The Substitute 2: School's Out (1998) (TV)

Director:

Steven Pearl

Writers (WGA):

Roy Frumkes (characters) &
Rocco Simonelli (characters) ...

Release Date:

3 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Plot:

Professional mercenary Karl Thomasson arrives in Brooklyn to attend the funeral of his brother Randall...

Plot Keywords:

High School | Gang | Product Placement | Janitor | Brooklyn New York City

Cast

Treat Williams	...	Karl Thomasson
Edoardo Ballerini	...	Danny Bramson
Christopher Cousins	...	Randall Thomasson
Chuck Jeffreys	...	Willy
Susan May Pratt	...	Anya Thomasson
Michael Michele	...	Kara Lavelle
Owen Stadele	...	Joel
Larry Gilliard Jr.	...	Dontae
Camille Gaston	...	Keyshawn
Eugene Byrd	...	Mase
Angel David	...	Joey 6
B.D. Wong	...	Warren Drummond
Daryl Edwards	...	Johnny Bartee
Antonio David Lyons	...	Sodaboy (as Antonio Lyons)
Paul Lazar	...	Mack Weathers

Also Known As:

The Substitute II
The Substitute: Out of Siberia

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:18 | Germany:18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Dinamo Entertainment

Trivia:

What ties this movie to the previous one is the presence of Joey 6, and Thomasson's mentioning Shale when he meets Joey 6.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Drummond shoots Kara he uses a silenced, semi-automatic pistol. He fires three times. There is no recoil and the slide never cycles. If the slide remains stationary the spent casing can't eject, a new round can't be chambered, and the pistol can't fire more than once.

Quotes:

Joey 6: [Watching Randall's daughter enter a car] Smart money says the real action's in the car with the boyfriend.
Karl Thomasson: [Deadpan] I think the smart money should shut up.

Movie Connections:

Follows The Substitute (1996)

Soundtrack:

Lady Don't Tek No

Dumb but passable if you're in the mood

Ex-marine Randall Thomasson is a teacher in an inner city school in charge of the difficult class for violent or disaffected youth. When he sees a car jacking by the `brotherhood', a gang of criminals who wear hooded tops backwards. The end result is him being killed. His brother returns from his life as a mercenary to look after his daughter and to uncover who was responsible. He goes under cover as a teacher in his brother's old class and begins to stir things up.

The original wasn't that good or successful so why did they feel the need to repeat the formula again. However that's exactly what they do and if you've seen the first then there's no need to watch this film. The plot is exactly the same and full of the same weaknesses – all this killing around a school but no policemen at all? However it is OK in a brainless sort of way. The action is scaled down but there are a few good fights towards the end. Much of the action is `A-Team' style – witness Karl and Joey 6 in a school corridor with 6 men at either end firing automatic weapons and then explain to me how no one got hit at all! It's all pretty dumb but is passable for 90 minutes.

Treat Williams is not a great actor but can do OK. Here he isn't as convincing a mercenary as Berenger was (not bitter or tough enough) but he does a good job and his quiet cool style is fun to watch. Those who think there is no connection between this and the first film must have missed the inclusion of the character Joey 6 again, however here he is played well by Angel David. TV fans will be surprised by Michael Michelle (Cleo from ER) and a really different role for Wong (usually a mild mannered priest in Oz). The rest of the cast are all homeboys, gangbanger stereotypes who stand up to Karl but fail and are eventually won over yadayadayada! The main one of interest to me was a rare acting role for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal (Guru to you), many hiphop stars cross over to movies – my question is why he chose to do this?

The most interesting thing about the cast of the substitute films is the way they all seem to keep the cast of `Thing to do in Denver when you're dead' in work! Forsythe was in part 1, Williams is in parts 2 and 3 and in part 4 is joined by Bill Nunn. Not amazing I'll grant you but just weird to see them all getting involved!

Overall the cast are OK and the story is a straight lift with some name changes. The action is pretty thin but it has a dumb energy and is actually quite good if you're in an undemanding mood.