Um Diretor Contra Todos

In order to like this film I think one has to like James Belushi. SInce I do, I found this film entertaining and exciting. Belushi takes a job as a principal at a tough inner city high school where he must contend with many problems there. Louis Gossett Jr. also turns in a strong performance as the custodian who befriends Belushi.

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 school teacher Rick Latimer (James Belushi) is drinking with friends in a bar when he sees his former wife dating her lawyer responsible for their divorce. Rick smashes up the car of the lawyer, is arrested and the school board sends him to the notorious Brandel High School as an alternative to be fired. Without any other option, Rick moves and finds a school dominated by gangs with students rejected from other schools. He joins the students and tells no more for that situation. The chief of the security Jake Phillips (Louis Gossett Jr.) believes Rick is crazy but soon he supports the principal attitudes. But the drug lord Victor Duncan (Michael Wright) is not happy with the new principal and promises to kill him.

"The Principal" is that type of movie for fans of films like "To Sir with Love", "Class of 1984" and "Dangerous Minds", where a teacher faces difficulties in a problematic high-school with the students dominated by gangs. James Belushi performs one of his best roles as Rick Latimer, a school teacher that has destroyed all opportunities in life and now has no other option but stay at the notorious Brandel High School. Louis Gossett Jr. is also excellent as the chief of the security guards in the dangerous high-school. The plot might be unrealistic in the present violent days but in the 80´s it would be credible. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Um Diretor Contra Todos" ("A Principal against Everybody")

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.