'Here Comes the Boom' -- 2 1/2 stars

PG; 1:45 running time

Wait a sec. How did the Kevin James mixed martial arts movie end up a more convincing portrait of the plight of the American public school teacher than "Won't Back Down," a film that's actually about that subject? "Here Comes the Boom" begins not well, with overstated and very broadly played comedy from Frank Coraci, the director of "The Wedding Singer" (fun) and "Click" (not). But once it gets going and commits to its time-worn inspirational formula, it's not half-bad. -- Michael Phillips

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October 11, 2012