The Smashing Machine
The Smashing Machine showcases the life and career of former MMA fighter Mark Kerr (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) who was one of the biggest names in the sport during the late 1990s. More notable for The Rock's performance than any details of Kerr's life, in or out of the ring, the film showcases the fighter overcoming substance abuse, the precipitous fall following his first loss, and the contentious relationship with his girlfriend (Emily Blunt).
I've never been a UFC fan, and I don't think the grappling sport translates all that well on film compared to boxing, martial arts, or the far more flamboyant professional wrestling. That said, The Rock is well-cast in having both the necessary physicality for the role and showcasing unforeseen depth as a dramatic actor. This is about as far removed as you can get from the likes of Red Notice, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, or Red One. Blunt is good, as always, although she's given far less to do as Kerr's troubled partner.
Like his brother's upcoming release Marty Supreme, director Benny Safdie offers a character study of an unlikable protagonist we can be interested about but never really invested in. Where Marty Supreme offers dark humor and plenty of poetic license, The Smashing Machine is a far more straightforward biopic that offers little more than a dramatized documentary without seeming to have any larger narrative point or purpose. It's worth seeing for the performances, but otherwise there's not much here for a wider audience outside those fascinated in Kerr or the early days of the UFC who are likely to already know the story.
- Title: The Smashing Machine
- IMDb: link
