The Hammer (2008)

November 04, 2009

HBO On Demand, Seattle, WA

*** ½ / ****

By Scott Muoio

Adam Carolla is all kinds of charming in the low budget and very funny The Hammer.

Carolla stars as Jerry “The Hammer” Ferro, a 40 year-old Los Angeles construction contractor who can’t figure out what the hell to do with his life. His plan thus far: get fired from job after job while palling around with his loveably goofy Columbian best buddy, Ozzie (Oswaldo Castillo). That lifestyle may work when you’re twenty-five but it soon proves too much for his fed up girlfriend. After the pair split, a fortuitous meeting at the gym revives his amateur boxing career while helping him at last embrace true adulthood.

The Hammer is a life comedy that gets both the life and comedy parts spot on. Jerry’s relationships with both a budding girlfriend (Heather Jeurgensen) and up and coming young boxer (Harold Moore) respectively are both natural and amusing. That both initially view Jerry as a hopelessly overgrown child trapped in a goofy body and then eventually accept him as an important part of their lives is anything but contrived. Rather, we understand completely why their feelings have changed as both they and us eventually see Jerry in the same light Ozzie has always seen him: a lost soul with a big heart and a clever wit.

Certainly the premise of a 40 year-old trying to make the Olympic boxing team is silly and far-fetched but somehow Carolla is perfect and makes us believe it all. Whether going on a day date to the Labrea Tar Pits (how romantic!), vouching for inexperienced boxers, pounding the youngsters with scary old man power, or goofing around with the guy that sells roses on the side of the highway The Hammer shows us the minutiae of everyday in an honest and fun loving manner. It also makes brilliant use of Los Angeles as a sunny wasteland perfect for one liners and urban realities. But at it’s heart The Hammer is a romantic comedy that knows “the relationship” is a big part of a person’s life yet isn’t naïve enough to pretend it is the be all end all. That, combined with its laid back, honest laughs, make all the difference resulting in a wonderful romantic comedy that scores on both fronts.

Director: Charles Herman-Wurmfeld

Producer: Eric Ganz

Writer: Adam Carolla, Kevin Hench

Starring: Adam Carolla, Heather Juergensen, Oswaldo Castillo

Original Music: Matt Mariano, John Swihart

Cinematographer: Marco Fargnoli

Editor: Rich Fox