Film Review - The Machine (2023)
May 26, 2023
“The Machine” is based on a stand-up comedy routine from Bert Kreischer, who used the details from a disastrous trip to Russia in 1998 to create a story for the stage, and one that managed to go viral, catapulting the little-known comic (and occasional basic cable show host) into some degree of online fame, helping him to achieve a devoted fanbase. Kreischer’s act involves shirtlessness and volume, and now he’s being asked to lead a big screen comedy, with writers Kevin Biegel and Scotty Landes (“Ma”) tasked with turning the comedian into an actor, making something out of a mix of college day memories and his aggressive entertainment world persona. Oddly, “The Machine” isn’t a rip-roaring laugh riot, with the picture curiously muted when it comes to insanity and pace, asking the faithful to watch the eternal frat guy manage material that has him crying multiple times and participating in Screenwriting 101 arcs of redemption and atonement. It’s a movie specifically engineered to build Kreischer’s brand, and he’s the least appealing element in it. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
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