In the three decades since he’s been an actor and professional wrestler, Dwayne Johnson has been a charismatic and likable onscreen presence, but has rarely been asked to play anything other than a version of himself.
That all changes with “The Smashing Machine.”
In Benny Safdie’s gritty and mostly compelling drama, Johnson takes on the role of mixed martial artist pioneer Mark Kerr, whose career was hampered by an opioid addiction as well as the largely rules-free, low-paycheck nature of the early days of what is now known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Emily Blunt, right, and Dwayne Johnson in a scene from “The Smashing Machine.” (Associated Press)
The movie is not the knockout you’d hope it would be, but as Kerr, Johnson goes to some dark places he’s never been onscreen. The Hayward native wears prosthetics to help him look more like Kerr, and he is helped along by co-star Emily Blunt, who is a generous scene partner as Kerr’s put-upon girlfriend Dawn Staples.
Safdie (“Uncut Gems“) employs a cinema verite style that suits the material and does its best to recreate John Hyams’ 2002 HBO documentary “The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr.” Whole scenes from the documentary are reenacted. The new film takes place between 1997-2000, when the UFC is a fringe sport on the cusp of being outlawed by Congress and Kerr and his fellow fighters also fight in Japan to compete for more lucrative prize money.
One might think that as a former professional wrestler, Johnson had an advantage in playing Kerr, and that’s true to a certain extent. But remember that World Wrestling Entertainment, where Johnson plied his trade as the Rock, is scripted and not considered a sport. The performers are rarely in real danger.
Dwayne Johnson, center, portrays early MMA fighter Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine.” (Eric Zachanowich/Associated Press)
UFC, by contrast, is a vicious sport. The result is a violent, sweat-drenched film. It’s odd that moviegoers can watch John Wick graphically blow away 300 would-be assassins with an assortment of weaponry and consider it a fun time at the movies, but “The Smashing Machine” is grounded in its realistic brutality. It’s literally a painful movie to watch.
Interestingly, Blunt and Johnson previously co-starred in Disney’s family adventure film “Jungle Cruise,” while Safdie and Blunt appeared together in “Oppenheimer” as physicist Edward Teller and Kitty Oppenheimer, respectively. The raw performances of “The Smashing Machine” may have started from the trust earned from those previous collaborations.
“The Smashing Machine” is considered an awards contender, namely for its lead actors. But real-life mixed martial artist Ryan Bader, who plays Kerr’s best friend and fellow fighter Mark Coleman, is also worthy of consideration. He brings hard-won insight and experience to the role.
Still, it’s not a great movie but merely a good one. Despite the authentic glimpse into the early scrappy days of the sport, Kerr’s story arc is not all that compelling. One gets the impression that Johnson and Blunt are making their characters more interesting than they actually were.
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3 stars
“The Smashing Machine”: Drama. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader and Bas Rutten. Directed by Benny Safdie. (R. 123 minutes.) In theaters Friday, Oct. 3.
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