It might not seem like much of a stretch for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler turned movie star, to portray Mark Kerr, a Mixed Martial Arts champion, in the movie, “The Smashing Machine.”

And yet there are differences between the two most brutal of sports.

Professional wrestling is defined as “a form of athletic theater centered around mock combat” where the performers are competitive wrestlers.

A hero in pro wrestling parlance is known as a “babyface” and a villain is known as a “heel.”

The scripted wrestling events are known as “kayfabe.”

Don’t tell pro wrestling fans that it isn’t real.

In the United States, authentic wrestling is that of amateur wrestling.

Mixed martial arts is defined as “a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling, incorporating techniques from combat sports.” There is punching, kicking, wrestling and martial arts.

A 1976 exhibition bout in Japan between boxer Muhammad Ali and wrestler Antonio Inoki is said to have inspired the Pride Fighting Championships, which began in 1997 in Tokyo.

The Pride Fighting Championships in 1997 play a prominent role in the movie, “The Smashing Machine,” which is based on the 2002 HBO documentary film, “The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr.” Kerr is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion.

The UFC is a promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nev. Dana White is CEO of UFC. White spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention, endorsing then presidential nominee Donald Trump. White introduced Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

President Trump announced that a UFC fight will take place June 14, 2026, the president’s 80th birthday, on the grounds of the White House. White has said that his promotion company would repair any damage to the South Lawn.

In the movie, “The Smashing Machine,” which takes place between 1997 and 2000, Dwayne Johnson is almost unrecognizable as Mark Kerr, the Mixed Martial Arts fighter who battles not only opponents in the ring, but also his inner turmoil, addiction to opioids and troubled relationship with his girlfriend Dawn Staples (Emily Blunt).

“The Smashing Machine” is directed and edited by Benny Safdie from his own screenplay.

Benny Safdie co-directed with his brother Josh Safdie the acclaimed “Uncut Gems” (2019), which starred Adam Sandler. “Uncut Gems” was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, winning for director and editing.

Benny Safdie, working with Director of Photography Maceo Bishop (Primetime Emmy Awards winner, “Hamilton,” 2021), filmed “The Smashing Machine” with use of a handheld 16mm camera in a documentary film style. There are jittery scenes, many closeups and the foreground sometimes obscures parts of the background. The effect is up-close-and-personal. Movie-goers feel as though they are part of the fighting in the ring, which is brutal. I had to turn away at times.

Nala Sinephro, who plays “The Star-Spangled Banner” on the harp and sings the national anthem in the film, composed a jangly and jazzy soundtrack as intense as the film’s scenes.

The soundtrack includes pop, country, rock and hip-hop songs. Some of the songs, such as Bruce Springsteen’s “Jungleland,” are heard nearly in full.

“The Smashing Machine” was nominated as best film and Safdie won the Silver Lion as best feature film director at the 2025 Venice Film Festival.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who has Lehigh Valley roots, is getting Oscar-nomination buzz for his lead role as Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine.”

Dwayne Johnson (“Fast & Furious” franchise; “Jumanji” franchise; “Moana,” 2016, 2024, and “Jungle Cruise,” 2021), a World Wrestling Entertainment pro wrestler as “The Rock,” graduated in 1990 from Freedom High School, Bethlehem Area School District, where he played defensive tackle on the Patriots’ varsity football team and was on the track and field and wrestling teams.

Johnson conveys a range of emotions as Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine.” He is fierce in the ring. Out of the ring, he is soft-spoken, slow-moving, vulnerable and even cries in several scenes.

Dwayne Johnson is said to have worn about 22 pieces of prosthetics, including cauliflower ears (applied by Oscar-winning artist Kazu Hiro), put on 30 pounds and wore a wig to portray Mark Kerr.

In “The Smashing Machine,” Mark Kerr’s wife is played by Johnson’s “Jungle Cruise” co-star Emily Blunt (Oscar nominee, supporting actress, “Oppenheimer,” 2023). Blunt plays the emotionally-distraught girlfriend with a tenacity as fierce as some of the fighters in the ring. Blunt and Johnson have great on-screen chemistry.

The supporting cast includes Ryan Bader as Kerr’s friend and MMA fighter Mark Coleman, Andre Tricoteux as Paul Varelans, Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn and Bas Rutten as himself.

Many of the actors are Mixed Martial Arts fighters and trainers.

“The Smashing Machine” can be recommended for fans of Dwayne Johnson, Benny Safdie and boxing films.

“The Smashing Machine,” MPA Rated R (Restricted: Persons under 17 require an accompanying parent or adult guardian) for language and some drug abuse; Genre: Biography, Drama Sports. Distributed by A24.

Credit Readers Anonymous: In concluding scenes of “The Smashing Machine,” Mark Kerr appears as himself in contemporary scenes where he’s shown shopping at a supermarket. The end credits include photos of Mark Kerr. “The Smashing Machine” was filmed May to August 2024 in Albuquerque, N.M.; Tokyo, Japan, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

At The Movies: “The Smashing Machine” was seen in Dolby Cinema at AMC, AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movies Domestic Weekend Box Office, Oct. 10-12: “Tron: Ares,” starring Evan Peters, Jeff Bridges, Greta Lee, Jared Leto and Gillian Anderson in the Science-Fiction, Action film reboot, third in the “Tron” series, opened at No. 1 with $33.5 million in 4,000 theaters.

2. “Roofman,” starring Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst and LaKeith Stanfield in the Biography Crime Drama, $8 million in 3,362 theaters, opening. 3. “One Battle After Another” dropped one place with $6.6 million in 3,127 theaters, $54.5 million, three weeks. 4. “Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie” stayed in place, $3.3 million in 3,049 theaters, $26.4 million, three weeks. 5. “Soul on Fire,” a Biography Drama film about John O’Leary, who survived fire burns to his entire body, $3 million in 1,720 theaters, opening. 6. “The Conjuring: Last Rites” dropped one place, $2.9 million in 2,334 theaters, $172.4 million, six weeks. 7. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle - Part 1: Akaza Returns” dropped three places, $2.2 million in 1,834 theaters, $128.6 million, five weeks. 8. “The Smashing Machine” dropped five places, $1.7 million in 3,321 theaters, two weeks. 9. “The Strangers: Chapter 2” dropped one place, $1.5 million in 1,878 theaters, $13.4 million, three weeks. 10. “Good Boy” dropped one place, $1.3 million in 1,650 theaters, $4,8 million, two weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Oct. 12 is subject to change.

Unreel, Oct. 17:

“Good Fortune,” MPA R; 1 hour, 38 minutes. Aziz Ansari directs Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh, Keanu Reeves and himself in the Fantasy Comedy. A well-meaning, but inept angel meddles in the lives of a gig worker and a venture capitalist.

“After the Hunt,” MPA rated R; 2 hours, 19 minutes. Luca Guadagnino directs Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny in the Crime Thriller. A college professor copes with accusations from a student about a colleague.

“Black Phone 2,” MPA rated R; 1 hour, 54 minutes. Scott Derrickson directs Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw and Jeremy Davies in the Horror film. Finney is now 17 when his sister begins receiving calls from the black phone in her dreams.

Movie opening dates from Internet Movie Database as of Oct. 12 are subject to change.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes