'The Smashing Machine' Review: Dwayne Johnson flexes his acting muscles in gritty biopic of UFC legend

For an entire generation of Americans Dwayne Johnson has only been known as one of Hollywood's most of bankable actors not for being the professional wrestler known as exclusively The Rock that made him famous to begin with But in A 's The Smashing Machine the two worlds collide Johnson is almost unrecognizable as real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr one of the pioneers that helped put the Ultimate Fighting Championship on the map in the late s In the present day UFC has gotten so popular that President Donald Trump is bringing the octagon to the White House lawn next Fourth of July to celebrate America's th birthday For Kerr winning is all he knows Early on in the film he says he feels like a god because every time he wins there's unfailingly another fighter to face Competing in Japan's Pride Fighting Championship he is at a loss for words when a Japanese reporter presses him on how he would feel if he lost his next fight He tells the reporter I don't know how to respond to that because I've never lost ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER REVIEW LEONARDO DICAPRIO GOES FOR LAUGHS IN POLITICALLY CHARGED WILD RIDEHis winning streak comes at a cost as he struggles with his near-fatal opioid addiction He does have his own encouragement system made up of his then-girlfriend and eventual ex-wife Dawn Staples played by his Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt and his best pal colleague and rival Mark Coleman played by MMA fighter Ryan Bader making his acting debut Kerr is a gentle giant having almost a child-like quality to him outside the ring he repeatedly refers to his tummy That explained the man sure has a temper it's hard to imagine how much he spends replacing doors he's demolished from fits of rage in his house Dawn can be a hot head too While she was a positive force in combating his addiction her own personal demons surface as she becomes resentful at how he's no longer fulfilling her requirements after sobering up in rehab THE BALTIMORONS' REVIEW CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY WITH THIS CHARMING FEEL-GOOD ROM-COM The Smashing Machine was written and directed by Benny Safdie his first solo feature outing following co-directing 's brilliant Uncut Gems with his brother Josh Safdie With Uncut Gems there was such an emotional stake for a viewer that was lacking in The Smashing Machine Sure you're rooting for Kerr but you're mostly going through the motions At the heart of this film is Johnson's transformative performance For nearly years Johnson has only done popcorn flicks with a multitude of hits like his Jumanji Fast Furious and Moana films with a limited misses along the way ahem Tooth Fairy But never has he taken on a serious role like he does here The deep shame he expresses in the hospital bed following an overdose reveals a side of The Rock audiences haven t seen The performance could be Johnson s version of Matthew McConaughey s career pivot with Dallas Buyers Club So don't be surprised if Johnson lands himself an Oscar nod next year Johnson s transformation is aided by remarkable hair and makeup work that makes him disappear into Kerr Shot on and mm film The Smashing Machine feels like a time capsule as if you re watching an old VHS tape CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST MEDIA AND HERITAGE NEWS The Smashing Machine is a gritty biopic UFC and Johnson fans will appreciate but it s Johnson s performance that gives the film its heartbeat Johnson is The Smashing Machine Beyond that there isn't much else to hold onto The Smashing Machine is rated R for language and a few drug abuse Running time hours minutes In theaters October