All too often, sports films exist simply for the sake of existing, hoping to squeeze a few bucks out of the four people left in the world who haven't seen one of these predictable movies in the last ten years. The low-budget comedy The Hammer may not be particularly memorable, but it's smart enough not to fall victim to the trappings seen in other flicks of its kind. It nimbly avoids cluttering up the story with phony, unnecessary drama, emerging as a lean, mean, and rather modest indie that never cops a self-important attitude.

Back in the '80s, Jerry Ferro (Adam Carolla) was one of the brightest prospects in L.A.'s amateur boxing scene. But after one dumb decision too many, he  traded in his gloves for a carpenter's tools. Now he's turned 40 and remains stuck in a dead-end job with his buddy Ozzie (Oswaldo Castillo), while his live-in girlfriend bemoans his severe lack of motivation. However, after clobbering a younger opponent at a gym where he teaches classes, Jerry's approached by a veteran coach (Tom Quinn) with the chance of a lifetime: a shot at competing in the 2008 Olympics. Despite his advanced age, Jerry finds his fighting spirit reinvigorated by the idea of going for gold, clashing with a brash up-and-comer (Harold House Moore) and romancing one of his students (Heather Juergensen) as he starts whipping himself in shape for the upcoming tryouts.

The Hammer maintains a pretty relaxed attitude about itself, which goes a long way toward keeping viewers interested in the story. Not once does the script pretend you've never seen this sort of tale before, having accepted its tried-and-true nature and become determined to have as much fun with the concept as possible. There's a sense of realism surrounding the production, not the phony-baloney excuse for reality that Hollywood tries to pawn off from time to time. I felt these characters could actually exist, that what happens to them could very well come to pass in real life. Much of the credit belongs to Carolla for his very natural performance. Like most people, I've only come to know the guy from his stint on Comedy Central's The Man Show, so it may come as a shock to see him play a true Everyman instead of a loutish jerk. Taking on the role with loads of smarmy charm, Carolla does a commendable job of carrying almost the entire film on his shoulders.

The Hammer isn't without a stale moment or two. You can see practically every twist in the story coming from a mile away. Plus the comedy doesn't always work. But as hokey as the plot tends to get, The Hammer finds a way of easing into each new phase of the story, providing smooth transitions rather than tactlessly pressing forward with a loud "ker-thunk." Juergensen isn't too exciting as Jerry's love interest, but Moore brings more depth than usual to the role of the obligatory rival, and as Jerry's best friend and right-hand man, Castillo offers a priceless moment or two at Carolla's side.

Best known among indie fans for helming Kissing Jessica Stein, Charles Herman-Wurmfeld also directed Legally Blonde 2. Judging from how the latter film turned out, it seems small and low-key is what this director does best -- with The Hammer being all the proof you need.

MY RATING: *** (out of ****)

(Released by the Weinstein Company and rated "R" for brief language.)