Review of The Emperor's Club

If you liked...make that really liked...Dead Poet's Society, Mr. Holland's Opus, and Pay It Forward you will probably like The Emperor's Club. Don't expect to see your favorite action hero dressed as a warrior swinging a weapon above his head resembling a giant turkey leg carved out of a tree stump for the Emperor's Club once again takes us down the road of dedicated teacher. The film is another episode of this genre series but doesn't break new ground, doesn't de-throne Dead Poet's Society as THE classic dedicated student film or Mr. Holland's Opus as THE classic dedicated teacher film (wait, that should go to Goodbye Mr. Chips...sorry Mr. Holland), Pay It Forward as THE classic weeper teacher film or To Sir With Love as the classic social statement film. If Mr. Chips is a cinematic giant and Sister Act II a troll, The Emperor's Club is just a normal Joe. The film will do more for those unfamiliar with those earlier films (young audiences) and much less for star Kevin Kline's fans. Robin Williams was really a supporting character in Dead Poet's Society, disappearing for a big portion of that film (his fans expecting a comedic romp ala Good Morning Vietnam were left unsatisfied) and in The Emperor's Club Kevin Kline's personality pretty much disappears for half the film and if you are expecting A Fish Called Wanda or Dave this is the inner Kevin of Life As A House. The story is very predictable in its premise. Hollywood loves to make films about their community but when it comes time to make a film about a Teacher versus a disruptive influence it just has to be a senator's son, not a famous actor's son (or better yet, just another regular joe with no preconceived baggage...the idea here is that we are suppose to hate all politicians and therefore automatically hate the student's upbringing...zzzzz). There are little things like this that make it look as though it were written by a "little brain" (to steal Albert Brooks line.) The film also tells us that sometimes the Teacher is student and the student is Teacher...well duh, the film makers think this is news?! It's just not a very smart film, and for a film about higher education that's a bad thing. The film does have a heart and good intentions, and if you like this sort of stuff Kevin Kline does it pretty well. Compared to other films in this genre I give this film a "D" but I will revise the grade based on a curve of current films (in true American education style!) and raise the grade to a "C". A grade worthy of passing but never wanting to see again.