Here Comes the Boom

Rating:

Surprisingly ‘Here Comes the Boom‘ has a solid enough storyline to keep you entertained with laughs and tough fight scenes that will make you cringe. Slapstick humor really is what drives the film, but the combination of that with the fights gives it enough balance to make it fun. There are plenty of typical comedy movie skits and characters we’ve seen in other films, so there are some predictable situations, which doesn’t separate it from the rest. The thing that pushed me to like this movie besides the comedy was the overall message of the need for a community to work together to inspire our youth.

Biology high-school teacher, Scott Voss (Kevin James) used to be a good teacher at the beginning of his career but now he’s not the best of teachers as he’s given up on his students and has no desire to change his ways, until he’s inspired to become a mixed martial arts fighter to help with his school’s music budget to save his colleague Marty Streb (Henry Winkler) keep his job.

James not only looks physically ready for this role but perseveres inspiring the audience to fight for what they want. Salma Hayek plays a high-school nurse as well as James’ long time crush, she isn’t made up here in like most of her movies, she’s mainly shown with just a hint of make up and although she’s still eye candy she’s the voice of reason in the film as she pushes Scott to be better; these two give a refreshing love story not typical in comedies. Henry Winkler is adorable and is the heart of the movie, since his character portrays everything the movie represents. I have to mention Charice because she also plays a small role in the movie’s inspiring message; this girl has such an amazing voice and in a way represents some of the challenges immigrant children go through. 

There are plenty of scenes in the movie that will make you laugh out loud, in particular Scott’s second fight and although the movie crosses the line at some points, it is all mainly in good fun. The fights get more intense as the film develops, you will feel pain for James’ character. There are also plenty of cheesy moments as well as easy unrealistic solutions. At times it seems to loose focus as it tries to handle too many stories at once, which messes with the flow of the film.

This is just a good time at the movies with laughs, moments that will make you say “ouch” and a sprinkle of motivation. Some of the images are a little too violent for younger kids; it is more appropriate for children 13 and up. So grab the popcorn and enjoy a comedy that has some hard to watch fights with a positive message.