Above all, The Smashing Machine is a showcase for its star Dwayne Johnson, whose own history as a pro wrestler is an inextricable part of the screen persona he's created over the past decade and a half: genial action hero, reliable driver of fast-and-furious vehicles, and corny yet undefeatable dad. In choosing to play a darker, more volatile, less heroic character than any he's taken on before, Johnson reveals an intriguing new dimension of himself as an actor.
From Octagon Icon to Silver Screen For longtime MMA fans, Mark Kerr is a name that needs no introduction. Known as "The Smashing Machine" for his raw power and relentless ground game, Kerr was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion and a Pride Fighting Championships superstar. The film captures his meteoric rise during the height of no-holds-barred fighting in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
"He said, 'It's kind of an honor to play together and to share those moments," and it kind of sums up how I feel when making a movie. We're playing, we're listening, and we're learning. We're listening to each other and trying to become better on the other side," Benny concludes.
