The first trailer for Kevin James' (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) new picture, Here Comes the Boom has gone online. James stars as a high school science teacher who gets mixed up in the violent world of mixed martial arts in order to earn money to save school projects from budget cuts. While James has become known for being part of Adam Sandler's cadre (You Don't Mess with the Zohan, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Grown Ups, Hotel Transylvania and Grown Ups 2), he hasn't exactly stood out for the right reasons in his non-Sandler works (Paul Blart: Mall Cop, The Dilemma and Zookeeper). Will Here Comes the Boom prove any different?
Zookeeper director Frank Coraci's Here Comes the Boom, starring James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler, Melissa Peterman, Greg Germann, Joe Rogan, Reggie Lee and Bas Rutten, opens October 12th. Hit the jump for the trailer and synopsis.
I'm a fan of James and I hope Here Comes the Boom is a winner for him, but the trailer already highlights some weaknesses. There's zero chemistry between James and Hayek and it's plain to see that James still relies on slapstick gags to elicit easy laughs. However, the story has some heart to it and I think that is James' greatest strength, especially when he interacts with his students. Also, James has always been a big guy but now he's damn near intimidating. If he happens to pick a fight with you, take co-star Bas Rutten's advice, "Grab a chair, create space." Click over to Fandango to watch in HD.
Here's the synopsis for Here Comes the Boom:
In the comedy Here Comes the Boom, former collegiate wrester Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a 42-year-old apathetic biology teacher in a failing high school. When cutbacks threaten to cancel the music program and lay off its teacher (Henry Winkler) Scott begins to raise money by moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter. Everyone thinks Scott is crazy – most of all the school nurse, Bella (Salma Hayek) – but in his quest, Scott gains something he never expected as he becomes a sensation that rallies the entire school.