Who would have thought Adam Carolla could make a decent romantic comedy about boxing?
Or a decent movie for that matter?
But that’s just what he did in The Hammer, a film that stars Carolla as a 40-year old construction worker who used to be a pretty solid amateur boxer before giving it up.
Carolla himself was actually a good boxer before he caught his big break in 1994 on L.A.’s KROQ. He plays Jerry Ferro, a guy who finds out he still has some stuff left in the tank and decides to make a go at the Olympics.
The movie co-stars Oswaldo Sanchez, or Ozzie, who apparently is Carolla’s real life friend from back when he actually worked construction. You can tell that the chemistry between them extends beyond the screen in front of you.
The Hammer doesn’t break any ground when it comes to sports movies or romantic comedies, but it is a fun, light-hearted and humorous entry into those genres.
The movie just had a “real” quality to it that you don’t always get. Carolla and Ozzie look like people you’d see in everyday life, not hot-looking movie stars. Jerry’s love interest is played by Heather Juergensen, a woman who is beautiful, but not in the model-good-looks like Angelina Jolie or Keira Knightley.
All the actors in The Hammer have that same quality to them. And in that regard, it captures our attention and truly sucks us into caring for all the characters.
I really don’t know if Carolla could deliver a movie like this a second time, because it’s based so much off his real life history that it wasn’t a tough task for him. But that’s what gives The Hammer its charming personality.
The film has a great message, a good heart and deserves to be seen by people who love movies.
It was definitely a solid renter… add it to your queues. Ozzie may have been my favorite part!
I've heard from other sources that this was a good movie, but I just couldn't believe it. I guess I'll put it on my list and check it out now for sure.