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The Smashing Machine

The Smashing Machine

  • Status: Released
  • 01-10-2025
  • Runtime: 123 min
  • Score: 6.736
  • Vote count: 70

In the late 1990s, up-and-coming mixed martial artist Mark Kerr aspires to become the greatest fighter in the world. However, he must also battle his opiod dependence and a volatile relationship with his girlfriend Dawn.

Dwayne Johnson

Mark Kerr

Emily Blunt

Dawn Staples

Ryan Bader

Mark Coleman

Bas Rutten

Bas Rutten

Lyndsey Gavin

Elizabeth Coleman

Zoe Kosovic

McKenzie Coleman

Oleksandr Usyk

Igor Vovchanchyn

Satoshi Ishii

Enson Inoue

James Moontasri

Akira Shoji

Yoko Hamamura

Kazuyuki Fujita

Paul Cheng

Masaaki Satake

Andre Tricoteux

Paul Varelans

Marcus Aurelio

Mestre Hulk

Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu

Fábio Gurgel

Jerin Valel

Sergio Batarelli

Raja Flores

Dr. Cortez

Egidiyus Klimas

Igor's Manager

Randi Lynne

Receptionist

Yasuhiro Nakatsuka

Pride Journalist #1 (1999)

Kenny Rice

Vale Tudo Announcer

Tak Sasaki

Pride Referee (1999)

Paul Wu

Pride Referee (2000)

Joshua Mazerolle

HGE Sparring Partner

Jason William Day

HGE Sparring Partner

Mark Kerr

Himself

Annette Alvarado

Grocery Store Cashier

James McSweeney

Varelans' Cornerman

Jonathan Corbblah

UFC 1997 Interviewer

Ilan Rosenberg

Coleman's Cornerman

Nick Toren

UFC 1977 Photojournalist

Jill Basey

Peggy

Bethany Brown

Nurse

Soichi Sato

Window Seat Passenger

Takaaki Nagata

Taxi Driver

Jugo Hashimoto

Vespa Driver

Haruo Tokashiki

Pride 1999 Official

Hiroko Taki

Small Shopkeeper

Hironori Kamoshita

Pride 1999 Journalist #2

Yasuko Mitsuura

Pride Director

Shinpei Otsuki

Pride Translator

Olga Dzyurak

Igor's Translator

Takeshi Kurokawa

Flight Attendant

Tomoka Kobayashi

Pride 1999 Employee

Chris Franco

Igor's Cornerman

Takao Osawa

Nobuyuki Sakakibara

Midori Takiya

Mr. Sakakibara's Translator

Naoshi Sasaki

Pride 1999 Pharmacist

Rina Shimomura

Pride 1999 Journalist #3

Royal Johnston

Gravitron Operator

Whitney Moore

Jaqueline

Adrianne Lovato

Waiter

Tomoya Naka

Pride 2000 Photographer

Yuki Kedoin

Pride 2000 Photographer

Stephen Quadros

Stephen Quadros

Tomoyasu Hotei

Tomoyasu Hotei

Nala Sinephro

Star Spangled Banner Performer

Ryan Ventura

Pride 2000 Announcer

Paul Wu

Pride 2000 Referee

Gary Copeland

Kerr/Inoue Referee

Jamie Fair

Phoenix Barber

Jordan Greer

Ohio State Wrestling Partner

Byron Capers

Phoenix Police Officer

Ei Yoshikawa

Pride 2000 Journalist

Roberto de Abreu Filho

Fabio Gurgel

Lance Gibson

UFC Contender

Yushin Okami

Alexander Otsuka

Marcus Vinicios

Ebenezer Fontes Braga

Adam Santos

Ricardo Morais

Christopher Ackerman

Demolition Derby Announcer

Shawn C. Orr

Demolition Derby Driver

Brett Randy Bourgeois

Demolition Derby Driver

Scott Meloshinsky

Demolition Derby Driver

Hugo Steele

Firefighter

Brennan Walstrom

Firefighter

Roberto Abreu

(uncredited)

Jason Broadwell

Grocery Store Patron (uncredited)

Ismail Elfallahi

Derby Fan (uncredited)

Charles Chi Soo Kim

Tokyo Dome Wrestling Fan (uncredited)

Paul Lazenby

Hans Nijman (uncredited)

Jasper Salon

Cutman (uncredited)

Nina Sugii

Japanese Hotel Guest/Fan (uncredited)

Naoki Tasaki

Journalist (uncredited)

Jason Tremblay

Arizona Police Officer (uncredited)

Taylor Trujillo

Burger Joint Patron (uncredited)

Lawrence Yang

MMA Trainer of Masaaki Satake/Cameraman (uncredited)

CinemaSerf

Mickey O’Rourke had a go in 2008 and Orlando Bloom earlier this year in “The Cut”, so now it’s the turn of Dwayne Johnson to bulk up and out to deliver a biopic of UFC pioneer Mark Kerr. This is all set at a time when he can make a living for himself and girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt) but there are no Ferraris and swimming pools for them. For that he has to win the Grand Prix in Japan and that involves his embarking on the ultimate in fitness and endurance regimes, aided by his own chemical romances that frequently seem to render him little better than catatonic. Domestic dysfunction ensues as he has to face up to his responsibilities and settle his priorities before what he has comes crumbling down. It’s a true story, but it just didn’t engage me at all. Johnson comes across well as the amiable and dedicated athlete, but a film about any sport that requires a rule change to ban eye gouging was probably never really going to work for me. The fight scene are sparing, occasionally graphic, and they do convey just how brutal this mixed martial arts combat can be, but the characterisations here are just all too sterile to engage. Whilst Kerr comes across as a decent human being, Blunt’s performance doesn’t really make anything like enough impact as it trundles along without much from the dialogue to make me care. Tangentially, it does quite enjoyably poke some fun at the inanity and banality of sport’s broadcasting punditry and I didn’t hate it, but I’ll probably never watch it again.