Skip to main content

'The Smashing Machine'- Warm-Hearted Dwayne Johnson Biopic

Photo courtesy of William Beavers.

Hello, readers.

In Dwayne Johnson's latest acting/producing work, he starred as former wrestler/mixed martial artist Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie's 'The Smashing Machine.'

At first, I wasn't too impressed because of Kerr's hunger for victory and blood in the fighting ring. But as he recognized that drugs were messing up his life and he went in to rehab, I liked Kerr's characterization and Johnson's performance of him. I felt that Johnson and his character reminded me that fighters are human beings that want to do their best out of the ring.

I also liked Emily Blunt's performance as Kerr's girlfriend Dawn Staples. Blunt gave emotional power in her character trying to reason with Kerr and make sure Kerr looks out for her own wellbeing. Though I could see it was not easy when there were times when they would argue and Kerr would snap their door in half in frustration. On the other hand, it was nice to see that they could kiss and make up by having fun at a carnival, with Dawn having the time of her life on an Alien Abduction (Gravitron) ride.

A lot of Kerr's dealing with his inner demons reminded me of 'Ray' when Jamie Foxx's Ray Charles realized how much he was hurting himself and his loved ones with drugs and over-focusing on his work.

Though this is the first I've ever seen of Mark Kerr, I thought the film would end with him becoming the 2000 Ultimate Fighter. But the film felt less like a predictable biopic when it showed that he lost the Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals to Kazuyuki Fujita. And it was good to see that Kerr was okay with losing, based on the camera zooming on him smiling as he reflected on it.

So in conclusion, 'The Smashing Machine' was an 8/10 for feeling too similar to other biopics, sports or not, but was still good in the performances by Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt and the characterization of their characters. There were also some good echoing string music to highlight the tension and drama and good inclusion of Bas Rutten and Ryan Bader as Kerr's coach Mark Coleman. 

Thank you. Please like and subscribe!

#TheSmashingMachine, #DwayneJohnson, #EmilyBlunt, #Sportsdrama

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Superman-Great Past and New Hero Magic

Superman (2025) poster. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. James Gunn's iteration of  Superman  was a well-thought-out film. I give it a 9.4/10 for both the occasional references to the Christopher Reeve film from the late 1970s and for standing out with different presentations of the iconic Man of Steel and his colorful supporting characters. This was my first time seeing David Corenswet, but he was great acting out the drama and heroism in the lives of Clark Kent and Superman. It was also great to see Rachel Brosnahan bring some gumption and humor to her role of Superman's love interest, Lois Lane, and it was great to see former X-Men actor Nicholas Hoult bring some vigor to his role of Superman's ruthless archenemy, Lex Luthor. In this Superman, it stood out by skipping the intro of Kal-El leaving Krypton as a baby and instead showing Superman, played by Corenswet, in his third year of protecting Metropolis and the world. In his quest to prove Superman a threat to humani...
Post a Comment
Read more

The F4-First Steps-Great Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Family Drama Blend

Good afternoon, readers/viewers. On July 26, 2025, I had the pleasure of watching The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I really like what they did. Though I wish there was a little bit more crime-fighting and action to build the momentum of the Fantastic Four, the overall film was a great combination of sci-fi, fantasy, and family drama.  This time, it wasn't just about the Fantastic Four fighting off the one guy to save the world. It was about them overcoming their differences and working together like one of those family sitcoms, or something like that. In the end, I give it 8.5/10 for great visuals, family drama, work between the main cast, and scoring by Michael Giacchino. As I said, I just wish there was a little more action on the team's part. I'm very curious what you all have to say. Please subscribe to my  blog , YouTube,   TikTok , and  Medium , and tell me what you think. Thank you, and have a great day. #williambeaversv, #CinematicReviewverse, #fantasticfourf...
Post a Comment
Read more

'Roofman': Channing Tatum Played a Lovable Thief

Poster for 'Roofman.' Courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Miramax. Channing Tatum played Jeffrey Manchester, an ex-Army Reserve soldier and divorced dad who had a penchant for details and thieving. He was known as "The Roofman" for breaking into his targets by drilling into their roofs. It was like Tatum channeled Sam Dawson and Scott Lang into one as his character managed to find a way to sneak out of prison underneath a truck with skills from prison shop, then make a home in a corner in a 2004 Toys 'R Us.  It was pretty funny and amusing how Jeffrey sort of took control of the store after closing. How he snacked on M and M's, skated around on Heely-like shoes, he acted like a grown man with a kid's bedroom with inflatables and Spider-Man merchandise, and he kept security with baby monitors. It was also kind of funny how he made money out of stealing and pawning a bunch of video games. While trying to get out of the country after fleeing to the store, Jeff...
Post a Comment
Read more