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Loyal readers will remember that a few months ago, I expressed my skepticism about the new Adam Carolla boxing movie, The Hammer, which I hadn't seen at the time.

Well, now I've seen it on DVD, and I must confess that I was wrong. It's hilarious and surprisingly touching, and Carolla, the writer, producer and star, doesn't just know boxing but knows how to present boxing on film. I liked it a lot.

The plot -- washed up guy gets one last chance in the ring and in romance -- isn't exactly original, but the dialogue is, and the acting is first rate. I like Carolla as a boxer, and I like him as a leading man.

Loyal readers will remember that a few months ago, I expressed my skepticism about the new Adam Carolla boxing movie, The Hammer, which I hadn't seen at the time.

Well, now I've seen it on DVD, and I must confess that I was wrong. It's hilarious and surprisingly touching, and Carolla, the writer, producer and star, doesn't just know boxing but knows how to present boxing on film. I liked it a lot.

The plot -- washed up guy gets one last chance in the ring and in romance -- isn't exactly original, but the dialogue is, and the acting is first rate. I like Carolla as a boxer, and I like him as a leading man.

UPDATE: Five months later, I admit I'm wrong.

Boxing, more than any other sport, has been fodder for some of the great American films, from Requiem for a Heavyweight to Rocky to Raging Bull to Million Dollar Baby. This, I'd wager, will not be one of the great American films:

That was the trailer for The Hammer, the new boxing movie starring Adam Carolla. I like Carolla, but I agree with Sports by Brooks that he's at his best when he's working with a partner, be it Jimmy Kimmel or Dr. Drew Pinsky. As the star in a film, well, it doesn't look promising.

Still, it is a boxing movie, and Carolla knows boxing, and he's funny when he's talking about boxing in an interview with Todd Behrendt at Fox Sports. I'd love to see one of the cable channels that broadcasts boxing hire Carolla to serve as a commentator. I just don't feel the need to see him as a leading man.