Here Comes the Boom appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though not stellar, the image usually seemed satisfying.
Sharpness was usually fine. Wider shots tended to be a bit soft, but those instances weren’t extreme, and much of the flick offered fairly good clarity.
Shimmering and jaggies remained absent, and I saw no edge haloes. Source flaws were non-existent, as I detected no specks, marks or other blemishes.
The film’s palette usually opted for a light blue orientation or a mild amber tint. Within that design range, the colors lacked real dimensionality they came across as appropriate.
Blacks tended to be deep and rich, while shadows showed appealing smoothness. Don’t expect a killer presentation, but the movie looked fight.
No fireworks result from the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, as we got a mix heavy on music and general environmental material. When the track used the side or rear speakers, it was usually for MMA scenes, but even those weren’t especially involving.
These opened up matters in a moderate way and that was it. For the most part, the soundscape stayed restrained.
Audio quality was fine. Speech seemed natural and concise, and the score demonstrated pretty good vivacity.
Effects did little to tax my system but they were clear and accurate enough. Overall, this ended up as a decent but unspectacular track.
How did the Blu-ray compare to the DVD version? The lossless audio showed a bit more warmth, but the restricted nature of the track limited improvements.
Visuals became a different matter, as the Blu-ray offered obviously superior delineation, blacks and color. Even though the Blu-ray didn’t dazzle, it worked better than the mediocre DVD.
As we shift to extras, we find a few featurettes, and these start with Here Comes the Cast. It goes for six minutes, 24 seconds and includes comments from producer Todd Garner, director Frank Coraci, and actors Kevin James, Bas Rutten, Henry Winkler, Charice and Salma Hayek.
We get some notes about the actors, with an emphasis on happy talk. A few decent stories do emerge, but most of this resides in the promotional fluff vein.
Gino vs. Ritchie runs three minutes, 49 seconds and shows a “challenge match” between associate producer Gino Falsetto and James’ stand-in Ritchie Minervini.
This means we watch two schlubs fight awkwardly for a few minutes. It becomes a complete waste of time.
Next comes Back to School, a four-minute, 27-second reel with notes from Coraci, Winkler, Charice and production designer Perry Blake.
The show covers the high school set and related topics. It mixes insights and self-praise for the production’s efforts to support schools.
Learning to Fight spans eight minutes, 48 seconds and involves James, Coraci, Rutten, fight consultant Ryan Parsons, 2nd unit director Garrett Warren, and actors Joe Rogan, Krzysztof Soszynski and Mark Dellagrotte.
“Fight” examines the movie’s MMA and the actors’ training. A few decent thoughts about the fights emerge, but most of the piece praises James’ skills.
After this we get Three Amigos, a five-minute, 39-second featurette that brings info from James, Winkler, Coraci, Rutten, and Dellagrotte.
Via “Amigos”, we find some notes about the supporting characters. Fluff ensues.
The Pros occupies three minutes and features Soszynski, James, Coraci, Dellagrotte, Winkler, Rutten, fighters Chael Sonnen, Melchor Menor and Danny Perez, and actors Wanderlei Silva, Mark Munoz, Romulu Barral and Jason Miller.
“Pros” discusses more about the combat in the film, with an emphasis on the actual MMA fighters it features. Like its predecessors, it combines a smattering of worthwhile notes with a lot of happy talk.
Finally, Disco Street Fighting goes for two minutes, five seconds and gives us a tutorial from MMA fighter Niko DeKeizer. It seems as silly as the title implies.
18 Deleted Scenes occupy a total of 16 minutes, 18 seconds. Given how many separate sequences get packed into less than 17 minutes, should you anticipate anything substantial?
Nope, as the vast majority just throw in minor character tidbits. A few supporting roles – especially Niko – receive extra time, though, and we find a little more between Scott and Bella. The “Original Ending” just adds some comedy beats; it does nothing to alter the finale otherwise.
Finally, we get a Gag Reel. It lasts two minutes, 276 seconds and shows the standard assortment of goofs and giggles. Don’t expect anything terribly interesting.
The disc opens with ads for Playing for Keeps and Hotel Transylvania. These also pop up under Previews along with promos for Abel’s Field and Premium Rush. No trailer for Boom appears here.
Contrived, trite and predictable, Here Comes the Boom should be a dud. However, via some generally peppy direction and a nice cast, the film delivers an engaging take on the underdog genre. The Blu-ray presents reasonably good picture and audio as well as some largely insubstantial supplements. This isn’t an impressive release, but I think the movie does its job.
To rate this film, visit the prior review of HERE COMES THE BOOM