From Stand-Up to Standoff Bert Kreischer’s Wild Ride in ‘The Machine’

From the stage to the silver screen, laughs, family and crime collide in Bert Kreischer’s “The Machine.”

“The Machine,” a 2023 actioncomedy film, offers audiences a wild overexaggerated journey through Bert Kreischer’s notorious past. Directed by Peter Atencio, the man behind the Key and Peele led 2016 film “Keanu,” this film is now tackling another comedy starring Bert Kreischer, a stand-up comedian known for his outrageous and hilarious storytelling.

This film features a fictionalized version of Kreischer and his family. Mark Hamill, of Star Wars fame, portrays Kreischer’s estranged and distant father named Albert.

Vaguely drawing from real-life tales, the narratives of “The Machine” centers around the infamous stand-up story Kreischer told about his youthful misadventures with the Russian mafia during his student exchange days in college. In the film, Kreischer has ridden his ‘Machine’ story to unparalleled fame, securing merchandising deals and appearances on talk shows and podcasts such as “2 Bears 1 Cave” starring Kreischer’s best friend, Tom Segura. However, his passion for partying leads him down a path of self-destruction, potentially endangering his relationships and professional career. It is here where the narrative of the film picks up.

I enjoyed the story; I was focused on the plot from start to finish and enjoyed the dynamics between the main characters thoroughly. I thought it was a bit overexaggerated but, then again, you kind of have to do that for film purposes, especially a comedy.

I also really enjoyed Kreischer’s on-screen performance. I believe he was extremely comfortable in regard to acting, and I hope he continues to do films in the future, especially comedies. I also strongly enjoyed the performance of Jimmy Tatro as young Kreischer. I thought his charisma was oozing off the screen and he has secured a new fan in me as I am excited to see what he does next. As I previously mentioned, I personally enjoyed the story, but did not love it. I love Bert Kreischer as a standup comedian, but there was something about this movie’s pacing that did not do it for me. I strongly believe that “The Machine” suffers from too long of a run-time for a comedy.

I believe the jokes in the film were vastly overdone and frankly not very funny to me, which was very surprising. Out of anything in the film, I expected to walk out at least laughing, which I did not.

Do not get me wrong, there were moments where I chuckled, but I often cracked up when watching his stand-up shows, so the humor was just lacking for me. I believe that is why I did not enjoy the film as much as I intended. entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

“The Machine” does have its shortcomings. Due to this, I would rate it a six out of 10. Its runtime is a bit too long for a comedy, and the jokes are sparse. The pacing feels inconsistent, with a subplot involving a young Kreischer’s romance with a classmate that ultimately leads nowhere. The film also struggles to balance its meanspirited humor with heartfelt moments, resulting in a disconnected audience experience. Viewers may find it challenging to connect emotionally with the characters because of these elements.

“The Machine” can be watched in select theaters.