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.

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

'Renaissance Man' is a film about a teacher who is hired to teach literature to a group of rebellious army recruits. It is a film about the relationship that this teacher has with the students and the changes that all of them make. The teacher learns how to appreciate the army recruits and gets a sense of understanding from them; at the same time, they learn how to buckle down and actually enjoy reading and learning about Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. This is one of those feel-good films. I got really sick of watching this film as it was always on television and one of those films that my family tended to watch and rewatch at least a dozen times. This film has its share of laughter and succeeds in providing a feel-good story and a happy ending.

An unemployed advertising executive (Danny DeVito) in Detroit gets a job as a teacher to eight Army recruits (led by Mark Wahlberg, Stacey Dash and Kadeem Hardison) who have been branded as dumb and uneducated. Slowly, but surely DeVito starts to get through to his class and learns that most anyone can be taught. Average little comedy that has enough drama to make it feel a little more realistic than it really is. Gregory Hines shines as the group's drill sergeant and Cliff Robertson has a short cameo. Penny Marshall's direction is adequate but far from impressive. Runs too long and has too many side-stories to keep the audience's complete attention. Overall some good points, but not near enough to stand out among a countless number of similar productions. 2.5 out of 5 stars.