the screen, or varies between sick yellow and gloomy black with a hot image in a sweat all the time like they're all (teacher and students) in one cell and no one will let the other live, but that desire was importunate to the extent that you may feel – especially with the drastic events and that Russian roulette's end ! – That the movie nearly sunk under it. Although I believe that not all the movies must be dreamy with happy ending but I believe also that the exaggeration of a message can powerfully destroy it, so I think the main problem here is that the well meaning statement became unintentionally overstatement.