‘The Smashing Machine’ delivers plenty of hard-hitting moments, though very few involve fists

By Gabriel Payne

What matters the most to you in the world? What is that one thing which without it, your life would absolutely fall apart? For UFC pioneer Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson), the thing of central importance is victory over every aspect of his life. 

Kerr is not a man who loses in anything, at least until that fateful day which would define the rest of his life. Benny Safdie’s solo directorial debut “The Smashing Machine” is a deep dive into the turbulent life and career of Mark Kerr and a profound exploration of a man who loses what matters more to him than anything.

Set in between the years of 1997 and 2000, the film is delivered like a cinematic documentary, closely following Kerr through the rise, peak, fall and resurrection of his UFC career. Dwayne The Rock Johnson brings Kerr to life, demonstrating that despite popular belief, the Rock can actually act.

Emily Blunt stars alongside Johnson, portraying his hotheaded, deeply troubled and ever loyal partner Dawn Staples. Real life UFC star Ryan Bader rounds out the main cast as Kerr’s trainer and best friend, Mark Coleman.

The three stars elevate the movie with their unique contributions, with Emily Blunt separating herself far and above as the standout performer. An honorable mention should also be given to another real life UFC star, Bas Rutten, who offers an honest, powerful and raw performance as himself.

The central themes of this film are victory and loss. Although it does not explore much of Kerr’s early life, there is clearly something in him that drives him to win at all costs. This is a man who needs to have every aspect and detail of his life securely in his grasp. Everything from his fighting career, his volatile relationship and even the leaves that fall in his pool. 

His central journey through the film is learning that in life, the wounds of adversity and failure are unavoidable. But to quote Rocky Balboa, life isn’t about avoiding failure, but “about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Perseverance through adversity is what we will be remembered for, and it’s what shapes our character more than any single thing that we achieve.

The film deals with many significant ideas aside from the main theme; like the rare beauty of restoration, sacrificial friendship and relentless dedication to excellence. It is also cinematographically excellent. The shaky-camera, documentary style is a unique and exciting touch that characterizes every scene with visceral reality. 

The heavier emotional moments are also expertly crafted, with the performances, score and camera work all blending together beautifully to draw the audience right next to the characters in the scene and feel exactly how they feel. 

In addition, the tone of the film is set exceptionally well by starting quickly, introducing the audience to the world of fighting competitions and heroically establishing Kerr’s character with clarity and captivation. 

This film, while possessing many strong qualities, is far from perfect. Some of the biggest issues are the actual fight scenes. While from a cinematography standpoint they look beautiful, choreographically they are disappointing. There are never any real stakes, and it is not an exaggeration to say that every fight in the film plays out the same way physically. For a movie centered around fighting, the expectation is much higher than what it had to offer. 

In addition, its runtime of two hours was entirely too long and many moments felt very dragged and unnecessary. In the pursuit of artistic excellence, there were definitely some aspects of the linear storyline that were sacrificed, leading to a somewhat scattered feel.

Safdie’s project is cinematically and thematically excellent, but unfortunately the vision of the film is obstructed by a poor technical delivery. As a result I would rate it a 6/10. This movie is definitely worth the one time watch, but probably will fade into obscurity shortly after.

“The Smashing Machine” is currently showing in theaters

Gabriel Payne is a junior Mechanical Engineering major whose greatest passion in life is glorifying the Lord, followed closely by some good soul food.

Pictures courtesy of A24 and Seven Bucks Productions