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'The Smashing Machine' Movie Review: Dwayne Johnson Delivers a Knockout Performance in Benny Safdie’s Slow-Burning Biographical Sports Drama
Dwayne Johnson underwent a major physical transformation to portray MMA pioneer Mark Kerr, highlighting Kerr's opioid addiction and his record-winning streak in the late 1990s.
- Recently, Benny Safdie's The Smashing Machine, directed by Safdie and starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as Mark Kerr, draws on the 2002 HBO documentary for its story.
- Tracing Kerr's path, the film follows Mark Kerr's rise in the late 1990s and narrates his peak period from 1997–2000, spanning the World Vale Tudo Championships, Pride Fighting Championships, and early UFC success.
- Central to the film is Kerr's opioid dependence, showing escalated use and overdoses while Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson underwent a 30lb weight gain and prosthetics for the role.
- Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's performance has earned critics and peers praise as potentially Oscar-worthy, and he responded emotionally at screening events where Johnson was moved, later thanking audiences on Instagram.
- The film positions MMA fighters' struggles with chronic pain and addiction while Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's role may lead to further high-profile collaborations soon, industry chatter notes.
16 Articles
16 Articles
The Smashing Machine shatters the Rock’s indestructible image
“I come from a wrestling background, but I might face off against someone who is in jiu-jitsu, or a boxer,” explains a hulking Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, stitched and bruised, sitting in a doctor’s office. He’s describing “the ultimate fighting championship” to a concerned but curious grandmother staring at his battered face. The scene captures the strangeness of the sport’s early days in the late 1990s —…
The Smashing Machine Has A Great Rock Performance But No Story & Other Reviews
Daniele Cifala'. Shutterstock Images.The Smashing Machine is a case where Benny Safdie the screenwriter did Benny Safdie the director no favors. Below is the review of that movie along with Taylor Sw...
'The Smashing Machine' Movie Review: Dwayne Johnson delivers a knockout performance in Benny Safdie’s slow-burning biographical sports drama
Dwayne Johnson, who is generally known for making out-and-out commercial, aka popcorn outings like Black Adam, Fast & Furious and Jumanji, delivers a knockout and poignant performance in The Smashing Machine and has all the potential to garner a nomination in the upcoming Academy Awards
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