Dwayne Johnson shines in ‘The Smashing Machine’

The Smashing Machine is a glimpse into the early life of Mixed Martial Arts, centered around the life and career of former Syracuse athlete Mark Kerr. The Benny Safdie-helmed film has been getting a ton of pre-awards season hype, but does the A24 project deserve it? Maybe. The film has its moments, but the acting abilities of Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt carry the slightly muddled plot to the finish line.

Johnson plays Mark in this biopic about the former M.M.A. fighter’s rise and fall in the late 1990s. The story focuses on how Mark wrestles with his fame, addictions and relationship with Blunt’s Dawn Staples. Some of the brightest moments in the film center on how toxic the relationship between Mark and Dawn was. The matches between Mark and his opponents also did a fantastic job of keeping the audience engaged with a captivating score and quick pace.

The casting of this movie is impeccable; Safdie was able to convince several former M.M.A. fighters to take up significant roles, including Ryan Bader, who plays Mark’s best friend, Mark Coleman. Bader has very little acting experience, yet his great performance was easily one of the biggest takeaways of the film. Mark Coleman became my favorite character almost immediately, largely because of the sincerity and charisma Bader brought to the role.

One of the weaker aspects of the film was its writing. Some of the dialogue felt slightly forced in a few key moments, which takes away from the viewing experience. The film also had drawn-out scenes, which could have easily been fixed by shaving down 15 minutes of its runtime.

Despite the movie’s flaws, the acting truly shines throughout the entire runtime. Johnson demonstrates that he should be considered one of the best former wrestlers turned actors, if not the best, after this performance. I never thought that I would say the following statement: it would be a crime if Dwayne Johnson were not nominated for Best Actor at the next Academy Awards.