The Substitute: Failure Is Not an Option (2001) (V)

Director:

Robert Radler

Writers:

Roy Frumkes (characters)
Dan Gurskis (writer)

Release Date:

24 April 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot:

An undercover policeman (Williams) must infiltrate a military school's faculty to cease the actions of white supremacists.

Plot Keywords:

Military Academy | White Supremacy | Martial Arts | Timebomb | Sequel

Cast

Treat Williams	...	Karl Thomasson
Angie Everhart	...	Jenny
Patrick Kilpatrick	...	Brack
Bill Nunn	...	Luther
Tim Abell	...	Devlin
Grayson Fricke	...	Ted Teague
Simon Rhee	...	Lim
Scott Miles	...	Buckner
Brian Beegle	...	Frey
Samantha Thomas	...	Harmon
John Michael Weatherly	...	Mauk (as Michael Weatherly)
Lori Beth Edgeman	...	Cunningham
Moe Michaels	...	Robson (as Mohamed T. El Emam)
J. Don Ferguson	...	Colonel Teague
K.C. Powe	...	Sissy

Also Known As:

The Substitute 4: Failure Is Not an Option (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexuality and some language.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | UK:15 | Australia:MA | Germany:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Movie Connections:

Follows The Substitute (1996)

Average fare

With the exception of "The Godfather," "Rocky," and "The Jolson Story," I can't think of any movies in the history of the art of film which have been worth watching with a "II" or a "2" after the title - much less the successors with even higher digits. (I'm aware "Jolson" didn't employ a number - but this principal applies to sequels without them as well.) "Godfather III," Rocky's IV and V," the "Batman" successors, sequels to earlier successes such as "Romancing the Stone" -- none lived-up to their originals, and most were basically awful,

The "Subsistute" series of dramas has gone farther than it probably should have, especially reaching the "4" level, but at least the settings and scenarios have had some variance.

Treat Williams is a good actor - he's portrayed both decent guys and horses' asses capably. But these flicks, when all is said and done, present the types of proceedings which Steven Seagel would deliver but for two things Williams has and he doesn't: classic good-looks, and acting ability.

Of all the scenes, the most amusing and redeeming was where the military institution is having a formal ball, with one of the duded-up officers and his lady waltzing like competitors at a dance contest in Vienna -- while the sociopathic Colonel heading the facility, and his hand-picked group of cadets in his nefarious racist cadre, slink out to engage in some KKK-type hi-jinks.

Just about every line of prejudiced dialog involving the evil Colonel (whose sole agenda seems to be what David Duke's would be in this position) while delivered in the most sinister and vile manner, seems more like something Belushi and his group on SNL, or the folks on MAD TV, might have dreamed-up and performed with their tongues virtually protruding from their cheeks.

Still, a "campy" piece of entertainment, purely average, on an afternoon if you have nothing pressing for a couple of hours. 5* on this basis, 1 additional for Williams' presence.