The Smashing Machine

I rented the DVD of "Smashing Machine" because I remembered Howard Stern talking about how good it was on his radio show a few months back. Just to preface where my opinion is coming from, while I am interested in martial arts and have seen a few of the UFC specials on Pay-Per-View years ago, I am by no means an active fan who is current with these events or the fighters.

Before watching, I was a little worried that this movie might of been geared towards the fans, and since I had never even heard of Mark Kerr I thought it might be uninteresting. Glad to report I was wrong... I thought this movie was fantastic. It was partially a profile of Mark Kerr and partially showing the ins and outs of the Pride Fighting events. It was odd to see that these people that go in the ring and beat the life out of each other are just regular guys who go home to a family. I would recommend this movie to anyone that is interested by martial arts or fighting, I thought it was a great watch.

The Reality of Ultimate Fighting

John Hyams' film 'The Smashing Machine,' comes across in the way few documentaries really do: Presenting the real-life struggles of ultimate fighter Mark Kerr in a captivating narrative. The film follows Kerr's career over the course of one year, from 1999 to 2000. It explains how he first was an amateur wrestler at the collegiate level, and was later drawn into ultimate fighting in an attempt to use his talent in the ring to earn some money. After his first public appearance, Kerr became a celebrity overnight, eventually finding his way to the Japan-based Pride Fighting Championship promotion. Here, the crowds were huge, and the prize money was impressive. Kerr quickly became one of the top competitors in the promotion, making him truly one of the best fighters on the globe. In the scene where Kerr is in a doctor's waiting room, discussing the sport with an older woman who sees the sport being unreasonable and brutal, he shows his confidence in his sport and does his best to defend it. Hyams however shows also the other side of Kerr's story which is filled with problems.

After years of sustaining extremely bad beatings in the ring, Kerr has become addicted to pain killers which led to serious health problems and difficulty with his home life. While it is easy to accept Kerr's defense given to the woman in the doctor's office, the film's unhesitating look into the sport suggests that the woman is right. The camera never shies away from the violence and gruesomeness of the sport, but also reveals the side we never get to see: That Mark Kerr and other fighters depicted in the film, are not inhuman, barbaric beasts whose main reason for existence is to harm their opponents. Instead, we see that they are normal guys who are just doing this to make a living. We may notice that Kerr is not a man who wants to hide anything. He never asks that the camera man be shut off. He is completely honest in his interviews and conversations. He does not even mind showing his pain killer injection and letting us see the scene in the hospital where he breaks out in tears, realizing that his life has to change. That is why Hyams did not choose a soundtrack that is loud, angry and fast, but instead we here music that provides an atmosphere against anger, really allowing the visuals to speak for themselves.

Hyams film has therefore turned into a successful documentary that tries to balance the views which are for and against ultimate fighting and the people involved. 'The Smashing Machine' is not only extreme violent, but also emotional, and at times heartbreaking. Yet it is definitely not a film for all viewers because of the intense brutality shown.

At times tough to watch, it's a fly on the wall movie that really shows the turmoil that the fighters went through in the early days. What's most interesting now is seeing the defunct PRIDE organization at its near peak in the early days. For a big fan of that era, this is like a nice little time capsule. Well worth checking out!

Mark Kerr is the main focus of this film, and it deals with his incredible rise from a wrestler, to one of the elite members of Mixed Martial Arts. Though Mark is at the top of his game, his need for pain relief grows to extremes, and other troubles soon arise. This documentary on "ultimate fighting," features many great Pride fighters like Igor Vovchanchyn, Vanderlei Silva, Mark Coleman and Renzo Gracie. Bas Rutten ultimately steals the show, though Mark is truly a specimen of massive power. The film manages to get in the very midst of the Pride tournament, and fans of Vale Tudo events would love to see such great shots and interviews of their favorite fighters. The film is very violent, though the athletes involved have the utmost technique and dedication for their martial art form. Truly a very unique type of person could be involved in these events, and the film captures that perfectly. Hopefully with this film, people will begin to appreciate the technique and sport, rather than just viewing it as fighting.

A 10 ****

As a big fan of Pro Wrestling, Mixed Martial Arts and No holds Barred fighting I must say that out of all of the truly great behind the scenes documentaries this may very well be the single most well paced and perfectly executed one of them all. Centering around the road to the Pride fighting championship tournament in 2000 it leaves few stones unturned in its portrayal and career demise of a very promising fighter in Mark Kerr. The soft spoken and polite Kerr was quite a magnificent grappler in his day, but once the reality set in that as an amateur he would make little money to sustain his life he turned to MMA after his good friend Mark Coleman (who is also prominently featured in the film, though to a lesser extent) recommended it. The Trials and tribulations he endured that led to him ultimately quitting MMA is well documented, drawing you into a world of addiction, withdrawal and diluted desire. Its sad to see what Kerr gave up for his future wife, but perhaps it was never meant to be as his heart never truly seemed to be into it anyway. Along the way you meet several different MMA stars he would share his fame with, such as his trainer the damn near unstoppable MMA LEGEND Bas Rutten. On the flip side you see the redemption of Mark "the Hammer" Coleman as he fights to rebound from the humiliating UFC loss to Maurice Smith he endured 2 years earlier. Seeing these men in such a different light is a sparkling reminder of just how human they really are (such as Coleman obvious love for his children), and subsequently how prone to human error they are as well. Watching Kerr hit rock bottom due to his Pain Killer addiction is a sad sight, but after all the pro wrestling and combat sports health issues and deaths it has to be seen. Perhaps someone will finally wake up and clean up an industry that has long needed cleaning... perhaps not. No harm in hoping though. In closing I have to say this film is must see viewing for MMA/Wrestling fans and a perfect example of how to document an individual without compromising their dignity. Highly recommended.