The Substitute
Tags: violence, humor, comedy, murder, revenge

Plot synopsis:
Jonathan Shale (Berenger) is a mercenary and a Vietnam veteran who returns home to Miami after a botched covert operation in Cuba in which three men from his platoon were killed. He surprises his girlfriend, Jane Hetzko (Diane Venora) at her apartment and is warmly welcomed. On the outside, Jane is a schoolteacher at inner-city Columbus High School, an institution with a considerable gang problem. She is particularly disliked by Juan Lacas (Anthony), leader of the KOD ("Kings of Destruction") gang. While jogging one morning, Jane is attacked and has her leg broken. Jane and Shale believe this to be related to the KOD, which prompts the latter to go undercover as an Ivy League-educated, government-affiliated substitute teacher for his girlfriend's class.
Shale arrives at Columbus High School and is, at first, taken back by the lowly conditions. He is unable to control his class of poorly-educated students on the first day, but decides to use his street-smarts and military tactics to gain the upper hand. Soon enough, he is able to take command of the students by displaying his combat self-defence techniques when students attack him. He is warned not to use such methods by Principal Claude Rolle (Hudson), but gains the respect of his students when he bonds with them over the similarities between his early gang and Vietnam War experiences and their involvement in petty crime and street gangs. During this time, he befriends fellow schoolteacher Darrell Sherman (Plummer) and also crosses paths with Lacas, one of his students.
Suspicious of odd conditions within the high school, Shale sets up surveillance cameras throughout the building. He discovers that Lacas orchestrated the attack on Jane. He also discovers that Lacas is secretly working with Rolle to distribute cocaine around Miami for a major narcotics ring. Shale and his team raid a drug deal, using the stolen money to buy music and sports equipment in the form of a "school donation." While Sherman initially denies Shale's discovery, Sherman and a female student inadvertently witness the drugs being loaded into one of the school buses later that day. Sherman tells the student to warn Shale and Hetzko, and sacrifices himself by creating a distraction.
Rolle, who at this point is aware of Shale's interference orders a "car accident" for Shale, and sends Lacas after Hetzko. With the help of another student, Lacas is killed and Shale saves Hetzko, learning the full story from the female witness. Shale and his team garrison the school grounds to enter combat against the remaining K.O.D. members, a rival mercenary company led by Janus, and Rolle himself. Ultimately, Shale and Joey Six end up as the sole survivors of the battle, walking away from the school grounds discussing future operations as substitute teachers.

Review: But as a B-movie where the teachers get revenge, the bad guy dope-peddling punks and principal get their due, it is a virtual "The Patriot" for the high school system.
You can't help but smile and root and rejoice when punk after punk gets thrown out the upper floor window by Beringer while the principal relaxes in his office, assuming the punks will prevail.Beringer plays a mercenary who becomes the substitute when the real teacher is injured by the punks.
This is one of those action films that will entertain you as long as you don't try to apply logic to it or take it seriously.The story has a professional mercenary (Berenger) and his army pals looking for work after they are cut loose from active duty following a botched mission in Cuba.
After Berenger's girlfriend is attacked by a ruthless street gang (led by Latin heart-throb Marc Anthony, no less) he and his pals end up trying to weed them out of the high school where she teaches.
Berenger poses as her substitute teacher, and once he gets an inside look at the problems at the school, he realizes there may be more than just a gang of punks causing the trouble.
It's up to Berenger and his merc pals to try and rid the school of its criminal element, and make things safer for the kids.You cannot deny the good intentions of the plot, even if it is a bit preposterous.
There are plenty of shoot-outs and explosions to get the viewer's blood pumping, and it's nice to see someone make a stand in a tough environment like an inner-city high school.This movie has spawned a few sequels which I won't comment on since I have only seen one of them, and they have no connection to the original.Overall, this film is definitely worth watching if you are into action and revenge type themes.
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.
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.
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.
After a failed mission in Cuba with three casualties, the mercenary Jonathan Shale (Tom Berenger) and his team composed by Joey Six (Raymond Cruz), Rem (Luis Guzmán), Wellman (Richard Brooks) and Hollan (William Forsythe) return to Miami.
Meanwhile, the history teacher at the Columbus High School Jane Hetzko (Diane Venora) is threatened by the gangster Juan Lacas (Marc Anthony), who is the leader of the dangerous street gang Kings of Destruction.
Shale summons his crew and decide to clean the school and eliminate the gangsters."The Substitute" is one of those action movies in the style of "Rambo" or "Death Wish" franchises that are brainless but in the same time highly attractive.
The cast has Tom Berenger still in good shape in the role of the hero and many great villains.
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.
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.
Tom Berenger's fine performance in "The Substitute" makes the movie worth watching.
****SPOILERS**** "The Substitute" starts off like a solid inner city drama about violence in a high school in Miami with teacher Jane Hetzko, Diane Venora, after being threatened by one of the schools violent thugs Juan Laucas, Marc Anthony, goes to the schools principal Claude Rolle, Ernie Hudson, for help.
Jane's boyfriend Shale, Tom Berenger, who happened to be an unemployed mercenary looking for work got a job at the school, in fact the very same class, that Jane worked at as a substitute teacher after a friend of his working in the Miami record office falsified a background check for Shale as a licensed teacher.
The movie starts to take a turn when Shale/Mr.Smith notices that something just isn't right about the school with students driving around with $50,000.00 BMW's and wearing as much as $100,000.00 gold watches, including principal Rolle.
Implausible action drama that does have it's moments as Tom Berenger battles school thugs and drugs pushers.
With the drugs being distributed by Rolle's personal "Deans List" the gang that runs and terrorizes the school, Columbia High, the "Kings of Destruction" or K.O.D. Tom Berenger is quite good as the Soldier of Fortune, Shale, turned concerned citizen and high school teacher, Mr. Smith, who with the help of his mercenary friends cleans up the school and smashes the K.O.D gang and Glades drug mob in the process just for good measures.
Action-packed movie that looks more like a Steven Seagel or Burce Willis slam-bang action flick then a film about school violence like "Blackboard Jungle".
Unlike in most of these type of action movies with Seagal & Willis, especially Seagal, where the hero completely overpowers his opposition with very little or almost no damage to himself the hero in "the Substitute", Mr.Smith/Shale, takes a lot more then he dishes out from his opponents.
Shale/Smith is also very sweet with his girlfriend Jane and does show genuine concern for his students as well as his co-workers in the school so that even with the somewhat unbelievable plot Tom Berenger's acting does make you forget just how ridicules the movie really is.
Ernie Hudson as the corrupt school principal and former corrupt cop Rolle played it a little to much and it made you wonder how he's been getting away with his drug dealing operations.
He also uses the K.O.D to knock off anyone who's a threat to his drug operation in his high school like when he tried to knock off Shale/Mr.Smith, without success, without any fear of the local police.
The final shot-out in the school with Shale and his mercenary friends with the Glade mob & K.O.D gang was as good as anything that you would see in this type of movie.
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.
Even J Lo's present squeeze Marc Anthony gets into the act as the surly gang leading nemisis to Berenger's good guy portrayal.
The beach scene where Berenger's girlfriend played by the lovely Diane Verona a perfect example of why this movie is a real standout.
There are alot of different movies based upon school disruption, but the best ones I've seen thus far are The Substitute and 187.187 has a bit more meaning to it, but a little less action.
Tom Berenger has always made a believable tough guy (just look at Platoon) I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys action flicks.*** 1/2 out of *****.
Claude Rolle (Ernie Hudson) is the corrupt principal.This is another one from the genre of white teacher saves gang-ridden school.
Tom Berenger is known for playing tough guy roles as he's always good at it.
I suppose that's what kept me going: this movie was so bad it was funny.From a pure action standpoint, the scene where Tom Berenger confronts the punks in the library is telling.
What could be a very powerful drama in the same vein as Dangerous Minds fails due to the fact that Berenger is not threatening in the least bit and then the movie turns into a violent action flick?
The only worth while part of this film is the action packed ending even though it takes place in the halls of a school and isn't really given any logical explanation for happening.
With the way society is, this film has a strong message on how to deal with scumbag students who won't tow the line (yeah, call me Dirty Harry!) I love Ernie Hudson who plays a very unlikely principal, as well as Diane Venora and William Forsythe.In an age where action demands being either CGI or stylized choreography, the action here at least, kicks ass.
and 90 minutes later you know you're gonna be tired tomorrow, but that's okay because you got to see a cool movie?It's a pretty 'A-Team' sort of plot - a MERC becomes a substitute teacher to crack a drug-distribution ring (and there was some sort of personal vendetta too, involving an attack on his teacher girlfriend - but I missed the beginning).
In some ways, you'd WANT a guy like Shale - A.K.A. Smith (Tom Berenger) - to sub at your local high school if the school is THIS dangerous!
But the story goes like this -Shale's an ex-mercenary seeking out whoever it was who beat up his teacher-girlfriend (who BTW, looks MUCH too young for the craggy yet eternally handsome Berenger!
He finds her attacker, impresses the students with his 'don't mess with me' attitude, discovers a huge drug ring that the principal (Ernie Hudson) is running inside the school & calls for 'back-up' from his other ex-mercenary pals when this unbelievable action film is almost at its end.
Some of my disappointment might be down to how the story plays out , seeing as it`s about a former merc becoming a teacher in an inner city ghetto school in Miami I was expecting something along the lines of DANGEROUS MINDS , but this movie plays out totally different .
In many ways it`s like a revenge thriller produced by Cannon from the 1980s with some absolutely ridiculous plot twists and bizarre scenes which is unforgivable because THE SUBSTITUTE is a good film in parts , namely when Mr Smith talks about his experiences in `Nam .
The Substitute is every bit as good as Die Hard and Rambo, switching these backgrounds for a gritty school in LA.Berenger stars as Shale (isn't that a great name for an action hero?), a battle scarred mercenary who's still haunted by a number of casualties after a recent mission to Cuba.
He gets home to find his girlfriend (Diane Venora), a teacher, kneecapped, most likely a result of her resistance to drug kingpin/student Juan Lackas (Marc Anthony).Shale gets the remaining members of his mercenary team together for a crackdown on the corruption of not only the students, but the possibly sleazy Principal Claude Rolle (Ernie Husdon).
this movie was not bad.it's a little too dramatic for my tastes.there is some action,just not as much as i'd hoped for.i was bored for a lot of it.there's a lot of talking in this movie,but nothing memorable about that aspect.the concept has likely been done before.a new substitute takes over teaching duties usually in a classroom full of troubled teens/gang members,delinquents,etc.but this sub is no ordinary sub.he has skills.in fact he isn't actually a teacher.but he pretend to be.he has ulterior motives.usually,someone he knows has been either killed or seriously injured.so he poses as a teacher to find out the truth.he usually teaches the students,some of them anyway,respect for themselves and tries to get them on the right track in life.that's pretty much the plot line for the substitute,among other similar movies.if you like that kind of movie,and you don't mind a fair amount of dialogue,with a bit of action,you might like "The Substitute".i didn't like it all that much,so i'd have to give it a 5/10.
Tom Berenger stars as Shale, a mercenary who becomes the substitute teacher taking in for his girlfriend after she is temporarily crippled by the gangs that run the school, figuring out that the principal is in on it, Berenger and his crew of mercenaries (William Forsythe and Luiz Guzman among them) break up a drug ring while Berenger actually likes to teach.
Tom Berenger is a CIA agent living in Miami whose wife is beat up by a gang member so Berenger goes undercover a substitute teacher at a high school where many of the gang members go.
Shale is a substitute teacher at a school where the headmaster imports drugs.
Shale goes undercover as a substitute teacher in Jane's class and finds evidence that drugs are being sold within the school possibly with the support of someone inside the school.
The film does prove entertaining but only if you turn off your brain and get lost in it's macho world of marines and fighting!Berenger is a more believable marine than Treat Williams (parts 2-4) but not a better actor, so he is a bit too gruff and combat ready  he's OK but behind his eyes you can see a sadness that reveals his inner longing for Oliver stone to come and rescue him with another good role!
Forsythe is OK and begins the `Things to do in Denver When You're Dead' connection that continues in every film and Hudson is good (but predicable) as the first of the Oz connections (BD Wong is in the second!).Overall this is an average action movie that is a little uneven and has no real surprises.
THE SUBSTITUTE is the only Tom Berenger movie I own -- because it shows him playing a character that is fairly sympathetic and NOT merely a militaristic bully, as has been his earlier roles.
Tom Berenger stars as Shale, a mercenary who returns to his Miami home and discovers a local gang is harassing his girlfriend.
Their are some effective action scenes, especially the one at the end, and Ernie Hudson gives a solid performance as the Principle of the high school.
The Substitute tracks the exploits of a mercenary, Tom Berenger, who enters a Miami high school to find the students responsible for an attack on his girlfriend.
Ernie Hudson, as the principal of the high school, and Berenger place this film above similar fare..
Here, Tom BERENGER again, plays a vietnam veteran who this time shows his skills in high school, to prevent some gang kids from the drugs and so on.
A bit entertaining but that´s it, Maybe he should do movies like PLATOON or SNIPER, in which such mercenary-performances will come better to play.
Berenger is well-cast as a professional mercenary who travels to Miami to visit old girlfriend Venora, a beleaguered teacher at a gang-ridden, drug-infested high school where the students seem to run things and the teachers are just puppets.
Contrived, to say the least, the film delivers the usual messages about school violence and the evils of gang membership, but good action scenes and effective casting make it at least worth a look if you're in the mood.
Tom Berringer is believable as a mercenary who seeks to find out why his girlfriend is attacked by a high school gang by becoming a substitute teacher.
If you like gritty, real, down-to-earth action with high school kids who are more than cardboard characters, this is a movie you'll love.
KOD (not to be confused with "Youth of the Nation" band POD) is led by Juan Lacas (Anthony), so Shale, now teaming up with not just his merc buddies but also some teachers and a few of the better students, try to get to the bottom of all the criminality going on at that particular Miami high school.
Needless to say, this would never make it to the theater today.If you take all the "bad school" movies that have been with us for such a long time - everything from Blackboard Jungle (1955), to The Principal (1987), Class of 1984 (1982), Class of 1999 (1990), Dangerous Minds (1995), Detention (2003), and, of course Class of 1999 II: The Substitute (1994), not forgetting the parody of such films, High School High (1996), and amalgamate them, and add some "Mercenary Humor", you get The Substitute.
A really good team of character actors that are great fun to watch, its just a shame we don't more of them in action together.Most of the film is a huge stereotypical montage of standard scenarios you can see coming a mile away.
Tom Berenger plays the head of a mercenary team who return home from Cuba after a failed mission to find out that his girlfriend, a high school teacher has been injured during a high-school raucous.
"The Substitute" is an absolutely unrealistic drama--"To Sir With Love" meets "Mission: Impossible." On the other hand, it's a lot of fun to see gangs get beat up on their own turf and see a high school being reclaimed, the way you might wish it could happen in real life.Tom Berenger does a credible job as marine turned mercenary posing as a substitute teacher--subbing for a girlfriend he met in Nicaragua and who was kneecapped by gang members from her school.
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..
This film came out three years after Sniper, and it suffers from a serious identity crisis.The film wants to be every good-teacher-cleans-up-bad-school movie you've ever seen.
Then, at the end of the film, it basically turns into Rambo/Sniper but set inside of a school.It's quite entertaining to watch Berenger discipline an unruly class.