The Sound Of The Boom

I will always remember with fondness two teachers that greatly influenced my life. The first was my fifth grade teacher. His image stands out vividly in my mind because he looked exactly like Santa. No, not even kidding! If someone had told me he actually was Santa, I would have replied with a sophisticated, "Duh!" He was kind and patient and best of all encouraged his kids in their passions. I'll never forget that at the time I just loved dinosaurs. So much so that I even created a presentation about them to share with my class. Enough though it had absolutely nothing to do with the subject matter, he set aside ten minutes at the end of the day so that I could share it. Yes, I was a weird kid, but he was a fantastic teacher.

Second in chronology, but not in favor, was my eighth grade social studies teacher. I'll never forget that he was the first teacher I was ever a smart-Alec to in class. But he didn't punish me for it, though he probably should have. Instead, he treated me like I was his best friend. He joked around with me and allowed me to do the same with him. Looking back, I don't think he treat anybody in that class the way he treated me; he treated us in a way that was best for us and EVERYONE loved him for it. I still remember the majority of the projects we did in that class and a surprising amount of the lessons he gave. He cared, he was funny, and he made learning exciting. Twice he spoke kindly of me without knowing I'd ever hear what he said. The first I was told about from a girl who had his class right after me. The second was to tell my dad how smart I was. I wish more than anything that I could find him and show him my appreciation today. 

Now that was an overly sentimental beginning to a review of such a frivolous movie, but I think it's appropriate. This week Alisa showed her love for me but letting me indulge in my costly habit of a trip to the movies. This week we choose to go see Here Comes the Boom. I don't think many people have heard about this movie and for those who had I guess there wasn't much excitement to see it. Alisa and I were one of the rare few that were actually quite eager. If you haven't heard about it, it's the story of a teacher who starts MMA fighting in order to raise money for extracurricular activities at his school (Ah ha! Now it dawns on you why I began this post the way I did!) ;)  

Some of you might not be swayed by my opinion, but I thought this was a great movie! Not only was it equally funny and inspiring, but it's one that almost the whole family can enjoy. (Your little bundle of joy, and Wilbur the pooch should probably stay home.) I can sum up what I loved about this movie in four easy to remember ideas: teaching, music, a quickly growing interesting in MMA, and humor. Now then, let's see if I can convince you guys to go see this flick. 

1. Teaching has always been a big part of my life. My service to the church over the past eight years has almost completely involved teaching. I love teaching. I suppose that is why I have chosen to make it a career. As mentioned in the beginning, teachers are able to change their students lives. But it is hard work; it requires the teacher's full effort, attention, skill, and passion. One of the messages of the film is that a teacher's biggest achievement is to inspire their students, and Kevin James' character goes to some impressive lengths to do that. This movie provides some beautiful lessons on the importance of teaching,

My favorite message about teaching from this film it's all on the teacher. We have a lot of issues with are education system in this country, and I don't think anyone would deny that. Having just sat in a meeting this morning about how to be an effective teacher (with someone who blamed everyone else for not being successful), I began to realize this lesson is even more important. We can try a thousand different methods and force every teacher to do the same thing, but teaching isn't a paint-by-number experience. Any teacher can be effective, regardless of the program as long as they give it their all. This movie is proof that government institutions can't fix problems; PEOPLE have to fix problems. If we want a good society we have to give it our all because we care. I hope it's a lesson I always remember when I finally have a class of my own.

2. One of my favorite quote from the movie is, "Without music, life would be a mistake." (Or something like that; you get the idea though.) The reason that Kevin James' character decides to gets involved in the whole MMA scene is to save the music program at his school. I don't care who you are, I really hope that music means a lot to you, regardless of what kind you enjoy. I love how this movie makes the point that music is really essential to peoples lives. To roughly quote John Keating, there are many professions that are invaluable because they sustain life, but music is one of the reasons we want it to be sustained. This movie provides a powerful (but not overbearing) message about the message of music. It shows that music can inspire a man to win, intimidate an enemy, help you learn, or just allow you to express yourself. Oh, and on a side note, some of the music for this movie is truly incredible!

3. OK, I'll level with you. This movie is almost the exact same concept as Warrior, but with a humorous twist (and no emotionally gut-wrenching family feud.) But it's those differences that make it an entirely different experience. Warrior introduced me to the fact that I love movies about MMA (mixed martial arts). It really is an incredibly inspiring sport, and I've actually researched that it's safer than boxing. (There are less repeated blows to the head and more submission holds that hurt but don't cause damage.) I guess I'm just a sucker for underdog movies. So when that inspiration is combined with humor, you really get an incredibly new experience. Plus it's less violent than Warrior, so people who didn't enjoy that aspect will be more satisfied with this movie. Additionally, it's super impressive that a comedian like Kevin James is able to do some of the MMA fighting he does... He's like the real life Kung Fu Panda! Oh, and for true MMA fans out there, you'll be excited to know there are real MMA fighters in the film.

4. Obviously I have already mention that this movie is funny but it deserves a discussion all its own. I was a huge fan of Kevin James in Hitch. The role was made for the guy. But other than that I have been disappointed by him quite a bit. Watching Paul Blart: Mall Cop was one of the biggest mistakes of my life, and I refused to even give Zoo Keeper the time of day because the trailer looked so bad. With this movie, he has totally redeemed himself for me. There were tons of extremely funny parts in this movie and what I loved must about them was how unexpected they were. Usually I can see a joke coming a mile away in a movie, and it's funny because it fits the situation. In this movie, much of the humor is so random that it catches you off guard. I was really impressed by that. 

Now with that being said, I do have to give a disclaimer. Some of the humor misses big time. It's still random but completely uncalled. There is some throw-up humor and that is something that always leaves a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended.) Additionally, since it's a film for families, the cheese is thick enough to cut with a knife. Go in with that expectation, and you'll be just fine. Other than that, I really think you all will enjoy this film if you give it a shot. Go into it lighthearted and I can almost guarantee you will be inspired and entertained!