The Smashing Machine Review: Mixed Martial Arts Mixed Bag
Ken Jones, OnScreen Blog Chief Film Critic
After nearly two decades of almost exclusively doing blockbusters, it was a big deal when it was announced that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would be doing an A24 movie with one of the Safdie brothers, Benny. The Smashing Machine is a biopic about an MMA fighter based on a documentary of the same name.
Mark Kerr (Johnson) was an MMA fighter considered the best in the world around the turn of the century, when UFC and other MMA sports were still in their infancy regarding public awareness and making safe, uniform rules for competition. The film starts with him near the pinnacle of his career, dominating and smashing his opponents. His grip on his dominance begins to slip, though, as he struggles with an increasing dependence on PEDs and painkillers, and a tumultuous home life with his girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt).
The film's structure is unique, tracking Mark’s descent from the top rather than chronicling his ascent. Before a major fight early on, he is interviewed and asked how he handles losing, and he doesn’t have an answer because he doesn’t consider losing. It’s an answer that could come across as cocky or arrogant, but more than anything, it represents his mindset and focus. It also hints at the adversity and identity crisis he will face throughout the film.
I’ve watched The Rock as a professional wrestler and actor for nearly 30 years. This is arguably the most jacked he has ever looked. It’s almost cartoonish how big he is physically in this movie. It cannot be overstated how large a human being he is in the film; someone could paint him green and believably call him the Hulk.
Some prosthetics also change his facial features to make him look less like The Rock and more like Mark Kerr. Oddly enough, this is a mixed bag; at some moments in the film or with some camera angles, he looks like a completely different person, while at other times he is unmistakably The Rock.
As physically imposing as Johnson is in this movie, Kerr is equally a soft-spoken, kind-hearted human being who naturally connects with people. Another early scene shows him sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, having a pleasant conversation with a grandmother and grandson sitting nearby, and explaining what MMA is to her and that the fighters do not hate each other, it’s just competition.
This film feels like the most demanding film as an actor that Dwayne Johnson has undertaken. There are a few moments when Mark breaks down crying, ashamed, or overwhelmed. Johnson conveys a vulnerability and insecurity in the character that is impressive.
The MMA fighting in the movie is, frankly, jarring. It immerses the viewer in the sights and sounds of an MMA fight up close and almost too personal. Punches land with a thud and a bone-crushing impact; you will hear bones shaking.
In fact, the film’s strength is its MMA. Mark’s coach is Mark Coleman, portrayed by MMA fighter Ryan Bader. Bader’s supporting performance is almost as compelling as Johnson’s lead performance and is easy for the audience to invest in. He’s a loyal friend who cuts through the B.S. when Mark Kerr faces adversity.
He is also looking to make one more big run in MMA, and the film teases the two of them meeting in a match throughout. As this is based on a true story, the events do not play out conventionally. This is one of the many ways the film subverts expectations. Some of them are good, but in this aspect, I think the film suffers from putting false expectations out there and overplaying them only to yank the rug out.
Unfortunately, another area where the film loses some steam is in the home life of Mark Kerr in his relationship with Dawn. For a movie that looks to subvert expectations and tell an unconventional story, Dawn is shockingly shrewish in how the film depicts her. Blunt, a tremendous actress, is saddled with a thankless, stereotypical female role in a sports movie; a negative influence on the main character, a drain on his success, and a threat to his future in the sport.
Blunt and Johnson have some good scenes playing off each other in the moment, but the character almost only serves as an emotional anchor, dragging Kerr down. In one scene, it comes across as if she knows what she is doing and realizes that her meal ticket is slipping out of her hands, leading her to do something truly desperate. The problem is that I’m not a hundred percent sure that the film intended for her to look that manipulative.
Given the people involved, there was reason to have high expectations for The Smashing Machine. To be sure, Dwayne Johnson gives what is probably the best performance of his career, maybe even a performance bordering on Oscar nomination consideration, flexing a different set of acting muscles than we are used to seeing from him. And while there are some real strengths and surprises on display here, like the fighting and the supporting acting from Mark Bader, there are also some glaring weaknesses, particularly the home life stuff.
Ultimately, this tale about a mixed martial artist is a mixed bag, with a split decision that makes it just barely recommendable viewing.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars