Critics Are Calling Bert Kreischer’s The Machine Everything From A ‘Hilariously Awesome Action Extravaganza’ To ‘A Complete Failure In Every Single Way’
Fans of Bert Kreischer are probably familiar with his most famous stand-up routine, a yarn about a college trip to Russia in which a night of drinking with Russian gangsters led to him robbing a train to steal a pocket watch. Nearly a decade ago, the comedian told that story to Joe Rogan, who advised him to start putting that in his act, and now The Machine, a dramatized version of the tale, is in theaters. The reviews are in, so let’s see if even those unfamiliar with the standup routine should give it a shot this weekend.
In addition to Bert Kreischer playing a fictional version of himself, The Machine stars Mark Hamill as Bert’s father, Albert, and Iva Babić as Irina, a Russian mobster. The movie is set mostly in Russia, after Irina drags Bert and Albert across the world to recover the watch he stole 20 years ago. Let’s see what the critics have to say.
Joshua Kristian McCoy of GameRant rates the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying that fans of the comedian are likely to love this movie, but those who find him annoying aren’t going to have their minds changed. McCoy continues:
Carla Hay of Culture Mix finds none of that heart or any other redeeming qualities in The Machine, calling the movie “a complete failure in every single way,” arguing that it never should have gotten made. The critic continues:
Back on the other end of the spectrum, Alex Maidy of JoBlo rates it a “Great” 8 out of 10, calling the star of the movie “hilariously awesome” in the blend of his iconic stand-up routine and a “John Wick-esque action extravaganza.” Maidy says:
Jesse Hassenger of The Guardian rates it 2 out of 5 stars, saying a few stray jokes land, but The Machine overall has an astonishing lack of laughs. The review reads:
The bottom line seems to be that this movie is for fans of Bert Kreischer, particularly those who especially like the famed standup routine this movie is based on, and that sentiment seems to be reflected in its Rotten Tomatoes score as well. Holding a 29% rating from just seven critics’ opinions, The Machine holds a 96% Fresh audience score that has more than 100 submissions.