By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"THE SMASHING MACHINE" PULLS NO PUNCHES
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has always cast a big shadow. The guy is massive. But in
"The Smashing Machine," the former pro wrestler turned movie star takes on his biggest and most emotionally raw role yet, stepping into the battered shoes of UFC fighter
Mark Kerr in this unflinching mixed martial arts biopic.
Directed by
Benny Safdie ("Uncut Gems," TV's "The Curse"), "The Smashing Machine" is inspired by
John Hyams' 2002 documentary "The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr."
The film tells the gritty rags-to-riches-to-ruin story of Kerr, a hulking, seemingly unstoppable force, who dominated the MMA scene in the 1990s as a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion and World Vale Tudo Championship winner.
In recent interviews, Johnson revealed he packed on over 30 pounds for the role, and with the help of some shockingly realistic prosthetics, he becomes nearly unrecognizable. But once that initial visual impact fades, Johnson brings a raw, committed performance that feels leagues away from his typical blockbuster fare. There's no charm offensive here, no catchphrases, just a broken man caught between glory and self-destruction.
Now, I'll admit I've never been much of a wrestling or MMA fan, so I'm not exactly the film's target audience. And yet, while "The Smashing Machine" showcases Kerr’s bone-crunching intensity inside the cage, it's what happens outside of it that really grabbed me.
There is a volatile relationship between Kerr and his girlfriend/wife Dawn Staples, played with emotional fire by
Emily Blunt ("The Fall Guy," "Oppenheimer"). She's an absolute force, navigating Kerr's highs of fame and the deep valleys of addiction with grace and fury. Their scenes together are often messy, loud, heart-wrenchingly human, and the film's heartbeat.
What begins as a supportive, even hopeful romance quickly spirals into a tragic push-pull dynamic as Kerr's dependence on painkillers and alcohol deepens. Blunt's transformation from nurturing partner to someone slowly slipping away is tough to watch. You feel the emotional weight of every slammed door, every relapse, every apology that comes too late. In many ways, her arc mirrors Kerr's downfall. Both start with promise and end in pain.
Safdie, true to form, injects the film with an anxious, kinetic energy that keeps you on edge even in its quietest moments. The fight scenes are brutal, for sure, but it's the moments in locker rooms, hotels, and at home where the real punches land. We see what the cost is of needing to win, no matter what it does to your body, your relationships, or your soul.
The supporting cast, including MMA legend
Bas Rutten as himself and
Ryan Bader as Kerr's friend and fellow fighter Mark Coleman, brings a gritty, lived-in authenticity to the brutal world Kerr inhabits. But it's Johnson who leaves it all on the mat.
This isn't "The Rock." This is Mark Kerr: bloody, broken, and brilliant. And Johnson delivers big time.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"THE SMASHING MACHINE"
