Rating: 
Summary: The flip side of James Bond
Review: I've never missed a Bond movie. Till now. So glad I invested the time to see this movie instead.What the other reviewers here missed is the ultimate error that Hundert made that did not turn out to be the ultimate error in its effect. It is a bit unclear why he favors Sedgewick Bell, but he does and, about half- to two-thirds through the movie, does a disservice to another student. This is handled lightly but look for it. How we react to this tells us about us. It comes back to haunt him at the end. Does he resolve it? Gotta see the movie. But it is the ultimate ehtical conundrum in the movie, and suggests that maybe we the viewers got as distracted by a secondary story (Sedgewick Bell) just as did Mr. Hundert. This minor item is really more important.
Rating: 
Summary: What passes for profundity these days is vacuousness
Review: Sorry, from the reviews I read I thought that I was in for something special. Instead, what I saw in Kevin Klein's character was some sort of dour episcopalian male schoolmarm being charmed and somewhat led astray by a punk-[butt], cheating, 15 year old son of a senator. Said student was socially promoted out of the school and ultimately becomes a senatorial candidate running on the values he learned at good ole St. Benedicts. The good is that Kevin keeps said punk from becoming the equivalent of the school's valedictorian, but just barely. Bottom line: a depressing reaffirmation of the moral bankruptcy of our society in a pretty, but stoic New England school setting (St. Benedict's of course). Most of the characters were too flat (or maybe too young) to have anything profound to offer except for maybe the 6 year old senator-to-be's son when he accidentally discovers what he dad is really made of....Kevin's acting was great but did nothing to make a depressing story line less so.
Rating:
Summary: A Club Right for Everyone
Review: I came into the Theatre with the impression that this would be another "Dead Poet's Society". Although it started out to be the typical "teacher turns around children" picture, it was so much more. The twists in the plot were more based on reality. Very often, parents try to devote the most time to the child that screams for attention, while the quieter ones, we leave more to their own skills. It is, very often, that exposure to failure, that allows a child to know what it means to succeed. Success of a moral nature, is not quantified in our society, as the main measure of success that is imparted to our children is one based on money. This picture puts us straight.
Kevin Kline was masterful as the teacher who, while trying to teach his students, has his own moral dilemnas to work through. The other characters, as well, are convincing in their portrayal of the many shades of morality: with the ugliness, innocence, and attempts at a balance of how much of our morally deficient actions must be tolerated in the world.
This movie is a good lesson for our children, and it is a movie that rises above the many movies that are so hollow in doing what movies for our children are supposed to do: directing its viewers in the correct way to lead their lives.
Rating: 
Summary: How much do you know of Julius Caeser?
Review: I have to admit that I didn't know much about this movie before I saw it besides the obvious that it starred Kevin Kline. What I did know about "The Emperor's Club", about a teacher at an exclusive boarding school for boys, clearly reminded me of a different movie (The Dead Poet's Society). I wondered if this was going to be a replication of that great movie or something completely new. I was indeed relieved that my prior fears were misguided. Rather than being a replication this movie delivers a new experience of an exclusive boy's boarding school. Mr. Herdunt (played by Kevin Kline) is a history teacher at St. Benedict's School for Boys specializing in ancient civilizations. At the end of each school year a Mr. Julius Caeser contest is held which capsulates Mr. Herdunt's syllabus of ancient Greek and Roman history. Three of the top student performers are invited to compete in front of their parents and classmates. Values of honesty and intrigrity frequently confront Mr. Herdunt as he prepares his students as some are serious while another (Bell) is looking for an easy way out while constantly playing pranks and being distructive. I believe that the plot focusing on the classroom was strong and well developed but I was slightly perturbed by the lack of attention to the personal side of Mr. Herdunt. We are treated to glimpes of him with a colleague who turns out to be love interest and a failed attempt at a promotion but I was still left unfilled. As a result I viewed Kevin Kline's character as being one-dimensional. I failed to be captivated with "The Emperor's Club" and thus only give it four stars. However, don't let what I just declared to convince you to not see this movie. There still is much entertainment value included, I just simply stated how it could have been better.
Rating:
Summary: An engrossing tale, well acted by Kevin Kline
Review: The Emperor's Club was one of the best films about a teacher that I've seen. It was a refreshing and rewarding movie because the story kept my interest without ever slipping into Hollywood's normal excessive sentimentality or easy plot turns. Kevin Kline was perfectly cast as a history teacher at an exclusive boy's school (Mr. Hundert, not "Herdunt"), and his struggles with a difficult student (Bell) didn't always unfold the way I thought they would. Hundert faced various moral dilemmas during the story. The situations that led to those dilemmas and the teacher's decisions were both presented in realistic ways. Who knows how any of us would have have handled similar decisions? In fact, I saw the film with a teacher friend who remarked about the movie's accuracy, that indeed sometimes teachers must decide whether to grade a student higher than merited (to inspire) or give the appropriate grade and risk de-motivation. The best thing about The Emperor's Club was the gracefulness and subtlety in how the story was told, epitomized by its untidy yet still satisfying conclusion. It's a movie that will lead to active discussions between moviegoers after leaving the theater.
Rating:
Summary: A Man's True Worth
Review: The Emperor's Club is a movie of man's dedication to oneself, to his family and honour of teacher and school. A distinguished, privated boys boarding school revels in discipline and making sure that young boys turn into great men. One of the teachers, Mr. Herdunt was able to mold his young breed by lecturing them on the Ancient Civilization from Caeser to Socratos...
Revolving around this one teacher...and four students: the exchange student from India, the boy who is to live up to the expectations of his father (Martin), the good boy and lastly, the intolerant, underdisciplined boy. The latter boy, Belle, needs to be worked with and Herdunt is able to do that for him. Encouraging him and assuring him of his smartness he does work and does do well. Each year at this school, a competition is held to find out who can reign for the year as Mr. Julius Caeser. The competition is based on history of the ancient world. Like in a spelling bee, whomever is left over wins the crown of leaves and earns the title of Mr. Julius Caeser. Three of the four boys mentioned above are in the final competition.
25 years after graduation, where Herdunt proclaims he failed Belle as a teacher, there is a reunion. And a rematch of the Julius Caeser competition, with the same three boys.
I admit, this is not a movie I would have gone to if I had only seen a trailer. But, when you have a preview ticket, who would give it up? I assure you, you will not be disappointed. The commrodity of student/teacher and student/student is amazing. It makes you want to wish all schools were like this. A fabulous movie that will live your heart uplifted and a new, wonderful look toward teachers.
Rating:
Summary: A DIFFERENT SHADE ON THE TEACHER-STUDENT THEME
Review: For the first 15 minutes, I felt that the movie would walk that oft-tread road of teacher-student movies such as Holland's Opus, Finding Forrester, Dead Poets Society etc. But in the end, it takes on a different contour than what I would have imagined through its course, so that was a welcome denouement. The finishing twist is delivered with a flourish, and although I felt that the writer didn't quite have the guts to follow his story to its natural, cynical conclusion, the end was surely a bit unpredictable. The story line, admittedly, is on a diet. But the script is taut. What really shimmers though is the acting. Kevin Kline is, as always, in top form, he neither underplays nor overplays his professor role getting everything just right, from his quiet, guilt-ridden introspection to the light comedy that results from a frivolous baseball game. And as the counterpart protagonist Emile Hirsch displays the arrogant bravado one expects from a bad seed student rather well. All in all, I probably wouldn't see this movie more than once, but it's a worthwhile rental. Especially to watch with kids for some decent messages about morals, discipline, friendship, respect.
Rating: 
Summary: Reaches for greatness--and misses
Review: Finally, someone makes a movie like Dead Poet's Society! Well, no, not exactly. I'm a sucker for Kevin Kline, and it's hard to argue with his performance--or Emile Hirsch's--in this film. But the script screws the actors. This isn't a terrible movie--it's a pleasant enough way to pass a few hours--but the promise of the obvious comparisons to the Robin Williams hit makes it a disappointment. And just wait for the whammy that hits ten minutes from the end--a total repeat of the plot from the first half of the movie. The lesson, apparently, is that some folks never learn from their mistakes. Including Hollywood folk who tag good actors with a bad script...
Rating:
Summary: OLD SCHOOL VALUES...
Review: This is a gem of a film with a beautifully nuanced performance by Kevin Kline. When I saw this film in the video store, its descriptive blurb brought to mind films such as "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", "The Dead Poet's Society", and even "Mr. Holland's Opus". So, I thought it would be a pleasant, sentimental film. Well, it turns out that this film delivers much more than sentimentality, as its themes are far more complex. It is simply a wonderful film with stellar performances by the entire cast. Kevin Kline is superlative in the role of Mr. William Hundert, the assistant headmaster at St. Benedict's Academy, where he is also the history teacher, focusing on the ancient Greeks and Romans. St. Benedict's Academy is a tony, old world boarding school, steeped in tradition and proud of its high academic standards. Through the teaching of the classics, Mr. Hundert strives to instill in his motivated students old fashioned values, such as leadership, honor, integrity, and ethics. He himself tries to live his life by those values. This cloistered, comfortable world of his, however, is torn asunder, with the entry of a new student, Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch), the charismatic, troubled son of a U.S. Senator. Unmotivated and mischievous, he enters Mr. Hundert's life and ends up tearing it apart. Mr. Hundert sees that Sedgewick is innately intelligent, though an under-achiever. He also realizes that Sedgewick has some issues with his influential father that account for his poor attitude. Seeing that Sedgewick has natural leadership ability, Mr. Hundert decides to try to mold him for the common good. His earnest efforts in trying to put the morally bankrupt Sedgewick on the straight and narrow, however, end up compromising Mr. Hundert's own cherished values. It also gives him a rude awakening. Therein lies the tale. While much of what occurs in the film holds little surprise, it has some intriguing twists and turns that make it a morally complex and multi-faceted film. It is a film with a message that is particularly applicable in today's win-at-all-costs world, where situational ethics seems to be a by product of the prevailing dog-eat-dog standard. The film reminds the viewer that strength of character does not necessarily exempt one from falling prey to the new ethics promulgated by today's society. Nor are strength of character, goodness, and selfless leadership always rewarded. Sometimes it is passed over for the shallow, showy, and self-promoting. Life is, simply put, not always fair nor does the end always justify the means. The film is beautifully directed by Michael Hoffman, who displays a deft touch, avoiding mawkishness, and opting, instead, for a more realistic treatment. Kevin Kline is masterful as the highly principled schoolmaster who finds himself ethically compromised and makes a choice that will ripple twenty five years into the future. His portrayal of Mr. Hundert is that of an idealistic human being who is flawed, a man who, when beset by moral dilemmas, does not always make the right choices. Yet, he is a man who is able to come to terms with those choices as his motivations remain true to his ideals. Emile Hirsch is excellent as the troubled Sedgewick, giving the viewer a peak at the man he is eventually to become. Rob Morrow has a small role as James Ellerby, an ambitious colleague of Mr. Hundert's who has his eye on the prize. Mr. Morrow shines in this small, but important role, as it is a role that runs counterpoint to Kevin Kline's role. While all the loose ends are not firmly tied up at the end of this film, this was a wise choice, as life is not always tidy. This is a superb film well worth having in one's personal collection. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: An incredible film!
Review: When I first saw this movie in theaters in December of 2002, I went into it expecting a "Dead Poets Society" clone. Why? Because all of the advertisements basically stated this!
I think that the marketers of this film did it a great disservice. By advertising it as a clone of another film, it insulted its potential audience. Why do movie advertisers undermine the superb work of film makers by distorting what a movie is about?
With a bad movie, this is good. A good marketing campaign can squeeze out a lucrative opening weekend for a truly bad film. But for a superior film such as this, I believe it hurt not only its box office potential but its Oscar chances.
This film should have been an oscar contender. It was one of the finest films of 2002 and a better, more satisfying movie than "Dead Poets".
The only thing it had in common with Dead Poets"? They both took place at elite northeastern prep schools.
Besides that, they had nothing in common- not the time period (the majority of this film was set in the 1970's- whereas Poets was in the 1950's) not the main character (Kevin Kline's character was much more complex than Robin Williams') nor the theme( this film was far more realistic and less of a "feel good" film experience than Dead Poets)
A truly great film well worth watching- but definately a case book study for bad film marketing.
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