When one thinks of Kevin James, you get the image of a comically overweight mall cop with a goofy mustache riding around on a segway, or a lowly oaf taking dating advice from zoo animals. I personally have not liked anything the man has touched since "The King of Queens" was cancellled. Yet Here Comes the Boom, while not particularly funny, was surprisingly touching.
James plays Scott Voss, a lazy out-of-his-prime Biology teacher. When his school is forced to make budget cuts, they threaten to rid the school of it's music program and teacher (Henry Winkler). Not wanting to see his friend out of work, Scott does everything he can to raise the necessary funds. When he runs out of ideas, he is inspired to step into the MMA ring using his college wrestling skills.
The jokes aren't very numerous, yet the film has remarkable physical humor. When Kevin James gets layed out flat in his first match, I admit that I found it hard to not to giggle. The writing was nothing special, but it is considerably better than anything out of "Team Sandler" in the past few years. The characters are not exactly well developed when you get to the end, however, the overall touching nature of the plot makes up for it.
Kevin James isn't anyones Marlon Brando, yet he brings a certain amount of charm to the film. He isn't over the top ridiculous, but his comedic talents blend well with the physically demanding challenge of this role.
Salma Hayek is as lovely and passionate as always. She brings a good amount of common sense to absurd situations. However, she never really feels like the right romantic match for Kevin James. Their chemistry is very imbalanced.
Andrew's Standout for this film would be Henry Winkler. As with most of his recent roles, there is a certain amount of goofiness to his character. However, there are moments when he is fully focused and spouts the "Fonzie-esque" wisdom that we all love and grew up with.
All in all, I would redbox this movie. While it's the worst thing you'll see, there are better movies to pay full price for.
B-
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