The Substitute

On a Friday, some weeks ago: the so-called television highlight for this evening was the "The Substitute", a film that got nothing but bad reviews by the TV guides. Nevertheless I decided to watch this flick - and after all it was really better than I had expected, because this movie contains enough action and suspense to keep you awake! The story is quite far-fetched but interesting in any case and actors like Tom Berenger, Diane Venora or Ernie Hudson do a solid job. Not as demanding as the brilliant "One Eight Seven" starring Samuel L. Jackson but definitely good entertainment!

6/10

These no-nonsense action films that try to convey some social statements have a soft spot in my books and therefore I sometimes rate these movies higher than they actually deserve. The Substitute is a late bloomer in this department since it actually received a theatrical release and did fairly well. Nowadays films like these go directly to video or television and the ambition that was invested in these films is today nonexistent.

The terribly underrated Tom Berenger plays a mercenary whose girlfriend is a teacher at a lower class high school. When she's attacked by a thug Berenger creates his own resumé and teacher credentials and assumes her position at the school and becomes the substitute teacher. Once there he discovers the school is run by a corrupt drug dealing principal who's using some students there to help him run his operation. Naturally Berenger, along with some of his mercenary friends, take action and attempt to stop this operation which culminates in a massive shoot out on school grounds.

While this is an action movie at heart, it also tries to relate some well meaning messages about today's youth. The way lower class kids are living, which is dangerously on the edge, their way of thinking and looking at the world around them. In a particularly nice scene, one character doesn't admit to being ashamed of how her life is but when asked if she wanted her child to replicate her life, well, that's another matter indeed. That one scene explains a lot and it's moments like these that actually make The Substitute a little bit more interesting than many other films of similar nature.

But the film doesn't go too far into social matters and quickly gets down and dirty with the action, which is well served and the film never slows down too much. All the cast are willing and able to entertain, some real quality actors here and they all fare well.

The Substitute in many ways represents a dying breed of movie-making and it will probably give movie fanatics a feeling of nostalgia in years to come.

Maybe, maybe not. But as far as the action flick genre is concerned this might just rank up there as at least one of the best. Sorry FT. Berenger gives the performance of his life here as a mercenary who goes undercover as a teacher at a school run by drug dealing thugs. Additional kudos go to Ernie Hudson who gives a riveting performance as the high school principal on the brink. Even J Lo's present squeeze Marc Anthony gets into the act as the surly gang leading nemisis to Berenger's good guy portrayal. Director Robert Mandel of School Ties fame does a phenomenal job tying up all the loose ends presented throughout Roy Frumkes and Rocco Simonelli's brilliant screenplay and treating the viewer to a climax that is both intensely shocking as well as entertaining. The beach scene where Berenger's girlfriend played by the lovely Diane Verona a perfect example of why this movie is a real standout. Verona is first seen jogging along the beach while the viewer is treated to the soundtrack's Mongo Jerry's "In the Summertime". Then out of the blue, in broad daylight, in front of dozen's of onlookers, a thug runs up and whacks her knee with a lead pipe ala Nancy Kerigan's Olympic ordeal. Tom Berenger then comes (out of the blue) to her aid and carries her off to the hospital. My only complaint was that were not more scenes in the movie like this one.

Tom Berenger stars as Shale, a professional mercenary suddenly out of a job. When he returns home to his girlfriend Jane (Diane Venora), a teacher, he's in time to witness her getting her legs broken by a thug who represents a gang. So Shale sets himself up as "Smith", the substitute teacher for Janes' class. He therefore divides his time between trying to pass himself off as a teacher, and combatting the schools' overwhelming drug problem.

As others have said, this movie was never meant to come off as "high art". It's just straightforward action entertainment. And it serves its purpose well, offering plenty of violence - gunshots, explosions, etc. The protagonists are generally worth rooting for, and the villains are all despicable scum who can't die soon enough. Yes, this is very much formula filmmaking, but it works, thanks to efficient direction by Robert Mandel, decent action sequences, and a pretty good cast for this kind of exploitation fodder.

Berenger is engaging in the lead, receiving strong support from the appealing and under-rated Venora, and Ernie Hudson, the latter cast as the principal of the school. Raymond Cruz, Luis Guzman, Richard Brooks, and William Forsythe play the various members of Shales' team of mercs, and singer Marc Anthony and Rodney A. Grant are among the assorted bad guys. Glenn Plummer plays a teacher, Shar-Ron Corley and Maria Celedonio two of the students in Janes' class. Cliff De Young (with whom Mandel previously worked on "Independence Day" (1983) and "F/X") has one of his typically weaselly roles as a lawyer whose farts are a running gag.

All in all, good fun. The writers (Roy Frumkes, Rocco Simonelli, and Alan Ormsby) know that you don't have to reinvent the wheel to show an audience a good time, and "The Substitute" entertains sufficiently even as it runs close to two hours long. It does have a sense of humour, which helps: the scene where Shale throws punk after punk out a second story window is priceless.

Followed by three direct-to-home-video sequels, each starring Treat Williams.

Seven out of 10.

Here's one of those immensely satisfying albeit somewhat unlikely flicks in which the scumbags really get their just deserts. Think Dangerous Minds crossed with Death Wish and you'll have a pretty good gist of things here.

The ever excellent Tom Berenger stars as a tough as nails mercenary who seeks retribution after his teacher girlfriend is viciously assaulted on the orders of a high school gang calling themselves the Kings Of Destruction. And what better way for our hero to get up close and personal with his quarry than to take the now vacant teaching position his girl friend has left at school and to pose as a substitute. In this assumed role our man quickly weeds out the problem students with some no nonsense discipline which will be sure to raise a smile on most viewers faces. Matters turn out to be a bit more complex however when it is revealed that the school principle is not quite such a genial chap as he at first appears.....in fact far from it as he is orchestrating the gang within his school and trafficking drugs via them. Subsequently our hero enlists the aid of his mercenary buddies to lend a hand and all merry hell subsequently breaks out including in one hilarious scene, one of our boys firing off a rocket launcher down a school corridor(!!!!!) Yes, whilst realism this may be woefully lacking, in fun it more than makes up for!

Go on, treat yourself to this wonderful slice of carefree and highly satisfying escapism - you know you want to.