When it comes to the ranking of wrestlers-turned-actors, the results have been consistent for years. Dave Bautista is far and away the number one, John Cena is comfortably number two, and at distant third, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The other two have appeared in a wide range of movies, showcasing their excellent acting skills. Johnson, on the other hand, has only played one-note characters in big, multimillion-dollar blockbusters. When he was cast in "The Smashing Machine," a small-budget independent film, I was intrigued.
"The Smashing Machine" follows mixed martial artist Mark Kerr (Johnson).
Johnson's performance is, by far, the best he has ever given in a movie. Kerr is an excellent fighter, but he also has a substance use disorder. We see him try to get stronger pain meds after a fight, and stashes drugs in various places, not just his house. He is in a rocky relationship with his girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt). Johnson shows a broader range of emotions than he has in any of his other films. Playing the part of Kerr requires him to be tough (which he has always done), but also requires him to show a lot of vulnerability. It is an impressive performance that I would not be surprised to see get Oscar attention for Johnson.
The performances are where my praise for "The Smashing Machine" ends. I felt the same way about this as I did about "The Hunger Games." It is a series of moments with almost no connecting tissue. Scenes don't resolve; they end, and then we are on to the next scene. At one point, Mark goes to rehab, and in the next scene, he is out—no word of his recovery or how he handled rehab. The movie doesn't have any interest in that or the fact that he had to drop out of a fight because of it, beyond people being mad that he had to drop out. It made the movie feel disjointed and incomplete.
