“The Smashing Machine” smashed my expectations
In ancient Rome, gladiators fought in the Colosseum. In 1993, mixed martial arts [MMA] entered the mainstream of the modern sports world, and today, MMA is a quickly developing sport known by fans around the world.
“The Smashing Machine,” in theaters since Oct. 3, accurately represents the early days of MMA through the life of MMA pioneer Mark Kerr. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson portrays the ups and downs of Mark Kerr’s life as he struggles through opioid addiction and an unstable relationship throughout his MMA career. You don’t have to be a martial artist to enjoy the film, since it was an overall enjoyable and enticing watch.
As a martial artist and a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship franchise [UFC], I was skeptical of how Johnson would depict Mark Kerr, since his background in World Wrestling Entertainment [WWE] is starkly different from MMA.
However, Johnson’s dedicated transformation to the role paid off. He gained 30 pounds and wore 22 different prosthetics to look like Kerr. He worked with a strength and conditioning coach and trained with MMA athletes to develop striking and grappling techniques. I found that his fighting style was similar to Kerr’s, who had a background in freestyle wrestling and was known for his brutal, ground-and-pound striking.
Mark Kerr’s friendship with Mark Coleman, played by Ryan Bader, is a wonderful depiction of the common “opponents not enemies” philosophy among combat sports athletes. The toughest fighters that I train with always show the utmost respect and civility to their opponents, both before and after their fights.
The blue-grey color scheme is reminiscent of old sports photography tinted by cigarette smoke in the air, contributing to the ambiance of late 1990s nostalgia. The film is rated R due to alcohol, drugs and smoking, fighting and intense scenes and mature language.
While an overall well-done film, there are plot-holes in the script that left questions unanswered, like a dispute Kerr had over his payout after a fight that was never revisited.
Critics have stated the reason for the film’s unsuccessfulness at the box office was that Mark Kerr is not an especially well-known fighter, though I suspect it was because a majority of The Rock’s fans are of a younger audience.
“The Smashing Machine” took me on an emotional ride that was just as enticing as watching a fight. I thoroughly enjoyed “The Smashing Machine,” not only as a martial artist and UFC fan, but as a human being.
