The Hammer isn't going to sneak past Raging Bull in the boxing-movie pantheon (or even Rocky, for that matter). But like its star, it is an underdog you can root for.
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03/20/08
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The Hammer (2008)
71
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:31
Fresh:22
Rotten:9
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: Crass and curiously low-energy, The Hammer ultimately perseveres as both an above-average sports comedy and a perfect starring vehicle for Carolla.
Rated: R [See Full Rating]
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Mar 21, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $321,579
Synopsis: Jerry Ferro’s 40th birthday has brought his life into sharp relief and it’s not a pretty picture. A once-promising amateur boxer—who quit so he wouldn’t risk his perfect record of... [More]
Reviews for The Hammer
While this rock’em sock’em rom com about a middle-aged man’s unlikely return to the world of amateur boxing doesn’t quite score a knockout, it lands a respectable number of body blows -- and belly laughs.
03/21/08
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.
03/23/08
There are plenty of opportunities for Carolla to spout wisdom and observations.
03/21/08
A boxing comedy with a potty mouth and warm heart.
04/16/08
I think it’s a terrific little film.
03/24/08
Top Criticwatchable, if not unique.. all in good fun
07/05/08
Succeeds in spite of itself.
03/28/08
Adam Carolla fans will feel they've died and gone to heaven...Unfortunately it all adds up to something more like a viral video than a full-fledged film.
03/21/08
The movie benefits from unpretentiousness; it never takes itself too seriously.
03/10/08
Top CriticLike the boxer himself, the flick is flabby but light on its feet, ultimately exceeding expectations
03/20/08
Plays mostly like wish-fulfillment for its star.
03/20/08
Adam Carrola makes for a pretty agreeable leading man in The Hammer, a movie tailor-made to the comic strengths of the radio/TV personality.
03/21/08
The movie's reliance on crass humor and long-shot solutions gradually take the charm off this underdog's blue collar.
03/20/08
[Adam] Carolla's grumbly, monotoned, stoop-shouldered pessimism in The Hammer, the first feature he has penned, is actually funny.
03/21/08
The script depends heavily on familiar stand-up comedy bits, but it's full of sharp wisecracks and slacker charm.
03/21/08
Top CriticCarolla has a tendency to riff when he should be acting, and the whole project is rambling and disorganized. At the same time, though, The Hammer also has dry wit and unforced working-class swagger, and hits some surprising emotional notes.
03/21/08
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.
03/21/08
Top CriticIt's no classic, but, unlike recent attempts at sports comedy (we're looking at you, Semi-Pro), The Hammer comes through by not seeming to try too hard.
03/20/08
Top CriticCarolla 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.
03/21/08
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March 20, 2008:
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