The Hammer (2007)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Charles Herman-Wurmfeld

Writers (WGA):

Kevin Hench (screenplay)
Adam Carolla (story)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

Some Guys Don't Know Their Destiny Till It Hits Them In The Face.

Plot:

Jerry Ferro's 40th birthday has brought his life into sharp relief and it's not a pretty picture. A once-promising amateur boxer...

Plot Keywords:

Boxing

Cast

Adam Carolla	...	Jerry Ferro
Oswaldo Castillo	...	Oswaldo Sanchez
Harold House Moore	...	Robert Brown
Christopher Darga	...	Mike LeMat
Jonathan Hernandez	...	Victor Padilla
Heather Juergensen	...	Lindsay Pratt
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Alayo	...	Boxer Opponent
Michelle Ashley	...	Waitress
Rian Bishop	...	Nationals Trainer
Ascencion Bribiescas	...	Boxing Student
Antonio Caballero
Derrick Deane	...	Gym Member
Lorenzo Eduardo	...	Posse Member #2
John Enos III	...	Steve
Kevin Ferguson	...	Jeff
Jim FitzGerald	...	Announcer
Alison Flierl	...	Boxing fan
Julia Galasso	...	Boxing Class Trainee
Keeshan Giles	...	Posse Member #1
Stacy Glassgold	...	Tarpits Visitor (as Stacy Michelle Gold)
Leah Gottfried	...	Secretary
Andy Hnilo	...	Knockout Victim
Karen Jefferson	...	Hardware Store Cashier
Justin Kelly	...	Construction Worker
Jeff Lacy	...	Malice Blake
Billy Moses	...	Boxing Student
Manuel Nardi	...	(credit only)
Tom Quinn	...	Coach Bell
Lily Rey	...	Waitress
Bruce Schroffel	...	Timekeeper
Shadii	...	Malice Blake Entourage / boxer
Robyn Sheridan	...	Boxer
Ray Siegle	...	Final match referee
Keith Stanisiewski	...	Hardware Store Customer
Trev Tommasi	...	Mike Duncan
Jimmy Walker Jr.	...	The Oldtimer
Constance Zimmer	...	Nicole

MPAA:

Rated R for brief language.

Runtime:

USA:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

La Brea Tar Pits, Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bentley Filmgroup

Trivia:

The film was going to be released straight to DVD until Adam Carolla insisted that the movie be released in theaters and put up approximately $300,000 of his own money for prints and promotion to fund a limited release.

Goofs:

Continuity: In order to open the door to Jerry's pick-up, he has Lindsay lift the handle while he kicks the door from the inside. When they return from their date to the tar pits, Lindsay simply opens the door using the outside handle, but does not have to kick or push to open it.

Quotes:

Coach Bell: So what are you?
Jerry Ferro: Well, up until 2 hours ago, I was a carpenter.
Coach Bell: So you still have your amateur status?
Jerry Ferro: Not at a carpenter.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-03-22)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

You

Very Pleasant Surprise- Much Better Than Expected (And the MPAA Sucks)

Adam Carolla is one of those guys you either really like, or really hate. There doesn't quite seem to have been an in-between opinion about him since he rose to national fame as co-host of "The Man Show" in 1999. I've heard a lot of bad things about him, and I haven't been the biggest fan of his myself.

That being said, however, I never would have expected him to write and star in a very smart comedy with a surprising amount of heart to it. After all, you initially think this movie is a rags to riches story about a blue collar worker who finds he can actually make it as a professional boxer. Carolla appears to have taken that now-cliché premise and turn it right on its head in a good way.

So why is this movie great? Why does it deserve 8 out of 10 stars? My answer: it's just very enjoyable to watch, and it has some somewhat unpredictable turns amidst the very clever one-liners from Carolla. Some of Carolla's lines I'm still laughing at even after seeing the movie last night. One of Carolla's best moments is when he gets pulled over by a cop. The rant that follows is just hilarious.

With all the laughs, this story has a heart that fits in pretty well, and doesn't make the movie too schmaltzy or cheesy. Of course, a movie about boxing wouldn't be complete without a climactic fight in the end, and this movie indeed has one. Without giving too much away, the way that fight ends is quite unexpected, especially coming from Carolla, but it was so sincere an ending that it ended the movie in a very satisfactory way.

I probably used the word "surprising" a lot in this review, but that's for good reason. It's a good thing when a movie comes along that you have low expectations for, and it just blows you away with its creativity and originality, especially given its premise. After all, you can go so far with a movie about sports. Take Burt Reynolds, for example. His most recent sports romp, "Cloud 9", began with a great premise, but ended up just as cliché as most other sports movies. This coming from the actor (and producer) who brought us "The Longest Yard" too.

My biggest grievance about this movie comes not from its content, but from the Motion Picture Association of America for rating this movie R. This was the biggest misfire on the MPAA ever. This movie had one use of the F-word, no lethal violence, no explicit sexual content, and no suggestive themes. It should have been rated PG-13, period. This movie could be the prime example of the MPAA's inefficiency and inaccuracy, and it's a shame that low-budget gems like this movie have to suffer for it.

As for Adam Carolla, though, his stock went way up in my book after seeing this movie. As soon as it comes out on DVD, I'm buying it for sure.