The Substitute (1996)

Touches You

Sick Product of a Sick System

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

If you've seen "Death Wish", "The Principal", "Dangerous Minds", "187", etc., then you'll know what to expect, and will enjoy "The Substitute". "High School High" is also one example, but since that was mostly comedy, at least when Jon Lovitz was on-screen, that one doesn't really count. On the surface, this is formula, but what's interesting is that unlike the aforementioned movies, or any other similar movie, this one doesn't turn the students into achievers, and the teacher doesn't take anyone under his wing. It's basically a Stallone, or a Schwarzeneggar, or a Seagall movie disguised as a movie about a school in the city. Also, you don't immediately realize the principal is part of the gang activity. I enjoyed this movie not just because it's formula, but also because of some unexpected moments, too. I'll have to say though, that Berenger is no Stallone or Schwarzeneggar. I was expecting more from the character. And the scenes with just him and Diane Venra aren't all that interesting, because they don't have any purpose, other than to remind us she is recuperating, all because of one of her students.*** out of ****

While this movie isn't the greatest example of it's genre, it is a very fun film.I started out with fairly low expectations. But the story concept sounded good so I thought I would give it a try. A few actors were too stiff, and one was too much of a ham, the rest of the cast gave fairly to very solid performances.I know some viewers liked the idea of teachers finally getting back at the bad students. That was only a minor concern to me. What I liked was the military assault specialist that discovers that he has a taste for teaching. I also like the idea that everyone is trying to figure out whom he is working for when he is working for himself. I didn't like the way most of his team dies in the final engagement.On the whole, it was much better than I was expecting and I would recommend it for people who want an interesting action movie with some funny moments but don't want to have to think much while watching it.

The Substitute is a rare timeless gems that many people will ignore because the mainstream media wasn't ready to handle the shear scope of this film.Tom Berenger plays a mercenary who solves and avenges his girlfriend's broken knee by infiltrating her school as a substitute teacher. The twist is that because the principal has insinuated police ties, Tom has no choice but to reassemble his team of commandos and go on a killing rampage that would make Rambo blush. Where most people would simply call law enforcement, Berenger would kill them all. There are some pretty major plot holes and the justification for many of the action scenes is laughable but this movie works because it doesn't take itself seriously. There is no reason that this movie can't be enjoyed by everyone and anyone.

"FX" director Robert Mandel's urban crime thriller "The Substitute" fuses elements of "Blackboard Jungle" with "The Equalizer." In "Blackboard Jungle," a teacher (Glenn Ford) tangled with savage, inner-city youth. In the CBS-TV thriller series "The Equalizer," an urban security expert allowed his clients to resume life without fear from assailants.Tom Berenger stars as a covert operations specialist on holiday who finds himself back into the classroom to rumble with a drug czar and his killers. The action is as fast and as furious as one of the submachine guns fired in this larger-than-life, but exciting exercise in educational reform. Mandel and "Street Trash" scenarist Roy Frumkes, "Substitute 2" scribe Rocco Simonelli, and "Cat People" writer Alan Ormsby have created an entertaining, suspenseful, sometimes amusing, melodrama with a minor surprise or two. "Ghost Busters" star Ernie Hudson registers splendidly as a corrupt high school principal who abuses his authority by allowing sales of narcotics on his premises.An earnest, forthright teacher Jane Hetzko (Diane Venora of "True Crime") confronts high-ranking gang-banger Juan Lacas (Marc Anthony of "Hackers") during a campus brawl, and he doesn't like the way that she talks to him so he threatens her. Later, as Jane is jogging by herself along the beach, a thuggish Seminole confronts her and cracks one of her knee caps with a bat. Jane's off-again, on-again boyfriend Jonathan Shale (Tom Berenger of the "Sniper" movies)tangles briefly with the brute before the brute escapes. Jane lands in the hospital and Shale takes care of her. Shale calls for Jane's usual substitute, but the man isn't available. Instead, Shale gets one of his mercenary buddies, Rem (Luis Guzmán of "Anger Management"), to put him into the school's computer system as James Smith with three diplomas from prestigious Ivy League universities. Shale has the time to devote to Jane's problem, because his men and he have completed a mission that attracted too much international attention and he has to cool it for a while. Meantime, he keeps his surviving commandos in line and out of harm's way. A job to guard drug shipments comes up, but once our virtuous hero learns that he would be killing to ensure the safe passage of narcotics, he turns the job down cold and reprimands his comrade, Joey 6 (Raymond Cruz of "The Rock") for setting up the interview.Instead, Shale masquerades as a substitute school teacher when he cannot get an actual substitute for Jane. He assembles his team and tells them that where drugs are concerned, money can be found in large quantities. This serves as their inducement to mobilize their special skills. Along the way, another caring teacher, Mr. Darrell Sherman (Glenn Plummer of "Saw 2") gets in the way of the villains, particularly Claude Rolle (Ernie Hudson of "Ghost Busters") and pays the ultimate price. The heroes and the villains turn the high school into a battlefield. The villains have stashed a lifetime's worth of cocaine in the school's maintenance garage and Hollan (William Forsythe of "Once Upon A Time in America") rigs it up with explosives so when the bad guys go to retrieve it, they are blown up. Not all of the good guys survive this bullet-riddled shoot'em up. "The Substitute" ranks as an above-average thriller.