本片改编自美国70年代备受欢迎的同名电视剧集。影片叙述了3名不良青少年，被警局组长说服协助办案，深入黑帮调查。但调查进行了一半时，组长却被暗杀，高层警官又被毒枭收买，让3个少年陷入进退两难的尴尬状况，他们该如何找出真正的凶手，同时又全身而退呢？

Three minor delinquints (Danes, Ribisi, and Epps) are recruited by a cop (Farina) working undercover to bust a cop/drug ring. When the officer who recruited them is killed, they go above and beyond the call of duty to solve the murder; and bust the drug ring. Suffering the jibes, and ridicule of fellow officers; they struggle to save their names, and that of their deceased benefactor.