The Emperor’s Club is not very original, and there are few surprises. Mr. Hundert, played by Kevin Kline, is a teacher at an all boys private school. He is a beloved teacher who apparently has never had a kid act out before, because he is at a complete loss over what to do with young Mr. Bell, the arrogant new kid at school, who’s father is a powerful senator in Washington D.C. .
The main story is between the teacher and this little upstart of a student, and how the teacher will inspire and mold him, but the problem is it’s nothing new, it’s an old story that is tired and needs to go to bed.
The actors are good, and the direction is as well, you really start to hate that little twit Bell. But the story just isn’t fresh, and some of the sub-plots are very poorly developed. He has a love interest that never gets fully explained (she left her husband or something), he has a rival for the university presidency, but that rivalry comes out of no where.
If you liked Dead Poets Society, or Mr. Holland’s Opus, or Finding Forrester, and you liked to watch them all in a row, over and over again, then you will like this movie too, otherwise don’t bother.