59/365 The Hammer

Starring: Adam Corolla, Heather Juergensen

Genre: Comedy

Discovery: My friend, Brandi, recommended this one to me.

Summary: Jerry, an aging carpenter/amateur boxer,  gets in the ring and knocks out one of the favorites.  This leads to him getting noticed by a coach who only wants him as a sparring partner for his prize fighter, Brown.  Undeterred, he enters a ‘rocky-like’ quest to get a spot in the Olympics while juggling his new love interest, Lindsay.  The ultimate showdown leads to a fight with Brown.

First Glance: I had no idea what I was in for when I started watching this. Comedians often can’t make the leap to the big screen (Dane Cook, love him, but he sucks as an actor).  This was such a treat to watch.  Not only does it have tons of heart, it’s funny as hell.  Adam plays hapless, bumbling hero better than anyone I have seen lately.  He is surrounded by a very strong supporting cast.

Deeper Look: Who doesn’t root for the underdog?  I love a good story where the unlikely guy rules the day & gets the girl.  They shot completely in LA even though a small part of the story took place in “Phoenix” (Behind the scenes girl says: they didn’t fool me, I knew it was Hollywood.  Phoenix doesn’t have that type of architecture.  Geeky detail)  This had the indie stamp all over it.  Small production, nothing really grand happens; just a good story & good acting.  The fighting was fairly authentic although the best “punch” comes outside the ring.  That’s all I will say since I don’t want to spoil.  I promise, if you take a chance on this movie you will have plenty of laughs.

What I Took Away from this Movie: Follow your dreams no matter what.

Final Glimpse: Who knew Adam had the acting chops to pull off such a funny indie gem.  I laughed (out loud) hysterically & that doesn’t happen much with the contemporary comedies.  A must see!