O Nocaute de Jerry

I rented this last night from Blockbuster, upon reading the comments on IMDb. I had been eyeing it on my past few visits, and finally decided to give it a shot. Yep, it was good, and I was not surprised. Adam Corolla is a smart man, he came up with a decent story and had somebody write a decent script for it. While I'm not a huge fan, I like his deadpan humor quite a bit, and he uses it to full effect in his movie. He doesn't play a character he essentially is himself, and it works, he doesn't try to act himself into something he's not. What I was surprised about is his athletic agility, I didn't realize he was so athletic, or did he have stand ins? I'll give it a second watch and pay more attention to that. All in all, nice simple story, no special effects, just a good low budget movie about human beings and a somewhat surprising ending that I won't spoil. Not that it is in my top ten movies of all time, but maybe my recent top ten. Go ahead, give it a watch and enjoy it. I did. Sometimes simplicity is the best policy, I hope Adam will do another one and keep it simple again...

One liners galore, but what else would you expect from Adam Carolla he's like the king of one liners. So many times in this film another character says something and you can just feel a one liner coming and bam there it is, and for the most part it's hilarious. Especially a scene at the La brea Tar Pits, the hits just kept on coming line after line just kept getting funnier and funnier, I do wish that more of the film would have let Adam loose like that. Even though those moments are the highlights of the film that is not all there is to it, it has a unique story with dare I say a message and a believable bond between it's characters. Carolla could have easily have delivered his lines and just delivered a standard comedic performance and left it at that, but in some ways he really develops a great character who is unique and multifaceted. OK, maybe that's a little too generous but he does do a good job as does his supporting cast. Yes it's a simple film, yes it's a simple plot, but some times it's the characters from those simple stories that we can relate to the best.

Adam Carolla is one of those guys you either really like, or really hate. There doesn't quite seem to have been an in-between opinion about him since he rose to national fame as co-host of "The Man Show" in 1999. I've heard a lot of bad things about him, and I haven't been the biggest fan of his myself.

That being said, however, I never would have expected him to write and star in a very smart comedy with a surprising amount of heart to it. After all, you initially think this movie is a rags to riches story about a blue collar worker who finds he can actually make it as a professional boxer. Carolla appears to have taken that now-cliché premise and turn it right on its head in a good way.

So why is this movie great? Why does it deserve 8 out of 10 stars? My answer: it's just very enjoyable to watch, and it has some somewhat unpredictable turns amidst the very clever one-liners from Carolla. Some of Carolla's lines I'm still laughing at even after seeing the movie last night. One of Carolla's best moments is when he gets pulled over by a cop. The rant that follows is just hilarious.

With all the laughs, this story has a heart that fits in pretty well, and doesn't make the movie too schmaltzy or cheesy. Of course, a movie about boxing wouldn't be complete without a climactic fight in the end, and this movie indeed has one. Without giving too much away, the way that fight ends is quite unexpected, especially coming from Carolla, but it was so sincere an ending that it ended the movie in a very satisfactory way.

I probably used the word "surprising" a lot in this review, but that's for good reason. It's a good thing when a movie comes along that you have low expectations for, and it just blows you away with its creativity and originality, especially given its premise. After all, you can go so far with a movie about sports. Take Burt Reynolds, for example. His most recent sports romp, "Cloud 9", began with a great premise, but ended up just as cliché as most other sports movies. This coming from the actor (and producer) who brought us "The Longest Yard" too.

My biggest grievance about this movie comes not from its content, but from the Motion Picture Association of America for rating this movie R. This was the biggest misfire on the MPAA ever. This movie had one use of the F-word, no lethal violence, no explicit sexual content, and no suggestive themes. It should have been rated PG-13, period. This movie could be the prime example of the MPAA's inefficiency and inaccuracy, and it's a shame that low-budget gems like this movie have to suffer for it.

As for Adam Carolla, though, his stock went way up in my book after seeing this movie. As soon as it comes out on DVD, I'm buying it for sure.

When I heard Richard Roeper mention a movie starring Adam Carolla which had gone directly to video, I figured that made a lot of sense. But then he said he liked it and I was really intrigued. I decided to take a chance by renting it and was very happy I did. Now I'm sure many who review this film will use the word "formulaic" and they're probably right, but to some extent isn't The Godfather also formulaic?It's all in how it's handled. Carolla does a surprisingly good job in the title role and I absolutely fell in love with Heather Juergensen, who plays the role of Carolla's girlfriend/foil with just the right combination of sweetness, strength and humor. The other cast members acted their parts with above average skills and I honestly have to say I enjoyed The Hammer far more than the majority of movies I have seen thus far this year. Give it a chance and you might be pleasantly surprised as I was.

This film had a lot to live up to for me. I read a lot and had heard a lot of good things about it before finally seeing it. Inevitably, when that happens usually the film can't possibly live up to the hype. This one for me really did. I hearkened back to a time in film making when comedies didn't need gross-out scenes or elaborate sight gags to carry the comedy. The comedy just relied on good and funny writing. This film has it in spades.

First a little jag about the MPPA rating system. If someone could explain to me the, "R" rating, I would appreciate it. It seems to me the only reason - and I'm no conspiracy theorist - for it to carry such a rating is to kill small, independent film such as this one. It has no nudity, no harsh language (no f-bombs or closer), no real violence (there is a little blood in one scene but its surrounded by boxing as a plot point). Really, I want to know, why the, "R" rating. I'm pretty conservative but I would take my 7 year old niece to this film.

This is a romantic comedy. I would put it among the best in the sports-themed category right alongside, "Tin Cup" and "Bull Durahm". This film, however carries a much lighter touch after all it was made for like, 1/5th the budget and therefore carries much more charm and appeal as a result. I will say that despite the low budget it is far from looking like a low budget film. The directing is tight, the acting is very convincing and the comedy is razor sharp.

Overall I would say, if you are finished with the tired and formula driven comedies the major studios are pumping out these days and want to get back to a comedy that is very funny but doesn't have to hit you over the head with over the top stereotypes, sight gags and fart jokes, then, "The Hammer" may be the salvation you have been waiting for.