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Here Comes the Boom – suspend the disbelief

Paul Peterson

So for starters I have to say, as a theatre owner, I like all of Kevin James’ movies because people tend to flock to them in droves and so art gets sacrificed on the altar of pure capitalism.

I still have very find memories of Paul Blart Mall Cop That was the worst movie I ever made a boatload of cash on. I liked Zookeeper although I might have been the only one.
His latest offering – Here Comes the Boom – looked like classic vintage, ok typical KJ filmdom. He plays  Scott, a teacher who has lost his fire to teach.
We’re not sure why, because in 2002 he was teacher of the year.
He sleepwalks through his classes and presumably his life until the music program is cut at his high school. So is the debate club and the art club but this isn’t a trilogy. We need to focus on the here and now.
One of the criticisms of any James movie is there are always serious plot holes. I think he’s a lazy writer. Or maybe he’s just trying to hit that 100 minute mark and there isn’t time for details. Or character development.
Speaking of characters, and don’t you love those naturally occurring segues, Henry Winkler plays Marty Streb, head of the music department and Scott’s primary cheerleader mentor and wound consultant. Selma Hayek plays Bella Flores the school nurse and romantic interest.
Ok, so hold on for just a moment.
They have school nurses still? How does that happen? They’re cutting the band but they have a full-time nurse hanging around dispensing nothing because there’s no school board in the world that would allow themselves to be open to that kind of liability. I always thought the school nurse was pretty much as the Simpsons portrayed it. A handsome woman who also dispensed gruel when she wasn’t tending to the affairs of her patients.
But I digress. We’ll suspend disbelief for the moment.
Here’s the thing.
People like this movie and they like it a lot. It surprises me some of the audience reaction. People I wouldn’t necessarily expect to enjoy it have come out raving. A few clapped. It’s predictable and totally improbable.
Oh, by the way, the story is that somehow Scott finds the will to teach and that includes the will to save the music program which is going to involve the will to take a beating as the set up guy in Mixed Martial Arts fighting. Can you say Nacho Libre?
Seriously, this movie was made a few years back starring the kiss of box office success Jack Black. He played a janitor who wrestled.
There’s just something about Black that makes you not want to cheer for him. He’s got that David Spade smarm or something.
James, on the other hand, we love that guy – whether he’s inspiring his students or getting his face dragged along the chain mesh that is the walls of the squared circle.
They get the MMA stuff right enough to satisfy the growing fans of that art who may come to this movie. It’s up to you to decide if a pasty chair sitter can hold his own against a roided up fighting machine.
Who cares?
Winkler is elder stateman, charming with a series of iconic sweater coats and there’s some real magic with the lovely Selma. It’s a nice film and there’s nothing wrong with that.
The cynical and jaded might want to stay far away from this. If you’re a fan of happy endings (the Disney kind) come on down. I thought it was charming from a distance.
As always, other opinions are welcome, but wrong. That’s it for this week. The cheque’s in the mail and I’m outta here. Paul

Filed Under: News from Everywhere ElsePaul Peterson

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  1. adnanmazhar says:

    Speaking of the supporting cast, Henry Winkler is a stand out in this movie. Winkler often appears in Happy Madison Productions, but usually in a very limited capacity. “Here Comes the Boom” is one of his most significant roles since “The Waterboy”. Salma Hayek proves once again that it does not matter what genre of film she is working in, she is always brilliant. Other noteworthy performances come from Gary valentine, Bas Rutten and Shelly Desai.

  2. Ro Gum says:

    I don’t know why most movie critics do not care to compare this movie to Nacho Libre; the plot is almost the same. Except, the girl is a nun, but nevermind. I actually liked the movie because of all the subplots. It is really about the American dream or the missing dream, etc etc. It is really a mismash of several life values. Oh yeah, Kevin James real life wife is a Filipina (nee de la Cruz). I went to see this movie because of Charice, a Filipina pop artist, who appeared in Oprah when she was a teenager. Because, the movie is really a year old, Charice now look very different in real life and is now a young lady of twenty.

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