“The Smashing Machine” follows MMA fighter Mark Kerr, who reaches the peak of his career but faces personal hardships along the way.
Power Inside the Ring, Struggle Outside It
This is a film about failure, overcoming adversity and the cost of ambition. “The Smashing Machine” is a metaphor in itself – expressing Kerr’s identity inside of the ring and out. These aspects of the movie are when it’s at its strongest.
Amidst its faults, “The Smashing Machine” does feature genuinely compelling fight sequences. Because of the unique style of Benny Safdie’s direction, you can virtually feel the punches as they’re thrown. This immersive camerawork results in a visceral experience that allows the audience to step into the shoes of these fighters.
There’s also something to be said about the movie’s approach toward addiction and the weight of expectations. It broaches serious subjects – exploring how they affect humans in sports and the real world. The duality of these effects is compelling in spurts.
A Draining Central Relationship
On a plot level, the film is abundantly repetitive. You can feel its 123-minute runtime as it covers similar plot points over and over again. While the overall messaging is there, “The Smashing Machine” – you guessed it – smashes them over your head.
The movie’s central relationship is the focal point of this struggle. Dwayne Johnson (Mark) and Emily Blunt (Dawn) play a pair of characters that are unlikable from start to finish. Mark at least has some redeemable qualities, but the pair together provides for a constant stream of toxicity.
Amidst the energetic fighting, their relationship takes up much of the runtime. This makes for a frustrating viewing experience, as they repeat the same problems and arguments time and time again.
Coinciding with this, Blunt’s character is still sidelined more often than not. The film lacks focus to this degree, as it wants the audience to care about their dynamic while also minimizing Dawn as an individual.
Johnson Transforms, Script Stalls
While Kerr may have been a pioneer of the sport, his personal life isn’t overly interesting. Because “The Smashing Machine” cares more about his personal life than his fighting career itself, it leads to large portions of the film dragging. It’s intriguing to see what it takes to compete at the highest level – but the approach itself is messy and meandering. The film fails to intermix the two sides of Kerr to create a true “smashing” star.
While “The Smashing Machine” proves to be a frustrating watch, that isn’t because of Johnson. He delivers a career-defining performance in a role that is perfectly made for him. There are times in the movie where Johnson is truly unrecognizable – and that’s a good thing. He brings the physical stature needed for this character, but also the emotions. This is Johnson’s most emotional performance to date, and he deserves all the praise for it.
Blunt also takes on a different type of role, being more outward compared to her typically modest performances. She does the best that she can with the limited interest that the movie shows her character.
“The Smashing Machine” features two dynamic performances, but they can’t save a weak script. The film meanders through its ideas, ultimately succumbing to repetitive plot threads. There’s plenty of heart and power, but not enough to push this above average.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
