*Everything, Everywhere, All At Once.
A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Smashing Machine” (2025, 2*, 15).
I’m still desperately trying to stay in touch, during the LFF, with at least the major new release each week. As such, I went to see Dwayne Johnson’s foray into ‘proper’ acting with “The Smashing Machine”: a film that focuses on a few short years of the real-life career of UFC fighter Mark Kerr.
To be honest, I’d have rather stayed in London and watched another LFF film instead!
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
We follow the career of the mixed-martial-arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) between his glory years of 1997 to 2000, seeing how fame impacted on his tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt).
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong language, violence, abusive behaviour”.)
Talent:
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Oleksandr Usyk, Bas Rutten.
Directed by: Benny Safdie.
Written by: Benny Safdie.
Running Time: 2h 3m.
Summary:
Positives:
- Dwayne Johnson is actually very good.
- The fighting scenes are brutal and realistically done.
Negatives:
- I really didn’t find Kerr’s story interesting enough.
- The script is full of Kerr pontificating about life and his sport.
- Emily Blunt feels miscast and the role is below her.
Full Review of “The Smashing Machine”:
Do people really watch this stuff?
I fear this review may offend many fans, but I will state upfront that the subject matter here is very much NOT in my wheelhouse. While I can at least understand the skill and mastery of two men sparring for 12 rounds in a boxing ring, with a well-defined points-based system, I really can’t believe that people spend a lot of money to watch a brutal, ridiculously short street-brawl like this film seems to portray. I just don’t get it! (Hey, that’s OK. I like a lot of things that you probably can’t understand too.) So this film, dramatising the short career of one of its heroes, was never going to resonate with me.
But… so what?
Regardless of that, I’m afraid this story never managed to pass my “so what?” test. We see Kerr being a winner-winner-chicken-dinner for a long time before an inevitable fall from grace and the need for a new lounge door. We also see his abuse of steroids and addiction to opioids (done so much better in the wonderful series “Dopesick”). We see how all of this damages the relationship between Kerr and Dawn. But I found none of that remotely compelling.
Pontificating script.
I also found the dialogue in Benny Safdie’s script tiresome, giving Johnson lots of pontificating speeches about how he feels and what his sport is all about. At one point he is describing the feeling he gets to Dawn as “orgasmic. The highest of highs.”, but he is doing this is the changing room at a contest and it all feels so false and unnatural.
Safdie does a better job in the director’s chair, and there are some dynamic shots of the 16mm camera following him around a hotel as Kerr returns from the ring to his room, a lift door opening to show startled serving staff in the kitchen. The film also adds a few nice needle drops, including a slow reworking of Elvis’s “Don’t Be Cruel”.
Dwayne Johnson for an Oscar nomination?
Why does a populist beefcake actor like Johnson engage with a dramatic role like this, when he could just make another Jumanji movie? The answer of course is that he is looking for acclaim in a dramatic role. And I have to admit that Johnson really does very well with the limited scope of this part. He shows a vulnerability that we’ve not seen before.
But – and I’m sure there is some sort of campaign being attempted – is this performance Oscar worthy? Not at all in my book. There are a few dozen other male performances that I’ve seen this year that I’d put ahead of this one. If he were to be nominated then, sorry, but that would be a travesty.
Blunt-ly speaking.
Emily Blunt, looking incredible I have to say, plays the long suffering girlfriend Dawn, a role that rather feels beneath such an A-list star. She does fine with the role as written, but boy – doesn’t the character know how to whinge! I found Dawn so irritating that I’m really not surprised that Kerr had an issue with her.
Blood and pummelling.
The brutal fight scenes are no doubt filmed realistically. Given that they seem to be real (non-choreographed) fighting bouts, it seems astonishing that the UFC fighters aren’t more seriously injured more often than they seem to be. It’s a ‘sport’ (I use the term loosely) that has clearly been refined over the years: in the Japanese fights (hilariously called “PRIDE”) we see new rules being added that preclude fighters from eye-gouging, biting and kneeing the opponent in the head when they are defenceless in the foetal position…. things that were clearly fair game before that!
Like I say, I just don’t get it: this sort of thing is what should separate us from the animal kingdom.
The real Mark Kerr.
The end of the film flashes forwards to the present day and we see the real Mark Kerr doing his grocery shopping, looking somewhat self-conscious about being filmed!
Summary Thoughts:
I generally try to remain fair-minded about a movie regardless of the subject matter, but I’m afraid my antipathy towards this sport has probably swayed my judgement. If this is your thing, you are probably best to read the review of someone who is a fan of this stuff: I would recommend Scott Forbes of the Forbes Film and TV Review on Facebook, who will no doubt be watching this one as soon as he returns from his holiday!
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRpnP3LZ99g.
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