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Here Comes the Boom

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Here Comes the Boom
Theatrical release poster
Directed byFrank Coraci
Written byAllan Loeb
Kevin James
Produced byTodd Garner
Kevin James
Starring
CinematographyPhil Méheux
Edited byScott Hill
Music byRupert Gregson-Williams
Production
companies
Columbia Pictures
Happy Madison Productions
Hey Eddie
Broken Road Productions
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • October 12, 2012 (2012-10-12)
Running time
105 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$42 million[2][3]
Box office$73.1 million[4]

Here Comes the Boom is a 2012 American sports comedy film directed by Frank Coraci, written by Allan Loeb and Kevin James, and produced by James and Todd Garner. It stars James as a biology teacher who attempts to save his school's music program by becoming an MMA fighter. The film co-stars Henry Winkler and Salma Hayek.

Produced by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison Productions in association with Garner's Broken Road Productions and James' Hey Eddie, Here Comes The Boom was released in the United States on October 12, 2012, by Columbia Pictures. The film's title is taken from the song "Boom" by Christian nu-metal band P.O.D.

Plot

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Former Division I collegiate wrestler Scott Voss is a 42-year-old bored and disillusioned biology teacher at the failing Wilkinson High School. Budget cutbacks at the school jeopardize the continuation of its music program, which would result in its teacher, Marty Streb, being laid off. Concerned for both his colleague and his students, Scott attempts to raise the $48,000 necessary to keep the music program. He moonlights as a night instructor for an adult citizenship class, where student Niko requests outside tutoring. When Scott arrives at Niko's apartment, he learns that Niko is a former MMA fighter. While watching the UFC at Niko's apartment, Scott learns that the loser of a fight receives $10,000, which gives him the idea of raising the money by fighting and losing in MMA.

Scott, helped by Niko and Marty, begins with small unsanctioned bouts paying only $750 to the loser. Niko begins training him in defense, later adding trainer Mark to teach offense, after Scott knocks out opponent "Lucky" Patrick Murray and realizes that wins give larger payouts, needing fewer fights to achieve his goal. While Marty trains with Scott, Malia De La Cruz, one of Scott's students and a band member, helps Niko study for his citizenship test by putting the information into songs. Scott then begins fighting in small MMA fights and gradually gains greater amounts of money for the school.

Scott has been pursuing the school nurse, Bella Flores, and they share moments flirting with each other while also rekindling Scott's passion for teaching. He begins to engage the class and earns the respect of his students. Scott is within $6,000 of his goal when Mark tells him that Niko turned down a sanctioned UFC fight offered by Joe Rogan, with the certainty of earning $10,000 for a loss. Scott confronts Niko, who apologizes and admits he turned it down because he was jealous as he was once asked to fight at the UFC but suffered a neck injury while training, ending his career. Scott and Niko accept the offer, and they travel to the MGM Grand Las Vegas for the fight. The night he arrives, Bella calls Scott to tell him that the school's vice principal Robert Elkins has been arrested for embezzling from the school, including Scott's winnings; all of Scott's efforts will be in vain unless he wins the fight and the $50,000.

The publicity of Scott's rise to fame has grown, and the school's band appears in the stands to play his theme song, "Holly Holy" by Neil Diamond, thanks to Bella contacting Rogan. During the fight, Marty reminds the losing Scott that even if he does not win, he has inspired the students, which is their real purpose as teachers. Scott has no answer to his dangerous opponent Ken Dietrich, who is angered that his original opponent canceled and that he is stuck with a man that "does not deserve" to be fighting at the UFC. Scott struggles to survive the first two rounds, but after finding inspiration from the students, he manages to win in the third and final round of the fight, earning $50,000 and Dietrich's respect. Scott and Bella kiss through the chain link fence of the ring.

In the closing scene, the music program is saved, the school is operating on a normal budget thanks to Scott's donation and Niko and all of the students in Scott's citizenship class attend their American citizenship ceremony.

Cast

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Production

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Filming began on March 28, 2011, in and around the Boston, Massachusetts, area.[5] Filming continued on through May 25, 2011, in Lowell and Quincy, Massachusetts, where it wrapped shortly thereafter, by early June 2011.[6][7]

Music

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Release

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DVD was released in Region 1 in the United States on February 5, 2013, and also Region 2 in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2013, it was distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Reception

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Box office

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In its opening weekend, the movie earned $11.8 million in the domestic box office and ended its box office run with $73 million worldwide.[3]

Critical reception

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On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 42% based on 98 reviews, and an average rating of 5/10. The website's consensus reads, "Here Comes the Boom benefits from Kevin James's genial presence, but the film doesn't deliver enough laughs to live up to its title – or enough satisfying plot to make up the difference."[8] On Metacritic the film has a score of 40 out of 100, based on reviews from 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[9] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[10]

USA Today's Scott Bowles says the film "telegraphs every punch ... but when the comedy connects, it can deliver with funny force". He says, "The film suffers from too many side stories, but it does a nice job capturing the heavyweight battles of everyday folk."[11] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune writes: "Once it gets going and commits to its time-worn inspirational formula, it's not half-bad."[12] Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times wrote: "If you can choke down the implausible notion that the doughy Kevin James would last more than five seconds in a mixed martial arts ring, Here Comes the Boom is a moderately enjoyable, nontaxing sort of comedy."[13][14]

John Anderson of Variety magazine wrote: "Hands of stone meet heads of air in Here Comes the Boom, a sports story so daffy it may as well star Kevin James." He called the film "a triumph of recycling" comparing it to Rocky. Anderson is critical of the different clashing tones of the film, but calls the characters likable, and writes the "violence adds a frisson of tension to the pic’s mix of grappling, romance and anemic social critique."[15][16] Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum called it "A cloddish, harmlessly drecky comedy from the Sandler factory of crude mush."[17] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club wrote: "Here Comes The Boom seems to have made it from the pitch stage - Kevin James does MMA to save his school or something! - to the big screen without an iota of inspiration, ambition, or personality seeping in at any juncture."[18] Marc Savlov of the Austin Chronicle wrote: ""Here Comes the Bomb" would've been a more fitting title, but props to Henry Winkler for rising to the occasion and turning in a sweet, idealistic performance in a film that otherwise feels like a tawdry commercial for the UFC and MMA."[19]

Awards and nominations

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Here Comes the Boom was chosen as one of ten best films for family audiences by the 21st Annual Movieguide Awards on February 15, 2013.[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Here Comes the Boom (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 2012-09-26. Archived from the original on 2012-11-15. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  2. ^ Kaufman, Amy (2012-10-11). "'Taken 2,' 'Argo' in tight race for No. 1 at weekend box office". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  3. ^ a b "Here Comes the Boom (2012) - Financial Information". The Numbers (website). Archived from the original on 2011-06-27. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  4. ^ "Here Comes the Boom (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
  5. ^ McNary, Dave (7 June 2011). "Melissa Peterman ready for 'Boom'". Variety. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2019. currently shooting in Boston
  6. ^ "Kevin James headed to Quincy, MA for 'Here Comes The Boom'". On Location Vacations. 10 February 2011. Archived from the original on 12 February 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Actor Kevin James says old Quincy High had 'great look' for new film". Massachusetts Film Office. 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2018-02-25. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  8. ^ "Here Comes The Boom (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  9. ^ "Here Comes the Boom". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  10. ^ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  11. ^ Scott Bowles (Oct 11, 2012). "'Here Comes the Boom' connects with laughs and heart". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  12. ^ Phillips, Michael (October 11, 2012). "A determined teacher enters the Octagon in 'Here Comes the Boom' ★★ 1/2". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2014.
  13. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (11 October 2012). "Kevin James in 'Here Comes the Boom'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-09-25.
  14. ^ Bilge Ebiri (Oct 14, 2012). "Here Comes the Boom: A 'Laugh at the Chubby Guy' Movie, Sans the Laughs". www.vulture.com. New York Magazine. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019. doesn't quite work as a comedy (it's not particularly funny), or a drama (it's not particularly poignant )
  15. ^ Anderson, John (10 October 2012). "Here Comes the Boom". Variety. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  16. ^ Janice Page (12 October 2012). "James punches the clock in 'Here Comes the Boom'". Boston.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  17. ^ Lisa Schwarzbaum (Oct 11, 2012). "Here Comes the Boom". Entertainment Weekly.
  18. ^ Rabin, Nathan (11 October 2012). "Here Comes The Boom". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  19. ^ Marc Savlov (Oct 17, 2012). "Movie Review: Here Comes the Boom". Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2019-08-20. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  20. ^ "Here Comes The Boom Is One Of 10 Best Films For Family Audiences". magnustoday.net. 2013-02-16. Archived from the original on 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
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