The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
91
Studio and Year: Sony Pictures - 2012
MPAA Rating: PG
Feature running time: 105 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, French/Spanish/Thai Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Thai
Starring: Kevin James, Henry Winkler, Salma Hayek, Bas Rutten, Gary Valentine, Greg Germann
Directed by: Frank Coraci
Music by: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Written by: Allan Loeb & Kevin James
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: February 5, 2013
"One teacher still believes in fighting for his students"
Film Synopsis:
Former collegiate wrestler Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a 42-year-old, apathetic high school teacher. When budget cutbacks threaten to cancel some of the school’s programs and lay off its music teacher (Henry Winkler), Scott creates a scheme 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). In his quest, Scott gains something he never expected as he inspires his students and becomes a sensation that rallies the entire school.
My Take:
I liked Here comes the boom. The script, co-written by Kevin James is droll over the top hokum with an inspirational theme that plays well to his comedic style. He is a big, agile, teddy bear of a guy who has a penchant for physical humor as well as coming off as an affable oaf who you can’t help but root for. I am a fan and have been since I watched the very first episode of King of Queens. The plot here is thin, the situational humor is standard fare, and there isn’t much originality. I guess it’s not always about coming up with new concepts and original storylines. Sometimes even though we know how things are going to turn out we still find ourselves caught up in the moment. That’s when it comes down to enjoying the interaction among the characters and getting a chuckle out of a well gag.
The comradeship between ex-MMA tough guy Bas Rutten and Kevin James is clearly evident and augments the proceedings as does the excellent chemistry they share with co-star Henry Winkler. Salma Hayek’s presence sweetens the deal although I never found much credibility in the lightly portrayed romance between her and Kevin’s character. Regardless it all worked fine. Here comes the boom isn’t top flight cinema but achieves its goal. I found it to be silly, over the top mindless entertainment with a heart.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for bouts of MMA sports violence, some rude humor and language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Video: 94
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Here comes the boom comes to Blu-ray from Sony Pictures featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 24 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 2.7 Mbps.
Sony has been very consistent in the quality of their high definition video presentations on Blu-ray Disc and this is no exception. Shot on high definition video this is a reference quality encoding that looks superb. It features a reserved chromatic palette which makes use of darker tones and muted primaries. This applies predominantly to the sequences shot at the school as exterior shots and those at the MMA venues tend to offer more extensive use of color. Skin tones follow suit with pallid complexional make up during some scenes and deeper variety during others. Contrast and brightness are nicely balanced and blacks are deep and punchy. Detail in dark areas/backgrounds is exemplary and provides excellent depth in low lighting. Close ups have a transparent quality and offer appreciable texture with excellent delineation and subtle refinement. Wide angle shots have multi-stage depth, and crisp resolute imagery that is rarely questionable. I didn’t notice any signs of compression or video related artifacts and found this to be a pristine high definition rendering.
The DTS-HD MA soundtrack features crystal clear dialogue, snappy dynamics and a subtle, yet engaging surround sound mix. I was impressed with the implementation of both spacial dimension and discrete directional sounds that create an occasionally immersive listening environment (the fights sequences are a great example and sound terrific). This works hand in hand with a punchy low end the supports the film’s music, and source material to help drive the story.
Bonus Features:
Final Thoughts:
Here comes the boom doesn’t bring anything original to the action/comedy genre but it struck a chord with me via its inspirational theme, situational humor and the oafish charm of star Kevin James. It comes to Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment featuring reference quality high definition video, excellent lossless sound quality and a fair supplemental set that offers a glimpse behind the scenes and insights from the cast/crew. If you’re a Kevin James fan Here comes the boom on Blu-ray is worth picking up.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
91
Studio and Year: Sony Pictures - 2012
MPAA Rating: PG
Feature running time: 105 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, French/Spanish/Thai Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Thai
Starring: Kevin James, Henry Winkler, Salma Hayek, Bas Rutten, Gary Valentine, Greg Germann
Directed by: Frank Coraci
Music by: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Written by: Allan Loeb & Kevin James
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: February 5, 2013
"One teacher still believes in fighting for his students"
Film Synopsis:
Former collegiate wrestler Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a 42-year-old, apathetic high school teacher. When budget cutbacks threaten to cancel some of the school’s programs and lay off its music teacher (Henry Winkler), Scott creates a scheme 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). In his quest, Scott gains something he never expected as he inspires his students and becomes a sensation that rallies the entire school.
My Take:
I liked Here comes the boom. The script, co-written by Kevin James is droll over the top hokum with an inspirational theme that plays well to his comedic style. He is a big, agile, teddy bear of a guy who has a penchant for physical humor as well as coming off as an affable oaf who you can’t help but root for. I am a fan and have been since I watched the very first episode of King of Queens. The plot here is thin, the situational humor is standard fare, and there isn’t much originality. I guess it’s not always about coming up with new concepts and original storylines. Sometimes even though we know how things are going to turn out we still find ourselves caught up in the moment. That’s when it comes down to enjoying the interaction among the characters and getting a chuckle out of a well gag.
The comradeship between ex-MMA tough guy Bas Rutten and Kevin James is clearly evident and augments the proceedings as does the excellent chemistry they share with co-star Henry Winkler. Salma Hayek’s presence sweetens the deal although I never found much credibility in the lightly portrayed romance between her and Kevin’s character. Regardless it all worked fine. Here comes the boom isn’t top flight cinema but achieves its goal. I found it to be silly, over the top mindless entertainment with a heart.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for bouts of MMA sports violence, some rude humor and language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
Video: 94
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Here comes the boom comes to Blu-ray from Sony Pictures featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 24 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 2.7 Mbps.
Sony has been very consistent in the quality of their high definition video presentations on Blu-ray Disc and this is no exception. Shot on high definition video this is a reference quality encoding that looks superb. It features a reserved chromatic palette which makes use of darker tones and muted primaries. This applies predominantly to the sequences shot at the school as exterior shots and those at the MMA venues tend to offer more extensive use of color. Skin tones follow suit with pallid complexional make up during some scenes and deeper variety during others. Contrast and brightness are nicely balanced and blacks are deep and punchy. Detail in dark areas/backgrounds is exemplary and provides excellent depth in low lighting. Close ups have a transparent quality and offer appreciable texture with excellent delineation and subtle refinement. Wide angle shots have multi-stage depth, and crisp resolute imagery that is rarely questionable. I didn’t notice any signs of compression or video related artifacts and found this to be a pristine high definition rendering.
The DTS-HD MA soundtrack features crystal clear dialogue, snappy dynamics and a subtle, yet engaging surround sound mix. I was impressed with the implementation of both spacial dimension and discrete directional sounds that create an occasionally immersive listening environment (the fights sequences are a great example and sound terrific). This works hand in hand with a punchy low end the supports the film’s music, and source material to help drive the story.
Bonus Features:
- (HD) 18 deleted scenes
- (HD) Gag reel – 2 minutes
- (HD) Here comes the cast – 6 minute featurette
- (HD) Exclusive: Gino vs. Richie – 3 minute fun match
- (HD) Exclusive: Back to school – 4 minute featurette
- (HD) Exclusive: Learning how to fight – 8 minute featurette
- (HD) Exclusive: Three amigos – 5 minute featurette
- (HD) Exclusive: The pros – 3 minute featurette
- (HD) Exclusive: Disco street fighting – 2 minute fun feature with Bas Rutten
- Ultraviolet Digital Copy
Final Thoughts:
Here comes the boom doesn’t bring anything original to the action/comedy genre but it struck a chord with me via its inspirational theme, situational humor and the oafish charm of star Kevin James. It comes to Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment featuring reference quality high definition video, excellent lossless sound quality and a fair supplemental set that offers a glimpse behind the scenes and insights from the cast/crew. If you’re a Kevin James fan Here comes the boom on Blu-ray is worth picking up.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package