2609. Here Comes The Boom (2012)

Starring: Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler

Director: Frank Coraci

Running Time: 105 mins

Here Comes The Boom is an American film about an apathetic biology teacher who, after discovering his school is cutting funds to the music department and firing a man with a baby on the way, sets out to raise the money necessary to save them, by becoming a street martial arts fighter.

I have to say that I was rather sceptical going into Here Comes The Boom. With a cast that’s not known for making either the most hilarious comedies or the most inspiring dramas, as well as a premise that seems really quite ridiculous from the outset, I expected a cheesy, generic and frankly messy film right from the beginning.

However, I am absolutely delighted to report that Here Comes The Boom is almost none of that, and while it may not hit all-time highs when it comes to comedy and laughs, the film soars with a likable lead character, a kind-hearted story, and fun, entertaining action throughout, all of which makes it a thoroughly enjoyable, if not often rather preposterous movie.

Let’s start off with the best thing about the movie, which has to be its good intentions. Random sports comedies come and go all the time, telling the story of the rise of a nobody to sporting glory for all sorts of reasons, but it’s nice to see one that tells the same plot from a more kind-hearted perspective, meaning that despite the core plot not having all that much intrigue to offer, the film is working from an entirely well-meaning and likable starting point, which makes it a hugely likable watch right from the off.

And what’s more is that the fact that there is more to the story than simply winning fights and becoming the greatest MMA fighter of all means that the frankly ludicrous nature of some parts of the story don’t feel all that frustrating, but rather a part of a wider story that isn’t just all about winning and success, which is something I was delighted and very surprised to see from Here Comes The Boom.

Now, saying all that, I can’t say that the film entertains immensely on all fronts, simply because the comedy is far from what it wants to be. The likable, uplifting story does more than enough to entertain you throughout, but I never really found myself laughing at any point, with most of the jokes coming off as predictable or just plain bad, although being so simple that they really didn’t take away from or impact on my enjoyment of the core story.

So, if you want a movie to really make you laugh, then I wouldn’t say Here Comes The Boom is the best choice, but if you want a movie to make you smile, and entertain simultaneously with good martial arts action and well-filmed fight sequences, then this movie is a surprisingly great watch, only furthered by a slew of strong lead performances from Kevin James, Henry Winkler and an immensely likable supporting turn from Bas Rutten too.

Overall, then, I rather liked Here Comes The Boom. It’s not a perfect movie, and despite its likability it struggles to really make you laugh at any point, as well as coming off as a little preposterous with its core sports plot. However, with kind-hearted and well-meaning intentions throughout, as well as entertaining action and very strong performances across the board, there’s really a surprising amount to like about this movie, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.2.