Here Comes The Boom

Bring the Funny... and the Pain!

★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5 buckets | Matinee or DVD

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Rated: PG Some rude humor, language and bouts of MMA sports violence

Release Date: October 12, 2012

Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

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Director: Frank Coraci
Writers: Kevin James, Rock Reuben, Allan Loeb
Cast: Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler, Greg Germann, Joe Rogan, Gary Valentine, Bas Rutten, Krzysztof Soszynski

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SYNOPSIS: A high school biology teacher, in order to raise thousands of dollars to save the school's music program, concocts a crazy plan to become a local mixed martial arts fighter.

REVIEW: Director Frank Coraci, known for Zookeeper and The Waterboy, continues with his Kevin James star for a hard-hitting comedy that will end up hurting a little bit. Based on a script by James, Zookeeper scribe Rock Rueben, and Rock of Ages writer Allan Loeb, Kevin James plays a defeated teacher who tries to redeem himself as an educator and a fighter in order to save his school's extra-curricular activities.

Scott Voss (Kevin James, Zookeeper), a biology teacher for years, finds himself barely able to care about the students in his class. When a teacher/principal meeting brings to light that all of the school's extra-curricular activities, including Marty Streb's (Henry Winkler, Click) music class, will need to be cut in order to stay within budget, Scott takes on Principal Betcher (Greg Germann, Bolt) in an attempt to raise the $50,000 to save the school programs. Aided by Marty, the school's health technician Bella Flores (Salma Hayek, The Pirates! Band of Misfits), and one of his naturalization citizenship course attendees, Niko (Bas Rutten, Paul Blart: Mall Cop), Scott enters the world of competitive mixed martial arts to try to win enough money to save the school programs.

Kevin James gets in the Octagon of mixed martial arts with all the training of, well, a forty-something biology teacher. Couple that with his typical oafish underdog demeanor and charm that you have come to expect from James, and you have the comedic version of Joel Edgerton's Warrior. Both are high school teachers with some fighting or wrestling background forced into hand-to-hand competition because of financial reasons. Both battle against pressure from their peers, students, principals, and internet videos. Both even have brothers with their own issues to deal with. Here Comes The Boom's Gary Valentine plays financially strapped brother, painter and family man Eric Voss, a much different man than the talented torture of Tom Hardy.

There are plenty of laughs as evident from the trailers. Luckily, the laughs don't stop there. Kevin James' physical antics are worth the price of admission. From failed slam dunks as a bet to cook dinner for Bella to some of the early unsanctioned underground MMA events, Kevin James' Scott Voss is the epitome of a man out of his depth. Watching him venture out on his reluctant and defiant journey is akin to watching a funnier version of Stallone's Rocky Balboa train for his fight against Apollo Creed or Drago. Add in fine chemistry between Voss and Bella, and silly interactions with foreign residents looking to become naturalized citizens, and the laughs take on all comers.

James bringing the funny is just one of the facets to this film. Here Comes The Boom also is an underdog story of a man trying to make good. Becoming a mixed martial arts competitor is not his first plan, but in order to raise enough money before the end of the school year, he puts life and limb on the line against far more experienced fighters. As Voss moves from one undercard to another, and raises bits of cash to submit to the school, he must face his own pain and uncertainties. There are some fairly aggressive fighting sequences in the last third of the film that will exchange the smiles for winching, and laughs for cringes. Kevin James strikes a good balance between the action, story, and humor.

If you liked Kevin James in Paul Blart: Mall Cop, you will enjoy Here Comes The Boom just fine! Add in Henry Winkler with a Water Boy caliber performance and a supporting cast that serves to make for a painfully good time. You may laugh until you are doubled over in pain, and may cringe with every MMA blow that James takes in the caged octagon, but you will have a good time. Of course there is silliness and a plot hole or two, but you can't help but root for a man fighting way out of his league in order to make sure that his students have a future.

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Hotel Transylvania 3D

Monsters Are People, Too!

★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5 buckets | Matinee and DVD

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Rated: PG Action, scary images, and mild rude humor

Release Date: September 28, 2012

Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes

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Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Writers: Peter Baynham, Robert Smigel, Todd Durham, Dan and Kevin Hageman
Cast: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, CeeLo Green, Jon Lovitz, Brian George

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SYNOPSIS: Centuries ago, Count Dracula builds a lavish hotel for all monsters to travel to for vacations without worry of dangerous human interference. 118 years later, his daughter Mavis yearns to go out into the world. With Dracula's daughter trying to leave and human Jonathan discovering the hotel, Dracula struggles to maintain control over his daughter, the hotel guests, and the unruly, strange human hiker.

REVIEW: Writer/director/producer of such Cartoon Network animations as Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, and Star Wars: Clone Wars, Russian-born Genndy Tartakovsky is well versed with dynamic cartoon characters and stories. Written by the team of Peter Baynham (Arthur Christmas), SNL's Robert Smigel (Don't Mess With The Zohan), based on a story idea from Todd Durham, and Dan and Kevin Hageman, we are treated with life of monsters from their own point of view.

In the late 1800s, Count Dracula (Adam Sandler, That's My Boy) coos over his infant daughter Mavis and overlooks construction of a beautiful, hidden castle/hotel deep in the mountain plains of Transylvania. When Mavis (Selena Gomez, Monte Carlo) turns 118 years old, she reminds her father on the eve of another one of his lavishly planned birthday parties that she was promised that she could venture out into the human world. With all of her close family friends at the hotel for the occasion - including Uncle Frankenstein (Kevin James, Grown Ups) and Aunt Eunice (Fran Drescher, The Nanny),  Wayne (Steve Buscemi, Grown Ups) and Wanda (Molly Shannon, Casa de mi Padre) Werewolf and their kids, Murray the Mummy (Ceelo Green, The Voice), and Griffin the Invisible Man (David Spade, Jack and Jill) - Mavis decides to forsake her dreams of traveling into the human world. But when a human named Jonathan (Andy Samberg, That's My Boy) manages to find the hotel by accidental luck and encounters Mavis, the Count does everything in his powers to try and get rid of the young man, including disguising Jonathan as a monster named Johnny Stein, using fear to scare him off, and using his mind powers.

Tartakovsky is well-versed in dynamic animated writing and direction, and seems to be the perfect director to bring undead monsters to life. With excellent 3D effects and a humorous and sweet story, Hotel Transylvania 3D is fun for the entire human family. When monsters have all of the same issues as us vacationing humans, you can't help but giggle or smile at the same issues that we have been through ourselves. Humanizing the monsters who fear humans makes for a funny and endearing story.

With a controlling vampire being the proprietor of the Hotel he built, plus the father and protector of the daughter he loves, Dracula is a controlling, undead boss and parent obsessed with keeping his fellow monsters and daughter safe from the rampaging humans who only offer torches and pitchforks against them. The Hotel Transylvania is a refuge and oasis for all monsters, allowing them to unwind in old world luxury and service without fear or worry. But with any traveling families, couples, or individuals, there are always the normal vacationing problems. Wayne Werewolf has a litter of growing pups that tear, pee, and race all over the place, plus a wife with another litter on the way. His howling days are behind him, but he does want to kick it with his friends Drac and Frank! The Invisible Man finds himself as a disadvantage when playing Charades, one of Dracula's planned Hotel activities. Frankenstein's wife Eunice nags him about wanting tandem spa treatments, asking Frank if he even scheduled any of the things she wanted to do.

The voice talent that Sandler assembles for the film is most of his usual suspects, each perfect for the roles they play. Kevin James is great as the gentle flower picking Frankenstein with Fran Drescher as his high-pitch voiced bride. Sandler himself embodies all of the stereotyped inflections of the Universal Studios monster vampire. Buscemi is great as the worn-out werewolf father of dozens. David Spade's Invisible Man is a treat as the prim and proper transparent man who still is self-conscious of his appearance. CeeLo Green wraps up the voice of Murray the Mummy like a present. Selena Gomez's voice comes shining through like the morning sun as the anxious and dream-filled young vampire Mavis. And Andy Samberg voice for the unsure, but 'rolling with it' Jonathan is just what Samberg is best at - being Andy Samberg. Upbeat, silly, and looking for a fun time, Samberg's Johnny Stein just wants to experience life wherever his feet take him and his backpack.  

The characters are silly caricatures of the monsters we grew up with, from Bigfoot to the Creature from the Black Lagoon, from Frankenstein to Quasimodo (Jon Lovitz), from a classic Greek mythical Hydra to gargoyles and witches who serve as waitstaff and housekeepers. Only the Invisible Man is drawn the way you expect - just kidding! Griffen still wears swim trunks around the hotel pool. The scenes are beautifully rendered, and the use of 3D is superb. The sweeping camera fly-throughs are dizzying and exciting, the magical effects of Mavis changing from vampire girl to bat are colorful and near-mystical, the swirling mist, long shadows, and flickering torchlight adding ambience and depth. The film is fun to watch and the story is funny, exciting, and touching.

Hotel Transylvania 3D is a fun and touching broom-stick ride through the long, tight corridors of a medieval castle that doubles as a 5-star vacation destination. In the hotel suites, monsters struggle with their unruly kids, have money issues, face discriminations, and feel love and suffer loss. Dracula may be a bloodsucker, but he still only want what's best for his daughter.

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Zookeeper

Griffin Talks to the Animals

Director: Frank Coraci

Writers: Nick Bakay, Rock Reuben, Kevin James, Jay Scherick, David Ronn

Stars: Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb, Joe Rogan, Donnie Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, Nick Turturro

SYNOPSIS: When a favorite zookeeper falls for the girl he had his heart broken by five years earlier, the animals in the Franklin Park Zoo break their vow of silence with humans to help him.

REVIEW: Frank Coraci, a favorite Adam Sandler director with Click, The Waterboy and The Wedding Singer, moves to the end of the alphabet and to a new lead comedic actor with Zookeeper and Kevin James. Written by Kevin James film scribe Nick Bakay and a host of others, including Rock Reuben and Kevin James himself (The King of Queens) and Jay Scherick and David Ronn (Norbit), Zookeeper is another in a long line of talking animals starring in romantic comedies.

Kevin James stars as Griffin Keyes, a zookeeper at the Franklin Park Zoo who treats his animals with love and co-workers with respect, who as a hopeless romantic five years earlier proposed to his girlfriend Stephanie (Leslie Bibb) on a sun-setting beach - only to be rejected outright. Focusing all of his energies on his work, he realizes that he hasn't gotten over Stephanie when she is invited to his brother's engagement party at the zoo. Overhearing the fact that she is now interested in Griffin, the zoo animals decide to break their vows of silence with humans in order to give Griffin support to help win the girl. What results are plenty of hi-jinks based on relationship advice from furry critters, from marking your territory to throwing poo to fronting one's "pudding cup".

Adding to the human cast are Rosario Dawson at the zoo's eagle expert Kate, Ken Jeong as quirky and somewhat creepy reptile keeper Venom, Donnie Wahlberg as the sometimes too gruff zookeeper Shane, Nick Turturro as the upbeat zoo security guard Manny, and Joe Rogan as another of Stephanie's ex-boyfriends Gale who Griffin finds himself using the animals relationship pointers against as they compete for the same girl.

Not to be outdone, the voice cast is a collection of A-listers and fan favorites. Nick Nolte voices Bernie the Gorilla, a beast who has been sentenced to a life of loneliness as a result of an accusation of attacking zookeeper Shane. Adam Sandler voices Donald the Monkey, a primate who feels he is higher on the animal food-chain because of his highly-developed thumbs. Jon Favreau's Jerome the Bear and Faizon Love's Bruce the Bear bicker over advice like an old married couple pent up too long in the same zoo enclosure. Not to be outdone on the marriage squabbling are Sylvester Stallone and Cher as Joe the Lion and Janet the Lioness. Rounding out the voice talent are Judd Apatow as weight watching Barry the Elephant, Maya Rudolph as singing Mollie the Giraffe, Bas Rutten as Sebastian the Wolf, Don RIckles as Frog, Jim Breuer as Crow and Richie Minervini as Ostrich.

James brings his King of Queens mania and Paul Blart: Mall Cop over-sized heart to the role of Griffin. In the tradition of Night at the Museum, where unexpected events come to life after the facilities close, Griffin and his animal compatriots mull over the next technique to try on Stephanie when the last advice keeps making Griffin looking foolish. The high points are the Griffin/Gale alpha male competitions for Stephanie's affection, a memorable dance sequence at Griffin's brother's wedding, and an unplanned trip for Griffin and Bernie to T.G.I. Fridays - shut up!

Zookeeper is silly, funny, heartfelt and enjoyable for anyone who enjoys talking animals and light romantic comedies. Just be sure to temper the advice that any talking animal may give you, even if many species mate for life!

WORTH: Matinee or DVD

The Dilemma

The Truth is Painful

[Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum, Queen Latifah]

image from ripitup.co.nz

RANT: I talked to Annette behind the glass at the Regal Theater box office today. She is usually doodling and drawing when I see her between giving out tickets. You can check out her skills at www.pockets1217.deviantart.com.

SYNOPSIS: Ronny and Nick are best friends and business partners. When Ronny discovers that Nick's wife is having an affair, he is put in a difficult position as to how and when to tell Nick.

The opening sequence sets the stage for the entire film. One of the ladies at the table asks Ronny (Vince Vaughn) if you truly can know someone completely, whether it is your best friend or your wife? Ronny responds with stories of men with families in separate cities, and a husband who take up archery and "accidentally" shoots his wife in the neck with an arrow, twice! Of course, he is right. We can never know another person wholly, no matter how confident we are. And this dry comedy sets out in the pursuit and upholding of the truth.

Director Ron Howard brings us a comedy from Allan Loeb. Ronny Valentine (Vaughn) and Nick Brannen (Kevin James) are business partners trying to capture a large automaker bid on their electric engine technology that would rumble in muscle cars. While Nick struggles with finishing the technology, Ronny discovers that Nick's wife Geneva (Winona Ryder) is having an affair with a young tattooed stud named Zip (Channing Tatum). Forced with keeping the truth from Nick in order to finish the project on time, Ronny takes it upon himself to confront Geneva to fix the problem. But everything that Ronny tries to fix the problem, the worse things get.

Although Vince and Kevin are funny, their manic styles tend to cancel each other out in The Dilemma. On the plus side, Queen Latifah as auto liaison Susan Warner gives a few giggles with her enthusiasm for the duo and their engine concept. And it's always great to see Clint Howard working. But on the more dramatic side, Jennifer Connelly and Winona Ryder keep the outing somber, further slanting the film to the serious.

The film is slated as "a comedy that pulls no punches". The Dilemma may have not pulled any punches, but because of it most of the comedy may have thrown in the towel. Even for most avid Vaughn or James fans, the truth is that you will be happier watching The Dilemma in the comfort of your living room.

Worth: Netflix

Butter Popcorn Meter

Grown Ups

Oh, To Be A Kid Again

[Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade]

I have nothing really to rant about today. I wasn’t able to sit in the row with the railing in front of it, but that was my own fault because I arrived at the theatre with scant moments to spare before the reviews started. But at least I was able to get some gym time in to counteract the effects of the large bucket of popcorn I consumed during the film. I couldn’t help it… I received a free small popcorn coupon with my ticket because I have a Regal Crown points card. Curses!! Free popcorn upsized to a large for $2.00 is something no man can withstand.

SYNOPSIS: Five childhood friends return to their hometown for the funeral of their beloved basketball coach. Now grown up, they try to recapture their youth long forgotten, as well as instill some of that childhood excitement in their kids and spouses.

All of the reviews I peeked at prior top going to the theater claimed that “Grown Ups” was more like “Groan Ups”. I do make a point not to be biased by other critic reviews except to see what their final ratings are (C+, 3 stars, etc.). In this case, I went to the movies with low and little expectation. But, of course , I went anyway because I like Sandler and crew.

But maybe I did expect something. I mean, all of these guys are funny in their own right. Sandler plays the smart-alec with the heart, James plays the lovable oaf, Schneider the misunderstood weirdo, and Spade the single free womanizer. Only Rock plays against type a little bit by playing the overly sensitive stay-at-home dad.

Regardless of what roles they play, all (except Spade) now have families in tow with all of their own unique dysfunction. The film is classic Sandler in that there are plenty of pratfalls, some moronic juvenile humor, good-natured barbs at each other, and a fairly simple moral message. All of them have grown into unique individuals, some successful, some less so. But they all have grown up problems – Sandler realizes that his kids have become snobs and his wife (Salma Hayek) is work obsessed, Rock is not appreciated by his wife, kids or mother-in-law, James can not assert himself as the man of the household, Schneider is tragically attracted to older women, and Spade is the perpetual bachelor not realizing that he should be searching for something more.

As with “Click”, Sandler and pals have to realize that there is something missing in their lives, and use the time back at the lake to find ‘it’ again in themselves and their families. And, of course, the movie would not be complete without a childhood rival looking for a rematch, Colin Quinn, from the championship basketball game who felt that Sandler’s foot was on the line when he shot the winning last-second jumper.

The movie is juvenile and sophomoric, but it’s light and simple. It put a smile on my face and got a few laughs out of me, too. For a hot, humid late June day, it was just the ticket.

Worth: Matinee