Bert Kreischer in 'The Machine' delivers funny film

Talk about a movie that flew under the radar in theaters — only true movie buffs were even aware that "The Machine" had a short theatrical run. Barely noticed by anyone until now, when it has finally debuted on Netflix, "The Machine" was a pleasant surprise during a period of few decent movies released in theaters.Bert Kreischer (playing himself) is a middle-aged comedian when the film begins. He has a famous stand-up show and a popular podcast that features his crude brand of humor.Bert's stand-up routine is somewhat unusual. He claims that when he was a college freshman in 1999 he went on a school-sponsored trip to Russia with his classmates. While he was in Russia, Bert says he became friends with a low-level mafia enforcer named Igor (Nikola Duricko). Bert was the main attraction in a string of epic parties with Russian mobsters and was given the nickname "The Machine." On a train ride from St. Petersburg to Moscow, Bert is completely wasted when another gangster forces him to rob everyone on the train, even his classmates. Bert makes this legendary story into a comedy routine, and no one knows whether they should believe him.Back in the present day, Bert and his daughter Sasha (Jessica Gabor) are in a constant argument over something incredibly dumb Bert did, something that was so bad that Bert is in therapy. During a completely over-the-top birthday party for Sasha, she leaves disgusted.It's at this point that Irina (Iva Babic) crashes the party. She is the daughter of a Russian mobster and is looking for The Machine.During that train robbery in 1999, The Machine had stolen a pocket watch from Irina's father, and she wants it back.Bert must return to Russia with Irina to find the watch. Irina takes Bert's dad Albert (Mark Hamill) for moral support. She also leaves one of her henchmen to follow Sasha, ensuring Bert's compliance. How Bert is supposed to find a pocket watch that he supposedly stole but didn't keep 24 years ago on a train in Russia is unknown, but he has to try.What's truly amazing about this movie is that it's somewhat partially autobiographical. Bert Kreischer is a real comedian who really does a stand-up show (without his shirt on) where he claims to have robbed an entire train full of people with Russian mobsters in 1999. He claims it's a true story; no one knows for sure but Bert. What a wild (and true?) story upon which to base a movie!The plot of the film is insane. The story is told by flashbacks of Bert as a young man in Russia hanging out with Russian mobsters and generally being a crazy party animal, in addition to robbing an entire train. The current portion of the story is Bert traipsing through Russia at gunpoint and trying to avoid being killed by several mafia factions. It's a wild ride."The Machine" may not be for everyone, but it is funny. There are a few scenes that made me cry I was laughing so hard. Those scenes alone are worth your time. But it's important to keep in mind that much of the comedy is bro humor. The movie is constantly making fun of Bert and the other men in the movie and is occasionally pretty gross. If that's not your thing, then maybe you should skip this one.One thing I don't understand about the movie, and about Bert's stand-up comedy in general, is why Bert continually takes off his shirt. Going shirtless when he was younger may have been a little understandable since he was in good shape, but taking off his shirt now and showing off his giant belly is incomprehensible to me. Presumably he thinks it makes him funnier, but it does not. It's just weird.Everyone has a friend like Bert. He's an idiot who will do anything to make people laugh and always wants to be the center of attention. He can be annoying and overbearing, and sometimes you just want him to give it a rest. But there's something about him that's funny and lovable. That's Bert Kreischer.Grade: B+Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug use, and some sexual references.•••Bradley Griffith is a local attorney and a lifelong movie buff.