The Hammer (2007)

75% of critics liked it
(36 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(3,706 ratings)

Can a guy edging into middle age become a success fighting guys half his age? That's the big question behind this independent comedy. Jerry Ferro (Adam Carolla) is almost 40 years old, and he's spent most of his life going nowhere -- and taking his own sweet time getting there. While Jerry enjoyed… More Can a guy edging into middle age become a success fighting guys half his age? That's the big question behind this independent comedy. Jerry Ferro (Adam Carolla) is almost 40 years old, and he's spent most of his life going nowhere -- and taking his own sweet time getting there. While Jerry enjoyed some success as an amateur boxer when he was young, these days he's out of shape, drinks too much, and scrapes by working in construction. Through his work as a handyman, Jerry has landed a part-time job teaching boxing at a gym in Pasadena, though none of his students are likely to ever move beyond sparring as a hobby. One day, one of Jerry's old friends, Eddie Bell (Tom Quinn), stops by the gym with a promising new fighter he's training. Since he's short on sparring partners, Eddie asks Jerry to step into the ring with the young boxer, and while it's clear that Jerry is in lousy shape and out of practice, he also manages to knock out the challenger with one well-placed punch. Eddie is convinced Jerry still has what it takes, and offers to help Jerry make a comeback, confident that despite his age he can land him a spot on the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. Also starring Heather Juergensen, The Hammer received its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Written By: Kevin Hench
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 26, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Jun 24, 2008
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

Christy Lemire, Associated Press
Yes, this comedy about a sad-sack, has-been boxer is painfully predictable and manages to include every cliche of the genre, but executive producer and star Adam Carolla keeps it rolling along with his trademark, deadpan rants.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
I think it's a terrific little film.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
I never would have guessed that Adam Carolla, the politically incorrect radio and TV personality, could hold his own in a movie, but here's The Hammer to prove me wrong.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
A nearly comatose comedy that spends its time just bum-stumbling along, never putting in the work necessary to land a solid joke or develop a winning character.
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
[Adam] Carolla's grumbly, monotoned, stoop-shouldered pessimism in The Hammer, the first feature he has penned, is actually funny.
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
So many movies these days are overworked or overblown: The Hammer feels genuinely tossed-off. It isn't a great movie, or even a consistently good one. Yet it gets to elusive feelings about failure and success, hope and mortality.
Patrick Walsh, Cinematical
The Hammer is one of the year's nicest surprises.
Nathan Rabin, AV Club
Much of the film's charm comes from its scruffy, self-effacing modesty; it's a relaxed, affable underdog about a relaxed, affable underdog.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
Forget the 40 Year Old Virgin. How about the 40 Year Old Boxer with Self-Esteem Issues?
Jonathan Kiefer, Sacramento News & Review
All The Hammer really adds to the boxing-movie canon is the refreshing air of not worrying about adding anything to the boxing-movie canon. That, and being funny.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
watchable, if not unique.. all in good fun
Bill Gibron, PopMatters
Built out of character, not crudity, and wonderfully uplifting without being maudlin or pat, The Hammer...is actually quite accomplished.
Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Like a television show, The Hammer wields that mysterious power to keep you watching even though you know it isn't any good.
James Rocchi, Common Sense Media
A boxing comedy with a potty mouth and warm heart.
Rossiter Drake, San Francisco Examiner
To his credit, Carolla carries 'The Hammer' with self-assured ease, hoisting the film on his broad shoulders while making sure, as screenwriter, to leave some of its sharpest one-liners to his supporting cast.
Brent Simon, FilmStew.com
Succeeds in spite of itself.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Adam Carolla isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the man can sling around an acidic one-liner with the best of them, and his starring debut is a familiar, but persuasively funny brew of clichés and belly laughs.
Fred Topel, Can Magazine
There are plenty of opportunities for Carolla to spout wisdom and observations.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Working with utterly predictable material, screenwriter Kevin Hench finds plenty of offbeat humor, and Carolla knows how to make it sing.
Carla Meyer, Sacramento Bee
Carolla is winning in The Hammer, which evokes Rocky and just about every other lovable-loser sports movie while showing enough comic originality to hold interest throughout.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Nani V

I love my Adam. Not just that. I love that it was a low budget film, yet it still told a beautiful story.
Chris G

Adam Carolla plays a boxer turned contractor turned boxer in this comedy that turned out to be better than you expect- just not by much. Carolla's character, Jerry Ferro, happens to fall into the quest to become a member of the 2008 Olympic boxing team: at the age of 40. With a… More
Adam Carolla plays a boxer turned contractor turned boxer in this comedy that turned out to be better than you expect- just not by much. Carolla's character, Jerry Ferro, happens to fall into the quest to become a member of the 2008 Olympic boxing team: at the age of 40. With a film like this you almost groan about how predictable it's going to be- and it is. But there are certain surprises along the way that keep you from remember other boxing films you could be watching right now, like Mandingo. It's a film that's a little above average, but in a world with crap, that could be as good as five stars.
Dean L

Prepare to be pleasantly surprised. This movie was really so much better than I expected that it almost earned higher than four stars for being such a sleeper gem. Adam Carolla, not particularly well-known for being subtle or sensitive shows a facet of his talent that, until now,… More
Prepare to be pleasantly surprised. This movie was really so much better than I expected that it almost earned higher than four stars for being such a sleeper gem. Adam Carolla, not particularly well-known for being subtle or sensitive shows a facet of his talent that, until now, remained relatively untapped. A heartfelt story of a man turning 40 who has turned his back on his dreams. In no way pretentious or unfathomable he gets a shot just as everything in his life has sped towards its nadir. As Carollla notes in the film, he has always been that guy who has given 95%, but never more (or as he put it "75%, I'm just giving you an extra 20). What happens this time? Well...I won't give it away, but what I will note is that this movie has a great feel about it. The characters are accessible. The humor is fantastic (sometimes belly-laughing). The acting is just right and never in your face. The story is really well-done. I did not expect such a great comedic charge from Carolla of "The Man Show" fame. One would expect bawdy, racy humor without a touch of subtlety, but that simply is not so in this film. The supporting cast is great. When Carolla does some riffing (and he does) he will have you holding your sides, but again it is not so over the top that it becomes a one man stand-up. You will laugh. You will be touched. You may even be inspired in all sorts of ways. I simply cannot say enough about what a surprise this one was. Watch this as soon as you can. I hope to find it and add it to my collection.
Sol C

A knockout for Adam Carolla. This is a really good film. Well written and casted. Carolla shines in the lead role. Heather Juergensen also shines in the film and has a good on screen chemistry with Carolla. Jane Lynch has a funny cameo appearance in the film. Oswaldo Castillo steals… More
A knockout for Adam Carolla. This is a really good film. Well written and casted. Carolla shines in the lead role. Heather Juergensen also shines in the film and has a good on screen chemistry with Carolla. Jane Lynch has a funny cameo appearance in the film. Oswaldo Castillo steals the film as Carolla's friend. He is hilarious in the film. I definitely recommend the film.
Grifty G

I'm a fan of Adam Carolla. Many of his lines in this are funny, the rest is just a mostly predictable story, and low budget "advanced film" feel.

Cast

            Adam Carolla as Jerry Ferro

            Heather Juergensen as Lindsay Pratt

            Oswaldo Castillo as Ozzie Sanchez

            Harold House Moore as Robert Brown

            Tom Quinn as Coach Eddie Bell

            Constance Zimmer as Nicole

            Christopher Darga as Mike LeMat

            Alex Enriquez as LeMat Crew #1

            John Enos III as Steve Ellis

            Terry Claybon as Tree

            Jeff Lacy as Malice Blake

            Keeshan Giles as Posse #1

            Lorenzo Martinez as Posse #2

            Kevin 'Kimbo Slice' Ferguson as Jeff

            Edgar Sotelo as Cousin #1

            Edgard O. Zuniga as Cousin #2

            Edgard H. Zuniga as Ozzie's Father

            Jonathan Hernandez as Victor Padilla

            Jimmy Walker Jr. as Boxing Old Timer

            Carlos Artiga as Rose Salesman

            Rashad Minafree as Mad Moves Boxer

            Darrius Watson as Darius Reece

            Scott Adsit as Cop

            Eddie Fernandez as LeMat Crew #2

            Jim FtizGerald as Announcer

            Ray Siegle as Final Match Referee

            Manuel Nardi as Photo Double

            Antonio Gomez as Photo Double #2

            Brian Schaefer as Jerry Double
See full cast