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The Smashing Machine
Who would’ve thought that Dwayne Johnson could actually be in a good film, and actually turn in a good performance. I’ve never been a huge UFC fan, or really any kind of boxing, wrestling, or MMA sport. However, both Benny Safdie and The Rock’s presence convinced me to see this, and I’m glad I did. It’s a pretty riveting story at times, though it did feel a tiny bit long. The story follows UFC fighter Mark Kerr, in the beginning of the rise of the UFC. It definitely gets up close and personal with Mark, his battle with opioids, and his relationships. It seemed very reminiscent of ‘Rocky’ in terms of how this was balanced with drama and action, and the story. It’s not super close, but that’s just what I thought of occasionally. Most of the performances were pretty solid, especially from Dwayne and Ryan Bader. Emily Blunt was decent, though full of common tropes. Bader was honestly the standout for me. I didn’t expect someone to stand their own against Mark Kerr’s presence. Dwayne was fantastic, and probably his best to date. Oscar worthy? I don’t know, only time will tell. But I really enjoyed him in this. All the fight scenes were decently choreographed, though nothing compared to any of the Rocky’s, any of the Creed’s, or Aronofsky’s ‘The Wrestler’. They were shot well, but I never really got super into them. The cinematography I thought was pretty good, with a vintage looking image that helps put this in the past. Lastly, the score and soundtrack definitely help make this better than it could’ve been. They date the film, while still giving it a modern edge. Overall, this film was a little better than I thought it would, but it’s nothing transformative. I would probably recommend it to most sports/drama fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!
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