Here Comes the Boom (FILM REVIEW)
Here Comes the
Boom
Film Review
by Kam Williams
Teacher Moonlights as MMA Prizefighter to Save School’s
Music Program
Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a bored biology
teacher at mythical Wilkinson High in Massachusetts,
a cash-strapped school suffering from low morale. The apathetic slacker is part
of the problem, as he sets a horrible example for his students, between
stealing candy from vending machines and always arriving late for class.
During recess, the bored, 42
year-old bachelor makes a habit of flirting with the beautiful school nurse, Bella
(Salma Hayek). However, she just as routinely rebuffs his advances with gentle
reminders of how often she’s rejected each of his requests for a date.
The plot thickens the day Principal
Betcher (Gregg German) assembles the faculty in the auditorium to announce his
latest budgetary cutbacks. Those money-saving measures not only include plans
to eliminate afterschool activities like the debate club and field trips but even
the entire music program.
That means Scott’s colleague Marty Streb
(Henry Winkler) will be callously laid-off right
before earning tenure. And to add insult to injury, the dedicated music teacher’s firing
comes at a time when his wife (Nikki Tyler-Flynn) is pregnant.
This
dire state of affairs inspires Scott to prevail upon the principal to preserve his
pal’s position. But Betcher says he simply doesn’t have the $48,000 to pay
Marty.
Therefore,
Scott, who hasn’t wrestled competitively since college, decides to raise the cash
by moonlighting in the ring as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. With the help of Marty
and a retired kickboxing champ (Bas Rutten), he proceeds to whip himself into the
best shape a middle-aged couch potato might hope for.
So unfolds Here Comes the Boom, a sweet-natured, overcoming-the-odds
sports saga combining familiar elements of Rocky (1976) and Nacho Libre (2006).
Directed by Frank Coraci (The Waterboy), the star vehicle showcases Kevin James’
comic genius at his best, whether he’s doing pratfalls in a mask and
ill-fitting stretchy pants or futilely wooing the woman of his dreams.
The paint-by-numbers plot inexorably
builds to a UFC-sanctioned showdown between Scott and an intimidating adversary
(Krzysztof Soszynski) for a purse conveniently matching Marty’s salary. Wouldn’t
it be nice if Wilkinson’s student body and school band were on hand in the
Vegas arena to cheer for their altruistic teach, and better yet if Bella had a
change of heart and also arrived ringside for a kiss at the moment of truth?
Here Comes the Boom? How about, here
comes a pat Hollywood tale of redemption where a perennial loser transforms
himself into a beloved hero who wins the cage match, saves his best friend’s
job, and gets the gorgeous girl!
Very Good
(3 stars)
Rated PG for sports violence, crude humor and mild epithets.
Running time: 105 minutes
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
To see a trailer for Here Comes the Boom, visit:
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