Movie Review: Here Comes the Boom

by Steve Eastman, Faith Issues

Scott Voss goes through the motions of teaching biology in a public school in Boston.  Neither the school nor the neighborhood is exactly run down, but both have seen better days.  Scott, played by Kevin James, places the educational blame on the system, which neither speeds up for the gifted kids, nor slows down for the kids who need more time.  After all, the goal seems to be to send bodies through the system.

Throughout the movie, we meet characters who have also settled for the easy way, giving up their dreams.  Marty, the music teacher, played by Henry Winkler, is the exact opposite.  Music is his life.  He’s just as likely to express his musical personality on the street as when he’s conducting the school orchestra.  His house is stuffed with instruments he buys off the Internet and fixes up for kids who can’t afford anything else.

Marty plays a part in our hero’s epiphany.  Sure, Scott stopped by the rehearsal room just to ask a favor, but he excitedly takes in the orchestra’s music, which sounds better than the average high school group has a right to sound.  Both men are challenged when the principal announces the music program will be eliminated after the current school year due to budget challenges.  This is when Scott decides to pull out the stops and make a difference for his friend and the student body.  He promises to raise funds to cover Marty’s salary.

Scott finally decides to do this through cage fighting as a mixed martial artist.  The pay can be good even for losers, which he is as an out of shape, ex-college wrestler.   As Scott persists he realizes it’s not just the system that’s been letting down students.  He has too.  As he regains his early days of teaching fervor, his students become more motivated.  One by one, Scott’s example helps the characters who settled for the easy way, to try for what they considered impossible.

Over dinner one of Scott’s coaches encourages him with a story from Genesis chapter 32, where Jacob wrestles with God all night and is recognized for his persistence.  This is one of several examples in the movie, where spirituality occurs as a normal part of life.  Another time Marty confesses that a song about holiness got him through a tough time in the 70s.

Scott gets his biggest martial arts opportunity in Las Vegas where his opponent is nicknamed the Executioner.  Our hero and his friends stand in a circle and pray before the big event.  The Executioner looks like he hasn’t prayed in years.

Can you see the ending from a mile away?  Probably so, but that’s part of the fun of it.  Anything else would be disappointing.  Kevin James, Henry Winkler and the writers make it an entertaining, feel-good, inspiring way to spend a couple hours.
 

© 2012 Faith Issues

Here Comes the Boom premieres Friday, October 12th. 

Listen to Steve Eastman’s review.