The Hammer (2007)
NETFLIX SYNOPSIS: An aging boxer (Adam Carolla) turned construction worker dons his gloves again two decades after stepping away from the ring in a bid to win the prize he had been unable to attain before, a berth on the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. Years past his prime, the onetime up-and-comer struggles in the ring and out as the boxing establishment doubts he can pull off a comeback in this sly comedy from director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld.
REVIEW: Based somewhat on Carolla’s life, The Hammer could loosely be called a comedy. The plot is typical guy-flick fare: downtrodden everyguy gets dumped by his self-centered girlfriend (how DARE she get bummed out over her fella’s lack of ambition!) and discovers that he’s missed his calling as an Olympic boxer, upgrading to a more understanding girl in the process. Like the aspiring boxer portrayed in the film, the plot does deliver a surprise shot from time to time, but the true yucks come from Carolla’s droll quips. Those who don’t enjoy Carolla can safely skip this offering, but I laughed out loud plenty of times, and I’ll never look at the La Brea Tar Pits quite the same again.
4 stars
HAWK
