RENAISSANCE MAN
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1994 Michael John Legeros
Directed by Penny Marshall Written by Jim Burnstein Cast Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, James Remar, and Kadeem Hardison. MPAA Rating "PG-13" Running Time Approx. 125 minutes
==
"It's the sound of hell."
- DeVito's reaction to the noise of 4 AM PT.
This is the Army? Clean-talking, soft-spoken drill sergeants? Cadence calling to the tune of "Tiny Bubbles?" Has Disney transformed our nation's fighting force into a pack of PC professionals?
Or, in the case of RENAISSANCE MAN, not-so-professionals.
The eight recruits assigned to ad-man-turned-teacher Bill Rago (Devito) are bottom-of-the-barrel at best. They can't even think on their feet and won't complete basic training without some much-needed brain food. In comes Rago, a civilian instructor who discovers in his students a hankering for "Hamlet."
Think DEAD POETS SOCIETY-in-fatigues. Director Penny Marshall-- who specializes in these squishy, celluloid hugs--serves up sterile soldiers in a super-safe story with a happy happy ending for everyone. Suspense? At ease. Even DeVito gets a late-entry love-interest in this one. Puh-lease.
Sugar content notwithstanding, RENAISSANCE MAN *is* watchable. The humor is good and anyone with a military background can savor such succulent bits as DeVito getting directions from a base guard. Of course, *any* Army-as-a-way-of-life film is amusing when poking fun at the retentive rigidity of military command.
The film's characterizations are comfortably callow. Writer Jim Burnstein never fleshes out the role of Bill Rago. Nor is the diminutive director the best person for the part. (He never comes as alive as the role requires.) But DeVito's a lovable lout and he carries the film.
Rago's roster of students include TV actor Kadeem Hardison and rapper Marky Mark. They and the other recruits are all engaging, despite their cliched characterizations. Other strong supporters include Gregory Hines, James Remar, and, for two scenes, Cliff Robertson.
Running right at two-hours-plus-change, RENAISSANCE MAN is a long-sit. There are *some* rewards, such as the curious sight of DeVito rappelling from a training tower. The comedy is okay, but the feel-good drama doesn't wash with the subject matter. Come on, these are guys who are training to kill each other!
Then again, how can you trash a film that tries to bring "Hamlet" to the masses? To gripe or not to gripe, that is the question.
BOTTOM LINE: An appropriate Memorial Day delivery, RENAISSANCE MAN is
a squishy, everybody-learns-a-valuable-lesson comedy
about eight military misfits who learn to love
Shakespeare. Dismissed.
Grade: C+
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