The Substitute 4: Failure is Not an Option

"Weak"

The Substitute 4: Failure is Not an Option Review


Admittedly, I'm not up on all the nuances of the Substitute series, which began with Tom Berenger in 1996 as the mercenary-cum-schoolteacher and continues this day with The Substitute 4. Treat Williams took over the role in Substitute 2, and as he watches his career fall further and further into John Travolta/direct-to-video land, we can only snicker at his plight.

One of the more audacious plots I've seen, this sub's mission is to infiltrate a Neo-Nazi group at a military prep school and bust it up. It's not hard to find the Nazis -- they're the ones with bizarrely shaved heads and the swastika brands. But when they start shooting bazookas at the nosy substitute, well, that's when things get rough.

Equally audacious is the casting of vamp redhead model Angie Everhart as a military medical officer. I will say she looks good in uniform, though she's out of it as much as she has it on.

Naturally, The Substitute 4 is wholly ridiculous, and its silly tagline invites far too many obvious jokes at its expense. That said, it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be -- and at least it goes out on a limb and says that Nazism was a really bad thing. Kudos for that one.



Facts and Figures

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 2 / 5

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer:

Starring: as Karl Thomasson, as andJenny, as Brack, as Devlin, as Ted Teague, Simon Rhee as Lim, Scott Miles as Buckner, Brian Beegle as Frey, Samantha Thomas as Harmon, as Luther

Also starring: ,

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews