THE SMASHING MACHINE

The film chronicles the start of what would become the UFC. Mark Kerr (Johnson, 'Jungle Cruise', 'Jumanji' franchise) is a mixed martial arts fighter who travels to Japan to compete in competitions. He's often joined by Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader, in his film debut) and the two have a friendly rivalry. Kerr battles with drug additions and his toxic relationship with Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt, 'The Fall Guy', 'Oppenheimer'), all while trying to prove he is the best MMA fighter in the world.

The performances in 'The Smashing Machine' are truly expectational. For the first time, Johnson really blends into the character he's playing and isn't just himself. He still has that Rock charm, but it works extremely well here, and feels like the perfect pairing of actor and character. I really hope this kick-starts a new era for Johnson. It's going to be really interesting to see what he does next, and I hope this isn't a one-off. Emily Blunt, for me, is the standout here - as always, she absolutely delivers and perfectly toes the line between being the emotional rock (pun intended) and incredibly tough while at times chaotic.

While the performances and cinematography are exceptional, the script weighs this film down. When the film allows breathing room for emotion and character development it soars, but there is an overreliance on fighting sequences, and the film quickly falls into a genetic biopic rhythm. I left enjoying the film, but lacked a connection to it. With the strong performances, the film should have leaned into the emotion more than the spectacle of the fights.

'The Smashing Machine' has such strong performances from Johnson and Blunt but it lacks narrative focus and an emotional core that hinders this from being a total knockout.