Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

elshikh4 Movies with story about one teacher/one messenger are so many. I think it got no certain time to flourish or to be a common fashion. As the cinematic and the TV movies have to deal with the matter of one-loyal-messenger-whom-sent-to-rectify- young-underachievers quite yearly, maybe because it's a forever catchy touching subject, maybe because education still an exploding case in the USA, or maybe for both reasons.In a school, a playground, or in the army, the story is all one. And the great thing about it is not that it works every time but that it has a messenger who's teaching and studying at the same time, to change and be changed also.Here..(DeVito) at his best, it's a nice polished atmosphere, tranquil rhythm, smooth photography, and great soundtrack that summarized the personality of the movie as a very simple sweet one. However it doesn't utilize a lot of what it brings up, or characters it presents.The drama wasn't hot whereas the alterations have been perfected so easily, for instance : (Gregory Sporleder) as Pvt. Melvin, a unique invalid character that beats his family problems and frustrations by sleeping, became suddenly one smart student at the end who understands Shakespeare brilliantly ! You'd find a misused character, and I mean for sure (Gregory Hines)'s. I didn't just grasp what was the need of his character Sergeant Cass ?!, simply he could be a part of the conflict as the one who, one way or another, hampers the mission of the hero, or maybe the one who represents the violent side of the military whom excessively may be unable to see the meaning of this mission in the first place. Actually the final result was that yet in so idiot way ! (Hines) was totally wasted in scenes where he looked so kind and supporting at the physical drills ! So when (Hines) listens to the Shakespearean monologue to turn into more soft person, more estimator for (DeVito)'s efforts you have to ask yourself what he was turning from basically ! And to tell you the truth according to all what we saw till this moment, (DeVito) was the one who needs to show more respect to (Hines), he was the wrong one with him not the other way around. Making that Sergeant that mild from the very start weakened it, along with the conflict, and made his alteration, if there is any, kind of naive.As for the dialogue I felt bad while the scene of the students read "why I joined the army" whereas they were all poets, and so eloquent. Or correctly speaking in the same eloquent poetic way ! I didn't like the whole scene of (DeVito)'s descending the wall. It wasn't to demonstrate how further that teacher may go to apologize to his students, but to have a scene which (Danny DeVito) the short fat guy hanging over a long sharp vertical board. It was absurd and fabricated...Speaking of which, how all the military forgot about honoring a formal hero of it (the father of the neat private) ?, to have that sentimental scene at the end with the fatherly teary eyes (Cliff Robertson) decorates the young man. In fact this is a rare time not to condemn the "System" in a one teacher/one messenger's movie ! I think that writer (Jim Burnstein) with director (Penny Marshall) wanted nothing but a fine dream out of so dark subject, to show it in plainly lovely way (more than discuss it openly and deeply) through that small world which's close to bonbon where Shakespeare solves everything !Despite all of that, it is optimistic movie that makes you love to watch it, to give you hope that Renaissance is not an impossible thing to achieve, and Hamlet can be a wonderful rap song after all. So it is simple and sweet before being weak at parts.

Spikeopath Renaissance Man is directed by Penny Marshall and stars Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, James Remar, Mark Wahlberg, Stacey Dash and Kadeem Hardison. Hans Zimmer scores the film and it's written by Jim Burnstein. The story sees DeVito as Bill Rago, a divorced advertising executive who loses his job and finds himself unemployed. Not only that, but the relationship with his daughter has started to feel the financial strain. However, the unemployment agency find him a short time position at U.S. Army training base, Fort McClane. The position entails him to teach basic comprehension to a class of academic under achievers. Initially he's not enthused by the job, nor are the class particularly responsive to his civilian status. But just maybe this odd coupling may turn out to be good for both parties? That is if Drill Sergeant Cass (Hines) lets them that is?A box office flop that was first marketed as a comedy, then as a drama {it's very much both}, Renaissance Man holds no surprises what so ever. The formula remains the same as every other piece featuring a teacher and an unruly/troubled/under educated class. So with that in mind, and considering the film has largely been kicked by the professional critics, I'm not here to sell this movie to anyone, because sometimes you have to acknowledge that a film can hit a spot of your own personal psyche, yet at the same time be a million miles away from someone else's.The choices we make dictate the life we leadFor me personally, Renaissance Man is one such film. It was one dark rainy night back in the mid 90s and I had the blues, I popped over to the video store to see what was available, I couldn't find anything that remotely sounded like something to lift me out of the stupor I was in. I then spied a copy of Renaissance Man, a film I hadn't heard anything about, and although I took that as a bad sign, Danny DeVito's beaming smile on the cover of the box lured me in. I was thinking how much I had enjoyed him in Twins at the back end of 1988, so to me it didn't seem such a bad gamble to take. I was expecting a comedy and I got one, but the bonus was that what I also got was a very uplifting dramatic tale about the human condition, people learning from each other, a tale that shows the power of artistry and how it can unite and lift people. A tale that shows that maybe some folk aren't as clever as others, but if they can grasp a straw and be all that they can be, then their heads will be well and truly held up high.Renaissance Man, I believe, is a sadly undervalued film on this, or any other film related site. But that's just me, because hey! We all got different psyche's right. Right? 8/10

Lee Eisenberg Halt thyself, thou knave. I shall tell thee of a film in which a great thespian of our time plays a man who teacheth a group of milit'ry people about one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Never have these men and wenches known such masterful work, but eager they are to learn.OK, I'll cut the Shakespearean talk. But the point is that "Renaissance Man" is a really cool movie, with Danny DeVito as a literature teacher who joins the army and teaches some of the recruits about Shakespeare. This was certainly one of the under-appreciated comedies of the 1990s (specifically, one showing that you don't need scatological humor to make a good comedy). At the very least, it should be interesting to see Mark Wahlberg in his film debut. But even beyond that, I would say that there's lots to admire here. I definitely recommend it.Also starring Kadeem Hardison and Cliff Robertson.

ydnewf Renaissance Man stands out in my memory as one of those very few movies that lingers throughout the years, inspirational as well as entertaining. I cannot understand why it wasn't a box office hit worldwide! Its message transcends cultures and times (although not entirely transcends literature, thanks to the Shakespeare link). Even there the message is strong - losers can win if they're given encouragement and a challenge. It's a timeless message, and it's true. Add to that Mr. de Vito's hidden talent as a reluctant yet innovative teacher who makes the grade differently, and you have - together with the classic theme of everyone being an individual,yet with an identical need for appreciation - a winning plot. But there's more. It's(looking back now) a star studded cast also! Mark Wahlberg made his debut in this movie, and if you look, today you'll see other notables as well, younger.This is a movie in which the author, director, casting director, cameraman, actors - oh heck, the entire crew - excel as a team. The whole is superbly a multiplication of its parts. It deserves to be watched every year or so, if only to be reminded of the empathetic message. I marvel at how the author came up with this story, which keeps showing more insight as it meanders through the experiment of a failed advertising man having to teach in the US Army just to keep alive. It's fun, encouraging and clever.The plot and its subplots are captivating, the actors convincing, and right at the end kindness and heroism win out - convincingly. I often recall an unforgettable line delivered by de Vito, and the context in which he says it: "The choices you make dictate the life you will lead." Upbeat, funny, touching and inspirational. Could Shakespeare have done better? I doubt it. Definitely a classic.