Tag: Mixed Martial Arts

THE SMASHING MACHINE – Review

Now, just two weeks ago, I reviewed the rare movie hybrid, a sports/horror flick called HIM. As it nears the end of its deservedly brief theatrical run, another sports film hits the multiplex. However, its subgenre is one that is most familiar in cinema history, the sports “biopic”. To be even more specific, this is a dramatic profile of a fighter. If you’re thinking about pugilists like LaMotta (of RAGING BULL) fame or Muhammad Ali, then you’re in a different arena. No, this week’s new release is set in the world of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), a backdrop in action flicks going way back to 1980’s THE OCTAGAN. In more recent years, diverse actors, from Kevin James to Halle Berry, have flexed their fists and feet on the canvas. Now an action flick superstar, who first gained fame in another fighting ring, gets a chance to show off his dramatic skills (along with his impressive pecs) as the athlete dubbed (in an acclaimed HBO documentary) THE SMASHING MACHINE.

Yes, that’s the intimidating nickname of Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson). We’re first introduced to him as he’s being interviewed at a UFC match in the late 1990s. The undefeated champ is asked how he’d feel if he lost a match. It’s something he’s never thought about, so he’s truly at a loss for words. Later, after another victory, we observe him grabbing an extra vial or two of painkillers. Luckily, he can’t hide it from his devoted but often annoyed (Mark doesn’t “open up”) girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt). In search of bigger cash prizes, Kerr joins, along with old wrestling pal and trainer Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader), the rival UFC league in Japan, PRIDE. Ultimately, Kerr’s substance abuse takes its toll as he loses focus in the ring, with one big bout ending as “No Contest”. Finally he enters a rehab facility as Coleman’s star begins to rise as a solo MMA star. When Kerr completes the “program,” his sobriety puts an even greater strain on his relationship with Dawn. But he’s still a big draw at PRIDE, so Kerr is back at the training gym, guided by his mentor Bas Rutten (himself). But will the strain of addiction, paired with a chaotic home life derail his chances at a big championship event that could have him facing his old buddy Coleman?


The film truly rests on those (really, really big and broad) shoulders of Johnson, who utilizes his considerable charm and charisma, which propelled him on the big screen, making us believe him as this worldwide champion. And then he surprises (he’s “gone A24”) us by plunging into the darkness of this “sporting life”, showing us how the affable Kerr “cons’ the medical system with his infectious grin and “gentle giant” persona. Kudos to Johnson for getting out his “comfort zone” of the overblown action “tentpoles” (in some of them he looked a tad “unconnected”, to the point of “phoning it in”) to explore the psyche of the laser-focused competitor. Perhaps he’s at his best early on as Kerr describes the “rush” of delivering a knockout blow. Matching him in intensity is the versatile Ms. Blunt, who makes Dawn more than Kerr’s “eye candy” housemate, and keeps us “off kilter” as she lashes out over being on the “sidelines” and viewed by her beau’s team as a flitting “distraction” from battle. By the big “blow-up” in the third act, Blunt makes her a volatile “wild card’ in a verbal (and nearly physical) throw down reminicent of Albee’s George and Martha. In his first acting gig, Bader is very compelling as “friend to the end” Coleman, making us wish for a greater “dive” into his story, aside from a few brief minutes of him playing with his adorable offspring. Also solid is Rutten as, well, Bas Rutten, a tough but nurturing guru for Kerr, in and out of the ring.

Much like the creative parting of the Coen brothers, this is the first film from writer/director Benny Safdie after a long cinematic collaboration with brother Josh. And as I noted, he turns Johnson and Blunt into a potent screen team (we know her dramatic chops, but he’s doing a big career shift). It’s a shame that they’re not in service to a more compelling script. Focusing on three or four years in Kerr’s “sports rise”, we don’t get a chance to see him in his “hungry years” during the “climb”. In other ways, the story needs more ‘space”. We only see him enter and exit the rehab center, with no scenes of his “steps”. And often Kerr is so stoic, it makes us wonder what his motivations are (especially when he’s fixated on a demolition derby match), though it gives us a chance to appreciate the subtle, but superb make-up work of Kazu Hiro, chipping away at “the Rock”. Plus, the film’s pacing somewhat “lurches” from interchangeable matches (it’s often difficult to ID the fighters as they become “pretzels”) to another screaming match at the Kerr casa in Phoenix. The often overbearing (drowning out dialogue) music score (two ill-timed Elvis tunes and a “jackhammer” jazz drum solo during the big matches) doesn’t aid the film. Yes, there are a few interesting sequences, particularly when Kerr sweetly explains his job to a grandma in a doctor’s waiting area, or when he takes his pal to “press the flesh” with his Tokyo fans, but the script feels like it’s “spinning its wheels” until the big “updates” prior to the end titles. Fans of the two principals will be pleased with their taut performances, but many will find that there are more than a few hints of “rust” and strain in THE SMAHING MACHINE.

2 Out of 4

THE SMASHING MACHINES opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, October 3, 2025

BRUISED (2021) – Review

BRUISED

So, did last week’s big release, KING RICHARD, spark your interest in “female-centric” sports flicks? Maybe just a bit, eh? Well, we’ve got one just in time for the holiday weekend. Oh, but there’s a couple of differences here, It’s a fiction film, though it’s set in the very real world of Women’s Mixed Martial Arts competitions. Feels like the last time we saw ladies squaring off was in 2004’s Oscar-winner MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Speaking of the golden statue, the star of this new film has one for acting. Plus she’s making her feature directing debut with this tale of an aging fighter whose body and psyche are almost broken and achingly BRUISED.

Without a big “backstory” (or even an “origin”), we’re immediately dropped into a terrible day for MMA fighter Jackie Justice AKA “Pretty Bull” (Halle Berry). It’s a big championship bout and she’s being so brutally pummeled that she climbs over the barricades of their ring, referred to as the “octagon”. With her career pretty much toast, she’s reduced to cleaning the homes of “rich folks”. But an altercation with the son of one of her clients squelches that. On the way home, she tries to drown her sorrows before facing the wrath of her ex-manager and current beau Desi (Adan Canto). He’s peeved alright, though he decides to take her away for the night. But it’s a surprise to Jackie when they end up at an “underground’ fighting club. Desi’s hoping to sign up some new “talent’ as many of the patrons recognize Jackie. Then one of the fighters challenges her which unleashes her fury, impressing gym owner/fight promoter Immaculate ( Shamier Anderson). He hands his card to a dismissive Jacke and implores her to get down to his gym and contact a trainer named Buddhakan. When the couple returns home they’re surprised by a visit from Jackie’s insulting pill-popping mother (Adriane Lenox) who drops off Manny (Danny Boyd, Jr.) the seven-year-son Jackie had left with her ex soon after he was born. He was an undercover cop who was “found out” and murdered in front of the boy which literally left him speechless (not a word to anyone). Since she’s a mother again, Jackie decides to take the offer to return to fighting. At the gym, she meets that trainer, who prefers Bobbi (Shelia Atim). So can the aging (for the MMA bouts) Jackie balance her training with her new paternal responsibilities and deal with her physically abusive boyfriend and her verbally dismissive mother? She’s gotta’ stock up on aspirin and ice packs.

Berry convincingly transforms into the battered, but still standing Jackie J. She looks confident and more than a bit dangerous in the “octo” projecting a fierce attitude we’ve never seen, even in her “hero” roles like Storm, Jinx, and…ahem…Catwoman. But as tough as she is in a bout, out in the “world’ Berry shows us that JJ is unsteady even a bit fragile as her personal battles (with Desi, with her mama) almost put her down for the count. Her ‘rescuer” may be the “little” man she’s got to rescue and raise. Berry expertly portrays every facet of this complex character. Luckily Jackie’s got great support and rapport with Atim’s Bobbi, who proves to be a great scene partner to Berry. Akim goes from “out there” sage (we first see her chanting a mantra) to a tough taskmaster with Jackie and a very cool “big sister’ to Manny. And later we see her vulnerable side as things get more intense away from the gym. Canta has a brutish charm as Desi while building to the moment when he unleashes the ugly beast straining to burst forth. Young Boyd proves to be a superb pantomimist as the silent manny, while Lenox sells the role of Jackie’s passive-aggressive drug and booze-addled mama, though she’s secretly proud of her offspring.

And yes, this is Berry’s behind-the-camera debut, doing double duty with a confident storytelling skill (with a script by another first-timer Michelle Rosenfarb). Berry captures the hopelessness and squalor of life in the shabby mean streets (mainly Newark here) making us feel the cold and the grime (and almost smelling the sweat and filth). Much of that sweat covers the gym, while the fighters seem to slide in the blood at the bouts. We feel Jackie’s frustrations (Manny’s wall of silence can’t be shattered) and her triumphs (the Atlantic City hotel suite is almost a palace). It does go to the training montage “well” too often, and the near-constant hip-hop-infused score can be numbing. Plus a third-act romantic tryst feels tossed in for titillation (aren’t fighters supposed to, y’know, abstain before a big match). But it’s a splendid first feature helmed by Berry and for those who are curious about the subject matter, it’s a great way to get really close to the action without ending up BRUISED.

2.5 Out of 4

BRUISED streams exclusively on Netflix starting on Wednesday, November 24, 2021

WARRIOR – The Review

WARRIOR is the iconic “Rocky” film of the MMA generation, brutal, beautiful and emotionally extraordinary. For the scarce handful of those unfamiliar with the rapidly rising new sport, MMA is mixed martial arts, the next level of skilled combat athletics, combining any and all forms of hand-to-hand fighting styles. Yes, the film contains violence. How else do you tell a story so crucially centered on what will ultimately replace boxing, without depicting it as realistically as possible? The violence of the competition is exhilarating, but serves as a welcome and climactic payoff for the brutally honest, often gut-wrenching human drama that unfolds as the soul of the film.

The story follows two brothers, Tommy (Tom Hardy) and Brandon (Joel Edgerton), both of whom have histories as trained fighters. Tommy was an undefeated high school wrestling marvel who wound up a Marine himself, trained by their father Paddy (Nick Nolte), a Marine veteran with a violent, drunken past. Brandon also caught the wrestling bug, but followed through to become a mediocre UFC success as a professional fighter, before retiring and becoming a high school physics teacher, married with two girls. Both Tommy and Brandon, as we discover entirely separate of each other, have one thing in common, a deep-seeded and passionate anger toward their estranged father Paddy, now sober, now desperately struggles for nothing more than to somehow reconnect with his boys. This right here, more than anything else in the film, this relationship and how it plays out, is what sets WARRIOR apart from similar films.

Writer and director Gavin O’Connor has created his best work of cinema since 2004’s MIRACLE, and I believe surpasses the beloved and inspiring hockey film. The film as a whole is powerful and magnetic, grabbing hold of the viewer’s very spirit and never letting go. The way in which O’Connor isolates the two brothers’ stories builds suspense and empathy for both characters equally, creating not one, but two heroes for us to encourage and follow. Tommy and Brandon need no external antagonist, as they serve that role for themselves, fighting inner demons, both past and present. O’Connor takes the camera in close, maintaining an intimate relationship between the characters and the viewer. This intimacy is especially strong during the moments when Paddy attempts to make amends with his boys, showcasing the incredible trinity of masterful performances from these three actors.

Nick Nolte (AFFLICTION, OFF THE BLACK), no stranger to the bottle himself, is brilliant on screen, selling his character with such a flawless certainty that translated into moments when I literally forgot I was watching a movie, and not a real human being experiencing such tragically exhausting personal conflict. Equally mesmerizing was Tom Hardy (BRONSON, INCEPTION) as Tommy, filled with a quiet rage that seethes from his very aura. Hardy is a hulking, brooding menace, confined within his own self-pity, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash his emotions in a mushroom cloud of pent-up anger toward his father. Opposite of Tommy, is Joel Edgerton (THE SQUARE, ANIMAL KINGDOM) as Brandon, an externally calm and peaceful family man, hiding the traumatic influence his father has had on his life.

WARRIOR is compelling, drawing as much on the viewer’s capacity to summon compassion for a fictional character as it draws on the adrenaline glands to heighten the thrill of the experience, succeeding at both. While the fights themselves are clearly not accurate to the reality of how the majority of MMA fights play out, the fight choreography itself is stellar. Hardy and Edgerton have clearly done their homework, convincing me to never piss either one of them off in real life. What WARRIOR does is to reduce the vastly diverse world of MMA down into a carefully constructed collage of the key elements of the fighting arts, showcasing the essence of MMA as a fine chef would rely on reduction to create a quality red wine sauce. What we see in WARRIOR are the most flavorful bits of MMA, reduced down to a perfectly executed dish. With that said, you would rarely ever see the shear quantity of perfectly executed moves on display in a single event as are seen in the film, but that’s what we expect to see. O’Connor delivers!

Rounding out the film are substantially effective performances from the supporting cast, including a stand out role for Jennifer Morrison (HOUSE M.D.) as Brandon’s wife and Kevin Dunn (TRANSFORMERS) in a small but welcome, humorous role as the high school principal. Making a cameo appearance is the Olympic-turned-professional wrestler Kurt Angle as Koba, the massive and intimidating Russian fighter that all other fighters fear. The director himself even supplies his own extended cameo as J.J. Riley, the wealthy Wall Street tycoon that bank rolls the Sparta MMA competition that Tommy and Brandon both endeavor to champion.

With a film done so well, I would be remiss if I were not completely honest and point out the one flaw in WARRIOR, being a montage constructed of multiple training shots floating simultaneously across the screen, intended as a creative juxtaposition of Tommy and Brandon’s paths merging. The result became the only moment I ever found myself pulled from the story, but is minor enough to be overlooked.

Where ROCKY fails to deliver any realism in the fights, WARRIOR succeeds. Where CINDERELLA MAN set the bar for emotional attachment of the audience to the hero has been raised, triumphantly. What THE FIGHTER managed to achieve as a lasting impression on the viewer has been overshadowed by WARRIOR, which I believe is one of the best films of 2011 and most certainly should reward both the seasoned Nick Nolte and the relatively new and rising star Tom Hardy with Oscar nominations, perhaps sadly leaving Edgerton ever so slightly under-appreciated for his equally stunning performance.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars