"The New Kids" is about average for this kind of film: competently if not stylishly made, routinely written, reasonably rousing for its big finish, and full of characters whom you can either like or loathe. And the sides are pretty well delineated: there are the good guys and there are the bad guys. And the bad guys do their able best to show you how much they deserve to die. Director Sean S. Cunningham, who despite efforts like this will always be best known as the original "Friday the 13th" guy, does a decent job, working from a script by future director Stephen Gyllenhaal (who also happens to be the father of Jake and Maggie G.). This is mostly a showcase for the younger crowd, with most of the adult cast relegated to minor roles. Certainly there is some capable production design present here, as well as a good music score by the always reliable Lalo Schifrin.

Lori Loughlin ('Full House') and Shannon Presby (making his only feature film appearance here) play Abby and Loren MacWilliams, two nice, ordinary teens who end up living with their uncle Charlie (Eddie Jones, 'Lois & Clark') and Aunt Fay (Lucy Martin, "Cops and Robbers") in Florida. They become the targets of degenerate prick Eddie Dutra (James Spader, 'The Blacklist') and his gang of repulsive redneck flunkies. Things escalate until a bloody showdown at the amusement park that uncle Charlie operates.

Cunningham does work with a pretty good cast here, also including Eric Stoltz as nice guy Mark, John Philbin ("The Return of the Living Dead"),the great (and too briefly seen) Tom Atkins ("Night of the Creeps") as Abby and Lorens' dad, Brad Sullivan ("The Untouchables") as Colonel Jenkins, and John D. LeMay, future star of the 'Friday the 13th' TV series, in a bit part. Loughlin and Presby do make their characters likable enough that you root for them, and Spader, Philbin and others are just so disagreeable that one just can't wait for them to get their comeuppance. Jones is engaging as a man who's a bit of a dreamer. There is a degree of 1980s style cheese to these proceedings (we get to hear the ditty "Stand Up" three times before this is over),but it's all pretty absorbing up to and including that climax. The final death is fitting and effective.

If you're an animal lover, though, you may be taken aback by the actions of Dutra & gang.

Seven out of 10.

Military brats Abby McWilliams (Lori Loughlin) and her brother Loren (Shannon Presby) have to move in with their aunt and uncle after their hero dad is killed with their mom in a car crash. Their relatives are reopening a rundown amusement park in Glenby, Florida. Abby gets hounded by the crude Gideon Walters. There is nice guy Mark (Eric Stoltz). Then local thug leader platinum blonde Eddie Dutra (James Spader) comes sniffing around. Soon it escalates with Dutra, Walters and the rest of the gang vandalizing the park and terrorizing the siblings. The group is a bunch of dogfighting rednecks dealing with drugs.

Shannon Presby doesn't have the star power to lead as he's overpowered by Lori Loughlin. James Spader is pretty good as the bad guy although his blonde hair is so crazy. He's playing a different thug than the rest of the group. Eric Stoltz doesn't have much screen time. The story is really basic. I think if it's just Abby, the movie would be more powerful. She would be a girl alone against the thugs. In general, this is a bland movie with the exception of the final battle that includes a fight over a flaming gas nozzle.

Abby (an appealing portrayal by the insanely foxy Lori Loughlin) and her brother Loren (a solid and likeable performance by the handsome Shannon Presby) move to a small town in Florida to help their Uncle Charlie (nicely played by Eddie Jones) out with his amusement park after both of their parents are killed in an automobile accident. Complications ensue when Abby spurns the unwanted advances of dangerously unstable local white trash scumbag Eddie Dutra (James Spader in peak slimy and hateful form).

Director Sean S. Cunningham, working from a tight script by Stephen Gyllenhaal, relates the engrossing story at a snappy pace, presents a flavorsome evocation of the downhome rural setting, maintains a gritty take-no-prisoners tone throughout (yep, even a cute little bunny rabbit gets it),delivers several startling moments of raw, brutal, and ugly violence, generates a good deal of tension, and stages the rousing climax with considerable skill and brio. The members of Dutra's crew are a memorably vile and despicable bunch, with John Philbin as the skeevy Gideon rating as a particular revolting stand-out. Moreover, Eric Stoltz does well as the amiable Mark, Paige Price looks quite yummy as busty blonde babe Karen, and Tom Atkins has a regrettably small role as hard-nosed army officer 'Mac' MacWilliams. Steven Poster's sharp cinematography provides a pleasing polished look. Lalo Schifrin's shivery score hits the spine-tingling spot. A cool little flick.