“The Machine” is a film starring Bert Kreischer and directed by Peter Atencio. It is written by Kevin Biegel and Scotty Landes. If you believe that a good movie can be made with only jokes, then this script confirms it.
The movie features Mark Hamill (yes, Luke Skywalker), but if someone manages to stand out in this film, it’s Iva Babić.
Plot
Bert Kreischer faces a family crisis and the arrival of his estranged father when the ghost of his alcohol-soaked past arrives: a mafia killer determined to kidnap Bert back to the motherland to atone for his crimes. Together, he and his father must retrace their steps to their younger selves in the midst of a war between a sociopathic criminal family as they try to find common ground.
Movie Review
With a great stand-up star like Bert Kreischer and the good Mark Hamill… Is that enough? At least in terms of marketing, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to promote a reunion, but the script, with no other options than to serve as a vehicle to elevate the stand-up star to the realm of cinema, fails due to a lack of a story that goes beyond repeated jokes about the Russian character.
It is well-shot, with good technical aspects, good drone shots, good editing, and a good soundtrack. The action scenes are well-shot, but the character played by Bert Kreischer, The Machine, seems like he doesn’t have enough material for a movie, at least not with this script (it worked with Mr. Bean, some years ago).
The festival of jokes is based on only one idea: the indomitable character of the Russians, their love for tattoos, and of course, vodka and stunningly beautiful women. A festival of clichés for a movie born to please stand-up lovers, but it doesn’t convince as a comedy or as an “all-encompassing” film (it sounds like we’re talking about Ingmar Bergman, but it’s not even close).
It has some funny scenes, excessively isolated, it has its technical virtues, and the main character is likable, but that’s about it. The characters and, above all, the plot are not convincing in a movie that serves as a vehicle to start a career in the world of cinema for this stand-up star.
And it doesn’t seem too promising, and not precisely because of his performance.
Our Opinion
A nice comedy that doesn’t go anywhere and doesn’t convince as either a comedy or an action movie.
The Cast
Stephanie Kurtzuba
Nikola Đuričko
