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Grade
Content Grade:
B
Sound Grade:
B-
Extras Grade:
B+
Picture Grade:
B-
Specs
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen
Sound Options and Formats: Dolby Digital 5.1
Disc Length: 91 Minutes
Review
"The Hammer" is a satisfying indie comedy.
No, "The Hammer" is not a biopic of rapper M.C. Hammer. Instead, it's a semi-autobiographical story of Adam Carolla's life. The story revolves around Jerry Ferro, who is down on his luck to say the least. Not only does he work a crappy job as a carpenter with his pal Ozzie, but his girlfriend dumps him and kicks him out of the house. Jerry's life soon changes when a trainer recognizes Jerry's talents as a boxer and decides to give him a shot at fighting in the Olympic trials. Meanwhile, Jerry meets a new girl (Lindsay) whom he falls for. Can Jerry turn his life around or will everything fall apart?
"The Hammer" may be a conventional underdog story that glorifies former "Man Show" star Adam Carolla, but the comedic script by Kevin Hench makes one forget that the true to life story is an all too familiar tale about making something of yourself. One of the reasons that the film is a success is that Carolla is a surprisingly charismatic leading man. Granted, he is playing his usual sarcastic, rant-filled, and quick witted self, but so what? It takes skill to be yourself on film. The real scene stealer, however, is Carolla's pal on and off camera Ozzie who has many of the film's funniest lines and moments.
Conclusion: "The Hammer" may not be original, but it has everything you could want in a movie such as romance, fights, characterization, humor, a tar pit rant, etc. Check it out.
Picture and Sound
The widescreen picture is grainy, but that was no doubt intentional on the director's part.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track isn't high in quality(especially some of the dubbings), but I'm willing to let that pass as it is a low budget indie film.
Extras
* 4:45 of outtakes.
* 8 extended/deleted scenes that run 9 1/2 minutes.
* A quick 2 minute extra titled "Ozzie's ADR Session."
* A 17 minute conversation with Adam and Ozzie in which they talk about how they met, where they worked, and their friendship in general.
* 6 behind-the-scenes promo segments which are essentially Carolla's set diaries. These run 10 1/2 minutes total.
* The best extra is the commentary track with Adam Carolla and screenwriter Kevin Hench. The two joke around, talk about set experiences, and point out things the viewer might not catch.
* Still gallery.
* Trailers for "The Hammer," "I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With," "Finishing The Game," and "Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden?"
