Kevin James

Kevin James is known for playing lovable buffoons, but he shapes up (literally and figuratively) to take on a meatier role requiring less joviality and more focus in Here Comes the Boom. He plays Scott Voss, a one-time Teacher of the Year who has inexplicably fallen into a slump, coming in late for class and phoning it in with his students. He is ignited into action when his school loses funding and may have to cut extracurriculars. Scott takes on teaching classes at night, but when his measly paycheck doesn't look like it'll make a dent in the school's deficit, the former college wrestler elects to raise the money by training to be a mixed-martial arts fighter. It's a pretty implausible story, but despite its tepid first half, I was surprised to find myself rooting for Scott by the movie's close. Before you head to the theater this weekend, check out my reasons why this might be the film for you — and why you might want to avoid it.

Why you might like it:

1. It's Kevin James like you've never seen him before. This is the first time I've seen James play a character that's less than affable. He's cocky yet lazy and he's largely unlikeable for much of the film, and playing against type makes James interesting to watch. It's not just his character that's a departure either; his physical transformation into a legitimately believable fighter is pretty incredible as well.
2. The fight scenes are intense and well shot. Scott starts out as a small-time fighter in back-alley matches, but eventually works his way up to a professional-level fight in Vegas. This last fight (in which James fights a real-life MMA fighter) comes off as realistic, and that authenticity keeps the audience on their toes.
3. Henry Winkler is delightful. I'll say it: Henry Winkler is the coolest. Here he's playing Marty, the inspiring band teacher whose job is on the line with the threat of budget cuts. He's quirky but not over the top as he tags along with Scott to his training. His character adds a lot of heart to the film.

To see the reasons why Here Comes the Boom may not be for you, just read more

Kevin James shows a whole new (fitter) side of himself in the trailer for Here Comes the Boom. James stars as Scott Voss, a teacher whose school is faced with being shut down due to lack of funding. Scott rises to the occasion and takes it upon himself to raise the money necessary to keep his school open. How? By training to become an MMA fighter and winning a pot o' money, of course!

At first this seems like a straightforward Kevin James comedy, but I quickly realized Here Comes the Boom is a little deeper than Zookeeper. I like that it has a good balance of laughs and heart; I just hope that combination is as consistent in the movie as it is in the trailer. Salma Hayek also stars as Scott's fellow teacher and love interest (if you can wrap your head around the idea of her as an everywoman). The movie is set for release on Oct. 12, and you can watch the trailer after the jump.

The title of The Dilemma seems apt, because the film is having a dilemma of its own: how do you make jokes about a marriage falling apart? The film tries to make light of what is frankly, a sad scenario, and it never really gets the balance of drama and comedy quite right.

Vince Vaughn plays Ronny Valentine, a small business owner who works on electric car motors in Chicago with his best friend from college, Nick (Kevin James). Ronny is the face of their operation, using his smooth sales techniques to wheel and deal with clients; Nick is the brains, the nerdy engineer who sees the projects through completion. They're the perfect team, and with Nick's wife Geneva (Winona Ryder) and Ronny's girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly), the foursome is practically like family. But when Ronny catches Geneva playing tonsil hockey with a tattooed guy who's not, he begins to question everything: the sanctity of marriage, friendship, and most of all, to tell or not to tell?

Find out where the film works and where it doesn't after the jump.

Do these guys love each other or what? After appearing together in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Grown Ups, and briefly in You Don't Mess With the Zohan, Adam Sandler and Kevin James are giving their onscreen partnership another go. The buddies will reportedly star in Valet Guys, which follows hotel parking attendants who witness a murder in Miami's South Beach. Oh, and it's a comedy — obviously.

There's no doubt these two have fun together, but is another movie collaboration really the best idea? Their previous projects didn't exactly earn high marks with critics or with fans. I hate to be a downer, but perhaps the guys would be better off trying something new. What say you — are you excited to see them reteam?

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Back when Ron Howard's project The Dilemma was first announced, I was a little leery about how he was going to turn a subject like infidelity into a comedy. Now that we've seen the trailer, the bigger question is whether or not it will actually be funny.

Vince Vaughn stars as Ronny, a guy who works at an auto design firm with his best friend, Nick (Kevin James). Both are happily attached — Ronny to his girlfriend, Beth (Jennifer Connelly), and Nick to his wife, Geneva (Winona Ryder) — but when Ronny spies Geneva kissing another dude (Channing Tatum), he can't decide whether to tell his closest bud.

Something seems off about this preview. Perhaps it's having Vaughn, Connelly, and Queen Latifah in the same film, or that the jokes aren't cracking me up like I'd hoped (having a hard time peeing just isn't that hilarious). Even so, between Vaughn's quick tongue and Howard's direction, I figure it can't be all that bad. The film hits in January, but give it a peek when you read more

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