"Hayward-born Dwayne Johnson impresses in every way as real-life UFC wrestler and mixed martial artist Mark Kerr. He's so good that he manages to upstage the film he stars in. Kerr is Johnson's most challenging role and it plays well off his brawn and background but, best of all, it nudges him outside his comfort zone, giving him a golden opportunity to rummage through the complicated psyche of Kerr, a likeable athlete who battled addiction and whose career helped pave the way for MMA fighters."
"Johnson adopts a less-is-more approach and it's the right choice; his performance elevates an interesting but not overly remarkable sports biopic. Johnson transforms into Kerr (yes, numerous prosthetics help) and speaks in a calming and sincere voice that belies something primordial festering inside. That rage gets triggered whenever he's slamming opponents to the mat but also when his needy and big-personality girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt) pushes his buttons time and again."
Dwayne Johnson, known for pro wrestling and charismatic performances, transforms convincingly into real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr, using prosthetics and a restrained, sincere vocal approach that conceals a festering, primordial rage. The portrayal explores Kerr's addiction, volatile relationship with girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt), and the tension between affection and dysfunction, depicted through outbursts, punched walls, and broken doors. Tight editing, rigorous training sequences, and a ticking soundtrack convey the extreme physical and personal sacrifices of 1990s UFC fighters. The film elevates through Johnson's performance but feels compressed, leaving viewers wishing for an expanded timeframe and more detail about Kerr's life after the events shown.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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