The Smashing Machine tells the story of MMA and UFC legend Mark Kerr. The biggest plus point of the film is the casting of Dwayne Johnson. We have often seen him in very mainstream films, but here, he goes into an altogether different zone and comes out with flying colours. It won’t be a surprise if he manages to secure his first-ever Oscar nomination. A few scenes stand out, especially the confrontational ones. The film is purposely treated like a documentary and though it makes for a novel watch, it sometimes also makes the narrative dry. A few scenes are unintentionally funny. Lastly, the finale is a bit abrupt. Besides Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt also puts up a great act. Ryan Bader (Mark Coleman) has an important role and does great. Oleksandr Usyk (Igor Vovchanchyn) leaves a mark. All in all, The Smashing Machine is worth watching once.
My rating – *** out of 5!