MOVIE REVIEW - Here Comes The Boom

I love going to movies when they so over achieve any expectations that you have going in.  The new Kevin James flick, Here Comes The Boom, isn't perfect by any means but it's pretty darn good.

People like James' movies. He has been a fan favorite since his days on King Of Queens.  To be fair, there have been some of his movies that I was fond of, and others that sold out to really low level sophomoric humor that I thought were borderline horrible.   Boom is for the most part adult, relevant and fun.  I really enjoyed this.

It's the story of a 43 year-old middle school teacher Scott, (James).   He is incredibly bored with teaching, and is simply punching the clock and mailing it in.   Then after a very accomplished music teacher at his school Marty (Henry Winkler) is being phased out by budget cuts, the big hearted Scott decides to take action.   He has to raise $48,000 to keep Marty on board.   So Scott who was a high school wrestler 25 years ago, decides to become a low level MMA fighter to raise the money and keep Marty.  And in the end become an inspiration to his students.  Yeah there are holes, and this is not going to be on Masterpiece Theater, or be revered by Robert Osborne.  Far fetched?  Yeah it is.....so?

This is part Rocky, part Real Steel, part Warrior, and a big part sap.   But what on earth is wrong occasionally with a fantasy story that in the end makes you feel good?  This is predictable, and yes we've seen this kind of flick before.  So?   I for one was so pleasantly surprised, I didn't care.  This is PG-13 and well deserved, and it does deal with MMA, and there is some fighting violence, but it's alright.

Should be noted, boxing in our society of out, and MMA is in.   Young viewers love MMA and this is another in along line of MMA movies on the docket.   James is pretty good as the proverbial underdog Scott, and gives a pretty good performance without all the potty humor normally associated with his flicks.  Nice supporting cast too with Selma Hayek, Bas Rutten and others.  Huge kudos to Charice who plays Malia one of Scott's students who looks to him for guidance as she is trying hard to learn as much from school as possible.  She is terrific in this movie. Small role, but very good.

I know, there will be many better movies this year, but I say so what.  Understanding this is not Citizen Kane, or Titanic, this is still pretty good.

Here Comes The Boom. I liked it!