Here Comes The Boom (2012) Review: Not To Be Confused With Here Comes Honey Boo Boo

by NoFaceNorm

Yell! Magazine’s review of Here Comes the Boom: Alright, when I first saw the trailer for Here Comes the Boom, I thought it may as well have been an SNL parody. Think about it: Kevin James steps into another one of his everyman roles, this time as Scott Voss, an aloof high school teacher with a big heart. His goal is to raise money for a struggling music program, which he intends to do by competing in mixed martial arts — with the help of Bas Rutten, who plays Bas Rutten.

(There’s your synopsis, by the way. You’re not getting another one.)

It was the kind of thing that had “A Kevin James Movie” written all over it. It would probably be chock-full of physical comedy, and then switch gears into being overly sappy when the plot demanded it. We’d get a couple montages where Kevin James gets tossed around and makes funny noises, and it’d ultimately end with him taking up a level in bad-ass through sheer will power alone. Meanwhile, Salma Hayek (playing the saucy school nurse, Bella Flores) would spend the movie resisting his romantic advances.

Naturally, it was a total shock that the movie was so enjoyable.

See, it’s the kind of film that could have been written in an afternoon. Hell, it’s the kind of film that could have been written in the midst of a head-on car collision, it’s so formulaic. It’s simple, it’s predictable, and it’s totally pandering, but god help me, it’s a lot of fun.

Here Comes the Boom is gonna hit right at home for its target audience. It’s easy to watch, and has a slapstick sense of humor that’s targeted at older kids, but every grown-up man-child I know no doubt got a kick out of it. Kevin James is likable enough to merit your constant attention, but no matter what, he’s outshined without fail by everyone’s favorite comedic sociopath, Bas Rutten (though they just call him “Niko” here).

There’s not a scene around that Bas Rutten doesn’t steal, and he’ll chew the goddamn scenery like he hasn’t eaten for weeks. He carries us through the hilariously brutal world of mixed martial arts, and has a trademark dance that your kids will mimic for months on end.