I didn't like this movie when it was called "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit", "Renaissance Man", "Lean on Me" or "The Principal", but I enjoyed it tremendously when it was called "Stand and Deliver". What am I talking about? Just the fact that each of these movies, along with "Dangerous Minds" tells pretty much the same story. You know, a group of misfits that has been written off as dumb gets whipped into academic shape by a strong-willed, resourceful teacher or principal. To say that it has been done before is an understatement.
Recently divorced LouAnne Johnson (Michelle Pfeiffer) is so happy to find employment as a teacher that she doesn't mind taking over the class filled with rowdy, tough, unresponsive students. She doesn't mind because she doesn't know what she has gotten herself into until the first day of class. This ex- marine walks out of her class only a short while after it begins because she can't handle the abuse or the kids. But teaching is what she loves so she become determined to turn the class around. First offering them bribes such as candy bars and trips to fancy restaurants, she is able to coax them into an education. Later they do it out of respect for her and love for learning.
The fact that "Dangerous Minds" is based on a true story, as were "Lean on Me" and "Stand and Deliver", is not good enough reason to return to this particular well one more time. Pfeiffer does a fine job, but not even she can breathe new life into this threadbare premise.