Renaissance Man (Army Intelligence) (By the Book) poster & wallpaper
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Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines, James Remar, Cliff Robertson, Lillo Brancato Jr. ... see more see more... , Stacey Dash , Kadeem Hardison , Richard T. Jones , Khalil Kain , Peter Simmons , Ed Begley Jr , Ann Cusack , Tony Danza , R.M. Haley , Randy Hall , Isabella Hofmann , Jenifer Lewis , Jim Ochs , Gregory Sporleder , Nat Mauldin , Paul Abbott , Paula Herold , Alanna Ubach , Gary DeWitt Marshall , Mark Wahlberg , Ben Wright

Penny Marshall's feel-good comedy, invoking parts of Dead Poet's Society, Sister Act, and Private Benjamin, features Danny DeVito as Bill Rago, a divorced advertising man who is fired from his job. Du... read more read more...ring an appointment at the unemployment office, a counselor finds him a job as a civilian instructor at the local Army base. At the base, he is assigned a group of eight army hardcases. Rago is supposed to increase this group's "basic comprehension." Sweating it out and unable to interest his students in anything, he finally latches onto Shakespeare. He turns the lecture into a master class on Hamlet with the students converting the Shakespeare tragedy into a rap musical. Looking askance at all this is drill sergeant Cass (Gregory Hines), who feels that the whole class is a waste of time. Finally winning the respect of his students, Rago now has to win the hearts and minds of the contemptuous Cass and his staff. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Flixster Users

54% liked it

29,865 ratings

Critics

17% liked it

18 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 9 min.

Directed by: Penny Marshall

Release Date: June 3, 1994

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DVD Release Date: July 1, 2003

Stats: 614 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (614)

  • fb100002359227440
    February 10, 2012
    fb100002359227440
    Penny Marshall's Renaissance Man almost could be a really good film. Unfortunately, the script is so repeated.
  • stormyweather980
    September 10, 2009
    stormyweather980
    I can't believe that only 10 people have wrote a review for "Renaissance Man." I thought it was a lot more popular than that and I know that it deserves all the praise and popularity that it can get! Bill Rago (Danny DeVito) takes a job as a teacher in the Army even though he doe... read moresn't have any teaching experience and doesn't really want the job. Yeah I agree that that does sound a little far fetched, but not all movies have to tell a true story!
    Bill doesn't exactly know what to teach about, so he just teaches the 'students' about something he really likes, the book, Hamlet. Will the army students enjoy learning about Hamlet or will they think it's boring? Will Bill Rago be a good teacher or a fluke? I recommend watching the movie to find out.

    I thought "Renaissance Man" was a great movie. Unlike what many people might think or might had heard about it previously, it's not really a full-fledged comedy movie. Danny DeVito is hilarious in the movie and the part that I'll remember the most from the whole movie is one of the funniest parts I've ever seen in any movie!! I couldn't quit laughing at the part where Danny DeVito got to the top of a tall place in the army, and he has to try and work his way down with a rope even though he's TERRIFIED of heights. "Renaissance Man" has a few other hilarious parts, but really when it all comes down to it, it's more of a drama movie and more of a feel-good movie than it is a comedy. Not that that's bad, but that's the only complaint I have whatsoever about the movie, it could've had a few more hilarious parts where more people would have given it rave reviews and remembered it the rest of their lives. However, it wasn't bad enough to take away any of my rating for it, so I still give it a 5.

    If you like great comedy/drama movies, I recommend getting "Renaissance Man." You'll laugh your head off and feel the drama at the same time. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. That's just BS...this was 8½ years ago that I first saw the part where Devito's trying to scale down a wall? Seems like yesterday!
  • fb619846742
    January 5, 2008
    fb619846742
    Enjoyable enough to check it out. Features a young Wahlberg, and Danny DeVito is very funny.
  • sanjurosamurai
    January 25, 2007
    sanjurosamurai
    pretty funny
  • superclerk25
    January 5, 2007
    superclerk25
    I remember seeing it when i was younger. It was funny.
  • skekcol
    May 18, 2010
    skekcol
    Another clever comedy that has been forgotten over time. It's like a light hearted Dead Poet's Society with a military twist.
  • RachelJezel
    October 3, 2009
    RachelJezel
    Pretty funny. Has some really inane moments, but it does remind you of why DeVito is considered so funny.
  • shelly2friendly2000
    August 31, 2008
    shelly2friendly2000
    Mark Wahlberg, Kadeem Hardison, Stacey Dash, Danny Devito were great in the class room. Learning about Shakespeare really turned my life around.
  • NobleKnight
    August 12, 2008
    NobleKnight
    One of my favorate movies that got me more involved with Shakespeare. Danny DeVito gives his performance to teach a class in the army of how they should look at surviving out of the Army world. Delightful, funny, and clever.
  • PhoenixHearted
    April 24, 2008
    PhoenixHearted
    the closest to basic and advance training i've ever seen.. it's suppose to be basic training but its not likely that could actually happen.

View All Renaissance Man (Army Intelligence) (By the Book) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Michael A. Smith
January 1, 2005
Michael A. Smith, Nolan's Pop Culture Review

Having taken basic training at Ft Jackson, SC this film had a lot of memories for me. Plus Penny Marshall autographed my "League of Their Own" poster for me after the premiere.

Fred Topel
July 14, 2003
Fred Topel, About.com

Okay "heartwarming" drama. Tries too hard, but mostly works.

Janet Maslin
August 30, 2004
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

April 12, 2002
Globe and Mail

Click to read the article Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Peter Stack
January 1, 2000
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

Click to read the article Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Click to read the article Full Review

June 3, 1994
Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Renaissance Man (Army Intelligence) (By the Book) Trivia

Renaissance Man (Army Intelligenc... Trivia

  • Which Mark Wahlberg movie features a group of military recruits doing a rap-style summary of Hamlet?  Answer »
  • What movie has Danny Devito teaching Hamlet to the Double D's?  Answer »
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