ThiefHott Too much of everything

Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

David Arnold I saw Renaissance Man a couple of days ago for the first time in years...I enjoyed it the first time I saw it back in '94, I enjoyed it the last time I watched it, and I enjoyed it again now. For me, this is a timeless comedy and no doubt I will still enjoy it 10 years from now.I usually find myself rolling my eyes when I read some reviews saying that this film isn't "realistic" or that the classes the Double D's attend wouldn't exist because there would be no spare time due to all their training. I guess these people missed the explanation on how the classes came to be not long into the film. I think people really need to get a grip. This isn't a Documentary...this is a fictional comedy (and an enjoyable one at that) and it should be enjoyed as that.Regardless of what certain people think of it, the story is actually quite a credible one...it's pretty well written, excellently acted out, and is definitely a feel-good story too. Is it a wee bit predictable? Yes, but then again who cares? A comedy doesn't have to have toilet humour, drunken idiots, or be full of 20-somethings playing annoying teenies to be enjoyable, and thankfully Renaissance Man doesn't have any of those.All of the cast do a great job, especially Danny DeVito as Bill Rago. Everything was done with convincing conviction, and he made Shakespeare interesting. Honestly, if I had an English teacher like Rago when I was at school, then I might have enjoyed Shakespeare a lot more than what I did. Gregory Sporleder was enjoyable as Pvt. Melvyn, Lillo Brancato done a decent job as Pvt. Benitez (especially with all of his Jake La Motta impressions), and I actually think this is one of the few films where Mark Wahlberg didn't come across as being as wooden as Pinocchio either. Round all of this off with some great songs for the soundtrack (especially the Double D rap and end credit tune) and you have yourself a very enjoyable film to watch.It's just a pity all comedies aren't as enjoyable as this.

NYCHarry A movie that's better than you might think from some descriptions. There are a lot of good people in this film, Penny Marshall directed, and it deserves a second look. In addition to the funny stuff, there is a strong theme of socio-economic class, opportunity, and the value of communication skills. Refreshingly for a comedy, the army is not treated like idiots and automatons, though the Hines part is more stereotyped than it needed to be. Still, there are lots of good things and seeing the "educator" (DeVito) learn a few things is engaging and more. A perfect movie for a day when you're home sick and want to watch something you've seen before.

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.

dy158 Bill Rago (Danny DeVito) works for an advertising firm. But when one day he had been fired from his job, his new job is somehow very unlikely from his past nature of work. Teaching army recruits.Soon he was being 'thrown' into a life so different from what he had known. Initially Bill had no idea how his class should ran, till one day his students was asking what he was reading.Thus it became the time where Bill was teaching 'Hamlet' to his students. They began to slowly warm up to the idea of learning one of Shakespeare's works and that even Bill drove all of them to go watch the play.All along the way, Bill did had some run-ins with his students' commander on the way how they should handle their (same) students. But in the end, one had to win his way out. And it's not what one may kind of expect whom to be.The moment Bill was teaching 'Hamlet' to his students, I sort of realised how the movie title came about. Imparting teaching methods which may deemed so different is not what everyone can accept, but to a bunch of unlikely people, it can be quite a challenge altogether.This is just one of those movies where one can enjoy in a no-frills manner.