Film Review

‘The Smashing Machine’: A Modern Requiem for a Heavyweight

Dwayne Johnson jettisons The Rock for good in a career-defining performance.
‘The Smashing Machine’: A Modern Requiem for a Heavyweight
Mark Kerr (Dwayne Johnson) is an MMA wrestler, in "The Smashing Machine." Eric Zachanowich/A 24
Michael Clark
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R | 2h 3m | Drama, Sports, Biography | 2025

Dwayne Johnson isn’t the first professional “athlete” to succeed as an actor after retiring, but he is the most successful. I put the word athlete in quotation marks as most people don’t consider Johnson’s previous job (professional wrestling) to be a real sport. It’s rigged entertainment.

Michael Clark
Michael Clark
Author
Originally from the nation's capital, Michael Clark has provided film content to over 30 print and online media outlets. He co-founded the Atlanta Film Critics Circle in 2017 and is a weekly contributor to the Shannon Burke Show on FloridaManRadio.com. Since 1995, Clark has written over 5,000 movie reviews and film-related articles. He favors dark comedy, thrillers, and documentaries.