Movie Review: Here Comes the Boom

Movie Title: Here Comes the Boom
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Director: Frank Coraci
Writers: Allan Loeb, Kevin James
Cast: Kevin James, Henry Winkler, Salma Hayek, Bas Rutten, Charice
Britni's Blog Score: 9 MMA fighters out of 10
Britni's Blog Rating: Recommended for families

When I saw the trailer for Here Comes the Boom, I expected to be amused and entertained as I watched the film. What I didn't realize was how strong the story was going to be, though, and how many powerful messages would be hidden between scenes of physical comedy. I'd underestimated just how moving this movie would be.

The Plot. High school teacher Scott Voss (James) isn't great at his job. He's not even good at his job. And he hasn't been for a very long time. Worse yet, he hardly cares that he's so bad at his job. The man who was named teacher of the year a decade ago now shows up late to class and then refuses to answer the questions of any students who actually care about their education. When one Malia (Charice) tries to get a straight answer on information contained in her textbook, Scott shuts her down. He tells her that the chances of her using anything she learns in his class are probably zero, anyway.

But Scott's co-worker Marty Streb (Winkler) does care. He cares about his under-funded music class and he teaches it with a passion that's contagious. But when the school is forced to scale back their budget, cutting the music program and putting Marty out of a job, Scott stands up and says something, knowing that he can't let his friend, who's about to have a new addition to his family, lose his job.

But when a citizenship class taught by Scott, private music lessons given by Marty, and bake sales held by school nurse Bella (Hayek) aren't getting them anywhere near the fifty grand needed to keep the program open, Scott hatches an insane plan. He's gonna fight in the MMA--and he's gonna lose.

The Characters. Each of the characters in this movie carries his or her own charm. They're all quirky and funny and they contribute so much to the viewing pleasure of this movie.

The Message. As Voss teaches a biology class, he talks about microbiology and stagnant cells, paraphrasing Sir Isaac Newton's laws. The way he puts it, "A cell that is not in motion is not a productive member of the system." And the other cells will then copy that stagnant cell. Before you know what's happening, the system starts to die.

Well, this is what's happened to the system of Voss's school. Teachers who don't care have just been pushing students along through school like they're herding cattle. But all that decays, says Voss, can be restored.

He teaches his students that even a system that seems to be dead will be healed when the cells start to work together again. And then he sets out to prove this principle by doing everything in his power to save the school's music program. He shows that one person can make a difference by being the change that he wants to see in the school system. And through self-sacrifice, he does indeed heal the system.

The movie is also very pro-arts. The movie supports the need for these extra-curriculars in education with the repeated quote "Without music, life would be a mistake."

The Team. The stars of this movie are hilarious and moving. We get to watch Scott and Marty as they train to lose the MMA championship. We get to see Bella tackle Scott on what he calls "the weirdest date ever". We get to see Niko (Rutten) and his quirky friends have an all-out food fight. Every one of this movies leads are so full of humor and heart that they bring their characters to life for us to laugh at and learn from.

James did an excellent job in writing this movie, and his co-stars shined as they helped him portray in on-screen.

My Recommendation. Here Comes the Boom was such a fun movie to watch and it's perfectly suited to families. It's message is inspiring and shows us all that we can make a difference.

I suggest that parents of young children allow this movie at their own discretion. As its plot hinges around the UFC and MMA in general, there's a lot of on-screen violence. Scott is pummeled beyond his senses during fights, and we see some of his post-fight injuries, including a dislocated shoulder that Bella has to pull back into place. Scott's training sessions can be a bit brutal at times, too.

My Notes. I personally loved this movie. It was funny, inspiring, and entertaining. I love the positive messages affirmed in it, and I enjoyed the sense of humor carried throughout.

In Conclusion. This movie was brilliantly written so that there was never a dull moment. The talented cast, writers, and production team created a movie featuring a hilarious journey and an inspiring message told through the vehicle of altogether lovable characters. The feats performed are incredible and the adventure was memorable, and there were plenty of laughs along the way. Inspirational and funny, this comedy definitely brings the boom.