At times, it's hard to tell whether "The Hammer" is goofing on the formulaic uplift-through-sports movie or wants very much to be considered a classic of the genre. But then, any movie whose hero starts his day by having to use his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend's maxi pad as a coffee filter probably doesn't care where it fits in global cinematic terms.
The yo-yo in question is one Jerry Ferro, played by Adam Carolla, KLSX-FM morning host, late of "The Man Show" and one of this year's aspirants on "Dancing With the Stars." Jerry, as with Carolla in real life, was an amateur boxer with a lethal left hook who stumbled away from potential glory to wander from job site to job site as a freelance carpenter. Jerry's 40th birthday proves an all-too-typical collision of mishaps. He's fired from his job, the aforementioned girlfriend moves out (the coffee thing was the least of it), and he gets pounded in a sparring match at his neighborhood gym with a promising pro contender. Yet Jerry, though bruised, flattens the guy with that heavy-duty left, prompting boxing coach Eddie Bell (Tom Quinn) to suggest he try out for the Olympic boxing team.
