Star Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt

Director: Benny Safdie 

The Smashing Machine Movie Review Synopsis:
THE SMASHING MACHINE is the story of an athlete. The year is 1997. Mixed-martial arts and UFC champion, Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) wins a championship in São Paulo, Brazil, catapulting him to stardom. He is living-in with Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt) in Phoenix, Arizona. The fate of UFC in the USA hangs in the balance due to criticism from politicians and reluctance from cable operators to air the matches. This is when Mark accepts the offer to fight at the Pride Fighting Championships in Japan. It turns out to be a great platform, but also comes with its share of challenges. Meanwhile, Mark struggles with substance abuse and also gets into frequent fights with Dawn. What happens next forms the rest of the film. 

The Smashing Machine Movie Story Review:
THE SMASHING MACHINE is based on the 2002 documentary THE SMASHING MACHINE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF EXTREME FIGHTER MARK KERR. Benny Safdie’s story is intriguing. Benny Safdie’s screenplay is unconventional. Though it’s gripping, it won’t suit the tastes of a section of the moviegoers. The dialogues are realistic. As it happens with films released by PVR Inox Pictures, there are no subtitles and hence, some dialogues might not be easy to comprehend.

Benny Safdie’s direction goes against the norms. The film intentionally gives you a feeling of watching a documentary. In many scenes, especially where Mark is training or where Mark is interacting with Dawn, one feels like a fly on the wall, witnessing real-life footage from a person’s life. Even the camera moves accordingly. A few scenes stand out like Dawn getting teary-eyed while trying to click a picture of Mark and others, Mark’s breakdown in the hospital, Mark reliving his coach of pain etc.

On the flipside, the documentary style of filmmaking makes THE SMASHING MACHINE a niche affair. A few scenes seem unintentionally funny, especially the fights between Mark and Dawn. The biggest problem with the film is its climax. It is abrupt and is not a fitting finale. Agreed that there’s nothing conventional in this film, but the ending proves to be an incomplete and hence, an underwhelming affair. 

The Smashing Machine Movie Review Performances:
Dwayne Johnson is a big reason why this film is watchable. Known for mass-appealing roles, the actor is seen here in a never-before-seen avatar and delivers a ‘smashing’ (pun intended) performance. There’s buzz that he might be nominated for the Oscars and it’ll be fully justified. Emily Blunt, as expected, plays a difficult role with ease. She brings the various aspects of her character alive perfectly. Ryan Bader (Mark Coleman) has an important role and does great. Oleksandr Usyk (Igor Vovchanchyn) leaves a mark, especially in the scene where he defeats Mark and thereafter. 

The Smashing Machine movie music and other technical aspects:
Nala Sinephro’s music is minimal. Maceo Bishop’s cinematography is as real as it gets. James Chinlund’s production design is straight out of life. Heidi Bivens’ costumes are authentic and glamorous in the case of Emily. Benny Safdie’s editing is decent. 

The Smashing Machine Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE SMASHING MACHINE presents Dwayne Johnson like never before. However, its documentary-style treatment, niche appeal, and limited buzz are likely to restrict its box office potential.