While The Hammer may not be the most original or ambitious movie ever, it is certainly a worthwhile effort. Carolla made the movie independently and even ponied up some of his own dough to get prints made for a limited theatrical release. However, the movie looks as professional as any similar movie that comes out of a Hollywood studio. The acting is strong for the most part (Juergensen, though servicable, has her share of dull line readings). Oswaldo Castillo, who is a long time friend of Carolla's rather than a professional actor, turns in a particularly natural and funny performance as Jerry's friend Ozzie.

The DVD of The Hammer boasts a nice quantity of special features. The deleted scenes are nice to see, but it is no mystery why they didn't make the cut. The brief outtake reel is a waste of time - I mean, are these really the funniest mistakes that occurred during production? Somehow, with a master improviser like Adam Carolla, I doubt it. There are a number of other bells and whistles that are likely to be watched and never returned to again, including a series of behind-the-scenes promotional segments. The real highlight of the features is an informative (and hilarious) commentary track from Carolla and screenwriter Kevin Hench. Carolla talks for a living (on his nationally syndicated radio show) so it makes sense that he's in his element doing a DVD commentary. He offers a lot of interesting anecdotes about the production - all laced with humor.

Special mention must be made about The Hammer's MPAA rating; it earned an R rating. The reason cited is, and I quote, "Brief Language." Carolla was incensed at the rating, complaining frequently on his show that the language wasn't strong enough to warrant it. In fact, the dreaded F-word appears exactly twice - neither time in a sexual context (though one time it is preceded by "mother"). Seriously, if Carolla didn't want to risk receiving an R, why weren't those two potentially offending usages edited from the film (or redubbed)? Regardless, this is one of the mildest R-rated movies I've ever seen so don't let it scare you off. For the most part, The Hammer is suitable for all audiences.