The Hebrew Hammer

If you laugh, you'll have to watch it again. This movie makes Mel Brook's 'Blazing Saddles' and other productions seem like serious and refined drama. If you cannot restrain your laughter, you will miss hearing the next line and have to watch it again. It is one of the most irreverent, politically incorrect, well produced and directed film in this genre I have ever seen...definitely not for kids, but then they wouldn't understand the jokes anyway...probably ruin it for you with their persistent questions. If you are Jewish, this film will rank among the best comedies you have ever watched. If you are not Jewish, this film will rank among the second best comedies you have ever watched...so check your lineage before you rate this film

If I had my eyes closed at the opening, I might have though that I was hearing Isaac Hayes introducing Shaft. What I got, however, was the Jewish version of Shaft - The Hebrew Hammer.

It plays like a blaxploitation film of the seventies, but it's purpose is to slam every Jewish stereotype they can. They added a lot of Black stereotypes as well, as the Hammer joined with the Kwanzaa League to defeat the evil Santa that was trying to wipe out Hanukkah.

Adam Goldberg was good as the Hammer, and Mario Van Peebles as his Black partner. Andy Dick as Santa's son, not so much. Nora Dunn was perfect as the Hammer's mother.

I saw the *star* of this movie on The Daily Show, and thought I might tune in (the movie premiered on Comedy Central, Then went into theaters). Oh Vey!

This makes "Shakes the Clown" look like "Citizen Kane"! Avoid, avoid, avoid at all costs. Not one laugh, not even a grin. This movie will make your face come out in pimples and your eyes burst like the last remants of "Raiders". I can't even think of a worse movie, be it "Manos" or "Ishtar". As the Pythons beckoned, run away, run away! Why did anyone green light this unless they used their own money? The horror is that there is not ONE good line, not ONE good joke, and only ONE bad thing...the making of this movie.

I feel that, if made properly, this would have been hilarious. As it is, I need a new pancreas for retching so loud. Damn anyone involved in this travesty.

The Hebrew Hammer, the toughest Jew in the hood, singlehandedly (but with the support of the entire Jewish League and some black brothers) saves Hanukkah from the new evil and racist Santa. A lot of Jewish self deprecation and cliches, some of them are really funny, but overall it all felt kind of bland. I don't know, you probably have to be Jewish to get the jokes or something. To me it all felt just really racist without being funny most of the time.

I picked up this movie because it caught my eye as movie with a Jewish comedy focus - something I had not seen before.

I approached this film with an open mind, and was interested in the way it began. The opening is well put together, and the first half of the film gave me many reasons to laugh, and this is good.

However, the humor soon became repetitive, the plot became confused and strained, and I realized I was no longer enjoying the film. I have tried to avoid saying this, but the movie became rather "cheap" - not a bad thing for a comedy if the humor holds up, but it didn't. I confess that I may have missed some of the humour, not being Jewish myself, and having little experience with Jewish culture. However, considering how heavily telegraphed the bulk of the humour was in this film, it's unlikely I missed much.

The idea is a good one, and perhaps if a little more thought was put into it the film would have been watchable all the way through. I wish I could give the movie a higher rating, but strictly speaking it would have been better as a TV series or as a series of skits. There was just not enough worthwhile fresh material for a full-length movie.

One thing to say about the casting - the lead role looked as if it had been designed with Ben Stiller in mind, but I don't think the movie would have been any more worthwhile if he had been in it.