The question of whether or not “The Smashing Machine” is successful, is more complicated than a simple yes or no. The answer to that question would change drastically depending on who you asked. The actors, studio and fans would all give you different responses.
‘‘The Smashing Machine’’ is the latest A24 movie, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. It depicts the true story of a famous MMA fighter as he battles through addiction and tries to reach new highs in his career.
After opening weekend, reports came out that the domestic box office earned a total of six million dollars. This news came as a shock, as the film was expected to perform much better. The A24 studio was devastated to hear this news, and as of right now, the film is Johnson’s biggest box office flop.
According to Nathan Paris, the general manager of the Black Bear Cinemas, “Opening weekend was the strongest for it, but unfortunately it did not sell out.” It also failed to sell out on University of Maine Wednesdays, when tickets are free for students.
But despite the box office troubles, Johnson has expressed numerous times that he is very happy with how the movie came out and he is thankful to all the fans who came out to see it. I understand why he feels this way, as I believe this is the best performance of Johnson’s career.
My opinion on this movie is not contradictory to the general audience — I thought it was good and worth the watch, but at the same time it still felt like a let down. This movie was so hyped up in the media after glowing film festival reviews. All of the noise did this film a disservice, as many, including myself, were expecting a best picture nominee, and it just couldn’t live up to that.
Despite its box office shortcomings and not reaching the high expectations that it had, ‘‘The Smashing Machine’’ had many bright spots. As I previously mentioned, Johnson is phenomenal in this movie. He showed me acting skills that I wasn’t aware the retired wrestler had.
In so many of his films, Johnson is just playing the character of himself no matter the assigned role. Or at least, the persona he created in the WWE, as The Rock. But in this film he really becomes the character, Mark Kerr. He is vulnerable and able to hold this tension throughout the whole movie to where you think he is going to snap, but he never does. It was just a full display of what Johnson had in his tool-kit and it was deeper than I thought.
Another bright spot of this movie is the production. The costume design and makeup are incredible. Johnson looks spot on when compared to the actual person. The sound design in this movie is so gritty and real. You feel every punch and hear every step that takes place in the ring. Visually, this movie is also superb. All the fights are shot from unique angles, whether it is through the side of the ropes — the way a fan might see it — or a more traditional shot, it captures what watching a fight is like.
Finally, Blunt gives a brilliant performance. She plays the girlfriend of the main protagonist, who is also struggling with mental health issues. The character she is depicting is traditionally a shallow, one-dimensional, nagging wife type, usually written by misogynistic old men. Blunt, however, gives the character depth thanks to her prowess as an actress. Her character is flawed, but like with most great actors, very believable.
However, there are some valid critiques of this movie. For one, it is very slow paced. There is not a lot that transpires in this film and definitely is more concerned with being a more slice of life piece. So, if that type of story is not for you, I would not recommend watching this one. It also doesn’t really change much from the original documentary it was based on — raising the question of why it needed to be created in the first place.
This movie’s biggest problem, while this might be exacerbated by the hype of the media, is that it lacks that special factor. This movie is good, but there is nothing in it that is spectacular. When I had a brief conversation with Paris, he had a quote that summed it up beautifully; “I saw the movie, and while I don’t think it lived up to my expectations, it was still very enjoyable.”
