Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s latest feature film has finally arrived, as The Smashing Machine hit theaters this past week. The movie, which is directed by Josh Safdie, centers on mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr, a legend within the world of professional fighting. Johnson has been enthusiastic while promoting the flick, which has been a passionate project of his. On the surface, this biopic may seem like a run-of-the-mill sports film, but Johnson has a take on why it’s much more than a “fight movie.”
Based on the trailers for The Smashing Machine, it seems evident that Benny Safdie, Dwayne Johnson and co. put a lot of work into the fight scenes. (I personally can’t wait to see those bouts play out on the big screen myself.) However, there’s more to the film than what happens with Mark Kerr inside the ring. Johnson caught up with Deadline at the film’s premiere in LA, and he revealed how he views it as a whole:
