Here Comes the Boom

Here Comes the Boom

Rating 5 out of 10

Out of town in Los Angeles with the lovely wife.  Looking to kill a couple hours before dinner and this was the first movie that fit our schedule.  Let's be honest, when you go to a Kevin James movie your bar is set fairly low walking in the door.  You are not expecting a movie you will stand in line to buy the dvd when it comes out.  You hope it's nearly as funny as his old tv show (it's not still on the air is it?) King of Queens.  By those standards I'd say I was pleasantly surprised.  Especially when you throw in some eye candy in Salma Hayek.

James plays slacker biology teacher, Scott Voss,  in a Boston High School who is far more interested in getting a date with the school nurse, Bella  (Hayek) than teaching his kids.  When budget cuts hit the school hard enough to eliminate the music program and it's beloved teacher (played by mis-cast Henry Winkler).  In trying to impress Bella he speaks up saying he would come up with the money to save the  program.  Amazingly enough it only takes $48,000 to save the whole program.

After trying a few small jobs here and there and coming up very short he gets the genius idea of fighting MMA fights.  After all he was a pretty good college wrestler before he gained all the weight.  Sometimes the loser gets $10,000!  Somehow when he gets the stew beat out of him he only has minor scrapes enough for him to visit the school nurse.   Bella before would have nothing to do with him but NOW he is looking kinda hunky.

You can guess the rest.  As I said it's not rocket science.  The movie mixes in some laughs with some groan inducing dumb parts.  It's a harmless way to kill a couple hours.  When you leave you'll be wishing someone as funny as Kevin James could find that right movie.  No I'm not a Mall Cop fan.