Der Prinzipal - Einer gegen alle

THE PRINCIPAL is one of those high school gang flicks that continues to run on TV with some regularity. It is the kind of B-action flick I will stop and watch every time it is broadcast. Jim Belushi is a new principal at a beleaguered, drug-riddled school. With the aid of janitor Lou Gossett, Belushi makes a bid to take back the school, and by the end of the flick, appears to have succeeded. Nasty, R-rated fighting and violence are sprinkled throughout, and the whole thing is engrossing even with Belushi's "Captain Kirk" beer gut often getting in the way. One incredible and truly exhilarating sequence has Belushi riding his chopper into the school in pursuit of a thug about to rape the delectable Rae Dawn Chong. Another terrific sequence has Belushi trapping some thugs in the school library, eventually sending one of them sailing through a second story window to the school grounds below. The big finale, set in a darkened locker room, is suspenseful and not your ordinary finish. It would appear this cheese lovers' delight influenced the one and only THE SUBSTITUTE, which came out about five years later. It will help if you are a Belushi fan to truly enjoy THE PRINCIPAL. I happen to be a Belushi fan from way back. By the way, I don't disagree with those who say Gossett might have been equally effective in the lead.

I first saw The Principal as a young boy. It made quite an impression on me, and now as an adult, I can't help but revisit it every now and then. Despite having lost some of its shock value over time, the movie has retained its suspense. The style is unmistakably Eighties (I think in an endearing way) and James Belushi's charisma and drama chops carry the story- which occasionally gets silly (also endearingly). The plot is delivered in a compelling way, and evenly divides it focus between character development and the central conflict. By today's standards, the exaggeration and melodrama would probably lead most to dismiss The Principal as stupid. Although I partially appreciate it in the way it was intended, a lot of what makes the movie entertaining is how easily it can be laughed at.

One of the things I like to ponder is what modern stars would fill the shoes of actors of the past or parts they played. For instance, if they did a remake of Bonanza, John Goodman would fill Dan Blockers shoes pretty well as Hoss, & I think Michael J Fox may be a passable Little Joe. Also of course, Cheryl Ladd did well as Grace Kelly. Some stars have been so one of a kind though that one would be hard pressed to imagine who would be up to the task. John Wayne is one such figure. While James Belushi may not quite have the physical stature of the Duke, his performance in The Principal comes the closest in my impression to reminding me of the "cut the crap" individualism of the screen legend. Public schools could probably learn a lot from this feature.

Of the many comedians of early Saturday Night Live who have gone on to movies, Belushi appears to be the one who has most successfully transcended the comedian stereotype. While Bill Murrey may do well as a comic role being serious, the few pictures I've seen James Belushi in suggest that he's more like a serious actor who's also funny.

Good feature for those of us who are tired of irresponsible youth getting a free pass.

'The Principal' is one of those films where Belushi could have been nominated for Best Actor, and Louis Gossett Jr. for Best Supporting Actor...

The film has some great scenes, a good story and character development, and a decent soundtrack...

The film is pretty hard-edged, though has elements of comedy...overall - an under-rated film (ones which I love to review) worth seeing...

[7/10]

James Belushi stars as a teacher with a short fuse who gets to become the principal of the roughest high school in the city. He turns out to be just what the doctor ordered and just what the students and employees needed. "The Principal" is a very violent film that could be best described as "Lean on Me" or "Stand and Deliver" gone stark-raving mad. Belushi is solid here and so is high school security guard Louis Gossett, Jr. in a supporting role. 4 stars out of 5.