The Smashing Machine stars Dwayne Johnson as former UFC Fighter Mark Kerr in a role that fits Johnson’s strengths and charisma like a glove while also adhering to the conventional biopic formula.
Johnson is perfectly cast as Kerr, who has the look and energy to a T. If only most of the rest of the film were on his level, we would have something unconventional and perhaps a game-changer.
The movie chronicles Kerr’s career, which begins with his background as a freestyle wrestler, where he dominated his opponents and ultimately became a champion. The rest of the movie follows his journey into the UFC from 1997 to 2000. Kerr maintains the philosophy that winning is the happiest feeling in the world.
Emily Blunt costars as his girlfriend Dawn, who is his biggest supporter, but after a devastating loss in the ring, Mark turns to drugs to cope with his failure, and he ends up in rehab. Although Dawn remains loyal, she believes she sees cracks in their relationship as Mark is much more focused on his career and accuses her of making him into something he’s not.
MMA Fighter Ryan Bader plays Mark Coleman, Kerr’s UFC partner, and he tries to be another support system for Mark to help keep him on the straight and narrow. Bader delivers good work in a role where he’s clearly in his comfort zone.
The Smashing Machine was based on a 2002 documentary of the same name, and writer/director Benny Safdie, who made Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler, certainly treats this movie like a documentary. The film has a gritty, candid view of this man’s life and the battles he fought both in and out of the ring.
Johnson is the center of the film, displaying a level of passion and intensity that helps elevate the material when it deliberately sinks into its biopic trappings, such as when he and Blunt’s Dawn have some intense arguments about their relationship. It’s pretty hairy stuff to watch.
Johnson’s transformation deserves praise for not only his look but also being able to hold his own at 53 playing a man in his late 20s to early 30s. Johnson proved to be a powerhouse in the WWE and when he transitioned to acting, his physical presence was no different. Here he fires on all cylinders as a man who is pushed beyond the edge.
There are elements of other sports films such as Rocky and Raging Bull with some plot developments clearly influenced by those films. However, this film focuses just as much on the personal demons of Mark Kerr, just as much as he’s able to take and give a brutal beating.
Will Johnson’s performance earn him an Oscar nod? It’s too soon to know, but his career-best work carries a film that almost lands a knockout.
