Dwayne Johnson’s $40 million biopic chronicling the life of MMA icon Mark Kerr has been the subject of some early reviews, and things aren’t sounding great.
Last year, filming wrapped on The Smashing Machine, a film that will see ‘The Rock’ play Kerr, a former UFC and PRIDE FC fighter, alongside Emily Blunt, who is set to portray Kerr’s then-wife Dawn Staples. Excitement over the film, particularly among fight fans, reached an all-time high after a photo from the production showed Johnson looking completely unrecognizable as the former NCAA champion.
However, a recent report from Jordan Ruimy of WorldofReel.com suggests that the film could be a disjointed mess and not the Oscar bait Dana White suggested it would be.
“A month ago, Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine screened for a lucky few,” Ruimy wrote. “I kept quiet about it. However, it’s now screened again, and judging by what I’ve heard, there’s zero doubt in my mind that people are not ready for the type of film in store.
“I’m told what Safdie has concocted in The Smashing Machine is ‘indescribable in tone and style’ and that it, ‘almost plays like a spoof of the biopic genre,’” Ruimy added. “In other words, The Smashing Machine is ‘gonzo filmmaking’ and not Oscar bait in the least.
“Dwayne Johnson’s performance runs tonally opposite to the film’s odd style,” Ruimy concluded. “‘It’s as if his performance belongs in a different movie,’ one attendee told me. In other words, The Smashing Machine is not the film any of us expected it to be. Although described as a ‘biopic’ of beloved MMA fighter Mark Kerr, this is not a conventional take on his life.”
One Reviewer has a completely different take on Dwayne Johnson’s latest offering
But all hope may not be lost. According to X user @papayastandards, The Smashing Machine was a pleasurable experience capped off by an epic ending montage and some especially brutal fight sequences.
“Watched The Smashing Machine. It’s simply great, loved the way they captured Mark Kerr and his struggles. I also appreciate seeing more footage of the Pride 2000 GP, which was full of interesting characters. The ending montage was great, and the fights felt specially brutal.
“The intoxicating highs, the devastating lows, Mark’s gentle demeanor and his interactions with Dawn, Bas and Coleman had me engaged. It made me remember why I love MMA. Solid watch even if you aren’t familiar with Pride FC or Kerr.”
Perhaps this won’t be the film that’ll take Johnson from action star to Oscar nominee, but it sounds like moviegoers are in for a unique experience, to say the least, when The Smashing Machine hits theaters in 2025.
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