Written by Sam Clark 

Certificate: 15

Running time: 123 minutes 

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Whenever actors hit a bump in the road, it either derails their career or forces them to pick themself up, dust themselves off and go again. Despite being one of the most reliable, likeable and entertaining blockbuster and box office actors of all time, Dwayne Johnson suddenly finds himself in a position none of us ever thought he'd be in - rebranding his image and reputation. After many, many years of hit and after hit, his box office and critical run as of late has taken a hit. Red One and Red Notice (the lack of originality between those two titles names were the least of their problems and it's understandable if you get them confused) were critical flops which demonstrated just how much much his well was starting to dry. Poor business is one thing, but soon reports emerged of his behaviour on set of both Red One and Red Notice that raised a few eyebrows, namely peeing in bottles to save time, clashing with Ryan Reynolds but, worst of all, arriving eight hours late to set. 

Then we have all the drama surrounding Black Adam and how Johnson's big plans for the DC vanished almost instantly. It's safe to say this is the biggest career hit he has taken, given how this was a passion project for him since the start. So what's the answer? He has said in interviews how he is aware of his box office success in the past and how he enjoys doing those projects, but what about doing a project for himself and that's instead personal? Well, that's where The Smashing Machine comes in. Not only is this a breath of fresh air for him and something no one ever expected him to do, but as we know, biopics can tend to be Oscar bait. Yes that's right, Dwayne Johnson will be going for on Oscar. Well; has it worked? As I write this, critics continue to praise his performance, but the box office has not looked good at all. So despite undertaking a project to reinvent himself, it's still not able to turn a profit. When he takes on blockbuster projects, he's criticised for being himself and wooden, but when he does prove what he can with a serious role, the film makes no money. He is in a lose lose situation, and I don't know where he goes from here.

Image credit: IMDb/A24

The Smashing Machine comes to us from writer/director Benny Safdie, and tells the true story of MMA/UFC fighter Mark Kerr. The film takes place between 1997 and 2000 which is surprisingly short for a biopic. We follow him throughout his journey of the early days of UFC when the sport was far less regulated, less controlled and less safe (even though it is still far from it). The Smashing Machine centres around the pride competition in Japan which brought together the best fighters from around the world (all coming different backgrounds such as boxing, wrestling jiu-jitsu etc) for contest with each other. As with all sports stories, he enjoys the success but must also come to terms with the harsh truth and reality behind the fighting. This includes the physical toll on his body, injuries, pains and aches but also the emotion and psychological effects. His girlfriend Dawn Staples is played by Emily Blunt who he has an explosive and volcanic relationship with, as the two cannot agree on anything as things spiral out of control. 

Mark begins to develop an addiction and dependency on painkillers to deal with problems, only making things worse. As with all sports stories, it's never about the fighting but something far more personal. Prior to seeing this, I had seen One Battle After Another and I Swear which both astonished me and which I'd put my money on being this year's big Oscar contenders. However, I could not decide on who I waned to win Best Leading Actor as I had not yet seen what Johnson was able to pull of here, as was reportedly also a popular choice. It was certainly in Smashing Machine's hands as to if it would change my mind. Having now seen all three, Dwayne Johnson was unfortunately not able to sway my judgement as I still remain speechless by Robert Armayo in I Swear. But I also have no doubt there are still more performances in store for us down the line. I must confess that did I find the film rather underwhelming as a whole as it did not have the impact I wanted. Emily Blunt is also very good but is underwritten and underdeveloped role, and it's to her credit that she manages to make as much out of it as she does. 

Image credit: IMDb/A24

Despite not being as good, The Smashing Machine is essentially Dwayne Johnson's Raging Bull. What we have here is the idea of him throwing himself into the role of the obsessed fighter, plagued with an addiction to winning the sport. But, as is always the case, he has has an even more fractured and explosive relationship back home, far more ferocious than anything that'll ever take place in the ring. Similarities can also be drawn to Mickey Rourke and Darren Aronofsky' The Wrestler, as well as David O' Russell's The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. What they all have in common is that Sports is used as a metaphor, which is what Rocky did first back in '76, to reflect the darkness and anger that some characters go through. 

Another comparison to be made with Raging Bull is the idea of fragile masculinity of chasing after something so hard, that it might not be as obtainable as you may think. All Mark cares about is winning, at one point he says to Blunt that ''there's no other high'' like winning with ''40,000 people screaming your name''. Not only does Mark chase something he may never be able to get, he takes it out on her. Everything ranging from the fact that they constantly collide and clash, to the upsetting reality when she discovers he doesn't want her on tour or at her fights, seeing her as nothing other than a distraction. When it comes to the fight sequences, they are as crunchy, visceral and nasty as you'd want and expect. Surprisingly, what made me squirm the most was the sound effects which proved to be far more uncomfortable than I had anticipated, I can't ever recall hearing anything like it. Come Awards season, we will just have to wait and see what happens, but as for Dwayne Johnsons first push for an Oscar, I expecting more of a punch. 

The Smashing Machine is in cinemas now