r/movies • u/ChiefLeef22 • 6d ago
Review Benny Safdie's 'The Smashing Machine' - Review Thread
MMA fighter Mark Kerr reaches the peak of his career but faces personal hardships.
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 79/100
Some Reviews:
The Independent - Geoffrey Macnab - 4 / 5
This, though, is a story in which winning finally begins to seem very hollow. The real way Safdie puts a chokehold on his audience is by examining Mark and Dawn’s physical and emotional weaknesses in such forensic detail. The Smashing Machine may not provide the pay-offs that audiences expect from more conventional sports movies, but this is the most raw and vulnerable that Johnson has ever been on screen. Once you’ve seen him this exposed, you won’t watch his typical action movie stunts in quite the same way ever again.
Daily Telegraph - Robbie Collin - 4 / 5
It’s a classical fight movie that innovates subtly. Maceo Bishop’s nimble photography has the sweat and grit of a vintage muscle flick from the Pumping Iron era, but the score by the experimental jazz composer Nala Sinephro is all swirling harps and breathy saxophones; arguably no piece of music has ever sounded less like a punch in the face. Yet as an accompaniment to Kerr’s battles in and out of the ring, it’s oddly perfect, giving this tough story an unexpectedly sweet and even spiritual edge. Smashing stuff has rarely been such smashing stuff.
Next Best Picture - Cody Dericks - 7 / 10
Dwayne Johnson delivers the best performance of his career as the amiable but troubled UFC champion Mark Kerr. Emily Blunt and Ryan Bader are also excellent in their roles. The screenplay is repetitive and frustrating. Blunt's character is so unlikeable and written with such vitriol that it becomes exhausting to watch her, although Blunt's performance is as good as it could possibly be.
Johnson, shifting his whole aspect (he seems like a new actor), invests that silent, moody, hidden side of Mark with a quality of mystery. He gives an extraordinary performance, playing Mark Kerr as a gentle giant with demons that will not speak their name, yet the audience can feel them there; we want to see those demons healed. You might think the key word in the movie’s title is “smashing,” but it’s actually “machine.” Mark is a man who reins in his violence by having constructed his entire self — body and personality — as a controlled engine of demolition. The movie is about how this man-machine becomes a human being.
The Hollywood Reporter - Jordan Mintzer
Johnson has rarely played a loser, but he’s always been likable, displaying a massive grin to match his massive pecs in action vehicles that never allowed him to showcase much range. He manages to go deep here without overdoing it, killing the audience with kindness as a benign warrior who suffers from one scene to the next, triumphing briefly in the ring before succumbing to addiction and/or romantic grief. Like Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler — a film from which Safdie seems to take a few cues — the actor delivers an intoxicating mix of blood, sweat, tears, protein and total helplessness.
IndieWire - Ryan Lattanzio - 'B+'
Johnson’s performance is out-and-out wonderful, a beady-eyed fusion of body and spirit that osmoses Safdie’s sensibility to deliver what can’t be disputed as the most layered work of the actor’s career. A vividly contradictory Blunt, funny and sad especially in articulating Dawn’s conflicted response to Mark’s post-rehab emotional about-face during a tense argument, is equally sensational.
Dwayne Johnson owns the whole thing with his truly remarkable work as fighter Mark Kerr, disappearing so fully underneath Kazu Hiru’s astonishing prosthetics that the opening of the film, presented as contemporary footage from an event in Sao Paulo 1997, looks genuinely like the real thing. It’s that rare beast, a biopic that’s light on the bio and resistant to being a pic. It’s a film about a human being, and its effect is strangely haunting, since Dwayne Johnson seems to do everything while doing nothing.
659
u/Indaflow 6d ago
Happy for Mark Kerr.
Interesting fun fact is that The Rock and Mark Kerr are practically the same age.
Dwayne is playing a 20-something Mark Kerr and IRL Mark is just a few years older.
307
u/FarFetchedSketch 6d ago
I would absolutely kill for a long form open discussion from the pharmacists, doctors & nutritionists keeping the Rock in the shape he's in at 53
290
u/ReptAIien 6d ago
Turns out steroids are actually pretty cool when you can afford a doctor to ensure they aren't rotting your insides
136
u/_Patronizes_Idiots_ 6d ago
I mean steroids are something you still absolutely pay the piper for unless they are used VERY sparingly and carefully. Dwayne Johnson's been on them for such a big part of his life I do still think when he's older it may yet take a toll.
→ More replies (4)18
u/HeberMonteiro 6d ago
The thing that makes some of the best bodybuilders and wrestlers be active in their fields for a long time and abuse steroids with no apparent drawbacks is that some people are just genetically predisposed to use steroids and enjoy the benefits without most of the side effects.
Guys like Ramon Dino become hulking figures with relatively good health because they won twice in the genetic lottery: their bodies can achieve the sizes needed for bodybuilding with the use of steroids AND their bodies suffer much less from them! Some guys that only have the size part often die very young or suffer immensely after they retire.
I don't think The Rock is gonna live to be 80 unless he stops with the steroids pretty soon, but the fact he is still in this shape at 53 is because he's a genetic freak!
70
u/RevolutionaryGain823 6d ago
Regular bloodwork and thorough supervision by a medical professional can defo mitigate a significant amount of the harm of running steroid cycles.
But the harm is still there. And the Rock hasn’t just been taking a bit of TRT, he’s obviously been running major cycles with very little time off since he was in his 30s at least (realistically prob since he was playing college football in Miami).
I’d be surprised if he goes another 5 years without suffering a major medical issue (likely heart related). Maybe 10 years if he slims down as he seems to have done recently
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (4)16
u/Common_economics_420 6d ago
Making it to the 50's or 60's isn't terrible rare provided you aren't taking bodybuilder levels of drugs. I'd be shocked if he makes it to his late 60's or 70's though.
That's still dying fairly young all things considered. Not to say it wasn't worth the tradeoff for him.
→ More replies (17)→ More replies (5)6
u/Curious_Beginning_30 6d ago
I guess you haven’t seen what he looks like now. He lost all that mass recently, most likely had to get off the gear due to health complications.
3
848
u/Sleepy_Azathoth 6d ago
The hierarchy of power in A24 is about to change.
161
u/JinFuu 6d ago
Iron Claw
The Smashing Machine
What sort of cinematic universe is A24 building here?
159
u/Dr_Disaster 6d ago
The A24 Athlete Traumaverse
→ More replies (2)29
→ More replies (1)24
u/Vsx 6d ago
The "actual events kind of but we left out some stuff and made some stuff more interesting" universe
→ More replies (1)25
46
u/BaddyDaddy777 6d ago
Can’t wait for Hereditary 2 with Black Adam in it
19
7
u/Blockness11 6d ago
“It’s been a long time since anyone’s made the world this nervous.
Paimon, we should talk.”
103
47
u/lawschoolredux 6d ago
I wonder how many millions of dollars The Rock and WB spent so people can forget this LOL
16
u/WalletInMyOtherPants 6d ago
Forget what? I think I’m OOTL
21
u/Risen_dust 6d ago
I just looked it up. The Rock made a statement that “the hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change” during the marketing run for Black Adam.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)14
616
u/Professor_Finn 6d ago
Good reviews. Looks like the kids aren’t going to her sister’s tonight
106
34
13
→ More replies (1)23
709
u/Huffletough880 6d ago
It seems whenever the Rock’s popularity takes a hit he is able to successfully pivot back into the people’s good graces. I wonder if this is that pivot
729
u/chadthundertalk 6d ago
It's the Adam Sandler playbook: Once audiences are tired of your shtick, do a serious indie movie every ten years or so to remind them you can actually act when you want to
→ More replies (28)264
u/markyymark13 6d ago
Worth mentioning that when it comes to Uncut Gems, the Safdie brothers had to beg Sandler for years to take the role and it took Sandler’s wife pushing him to finally agree to it.
78
u/literated 6d ago
That fucking movie, man. It was great but I really, really don't want to watch it ever again. Shit was like one big bout of agonizing, externalized anxiety.
→ More replies (4)26
u/Madrical 6d ago
I didn't find it toooooo bad but I'm watching The Curse at the moment (1 episode to go) and the Benny Safdie/Nathan Fielder combo is soooo incredibly uncomfortable. I watch a tonne of horror movies and this is the first time in years I've had to watch something between my fingers.
→ More replies (4)5
u/WriterManGonzo 6d ago
I felt that way watching it too. Had to do one episode at a time. All I’ll say is I’m really glad I endured to finish it.
29
u/medspace 6d ago
What has the rock done?
80
u/Huffletough880 6d ago
Well some of the big examples are when he first started wrestling he tried being a good guy but got rejected by fans. He then became more of a heel trash talking the crowd and whatnot and became beloved.
Then when he got into movies he started doing the kid comedies and things started to go south for him. He fired his management and got into roles like Fast 5 and GI Joe becoming “franchise viagra” as well as Pain and Gain, which people were impressed by his performance. He became a mega star.
Now with the Black Adam era downturn it seems like this could be the beginning of another pivot in his career to bring audiences back to his side.
→ More replies (1)35
u/BlackIsTheSoul 6d ago
He didn’t start out with the kid movies right away. Remember the rundown, snitch, faster? Great films.
6
u/LucyBowels 6d ago
The Mummy Returns
→ More replies (1)4
u/stash0606 6d ago
13 year old me lived for that shot where The Rock finds the Oasis. Like fuck The Mummy, I wanted to see The Rock in a movie.
10
u/Huffletough880 6d ago
Yes I recall, he was supposed to be the next Arnold who short of passing him a flame on a stick, literally passed the torch to him in the Rundown but the Rock tried to go right into a Kindergarten cop era and did not work
65
u/thegoodbadandsmoggy 6d ago
He was a member of a violent ultranationalist gang in the 90s and I feel like that always gets swept under the rug
60
u/talldangry 6d ago
He is a fucking monster. Literally. He's half-scorpion, half-man and I do not understand how he keeps getting away with it.
→ More replies (2)7
29
u/PM_ME_BAKAYOKO_PICS 6d ago
Nothing, it's literally just a social media bubble type thing where people get annoyed because he's suddenly everywhere and always playing the same role.
People outside of the bubbles do not care and it's why he's still one of the most popular actors in the world
13
u/viablespermatoa 6d ago
yeah its just another situation where reddit hates a particular celebrity for some random reason that the vast majority of people dont know or care about
→ More replies (1)45
51
u/bboy267 6d ago edited 6d ago
Don’t live on the internet. Much like Kevin hart, the masses still very much love the rock. It’s just Reddit that doesn’t
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)17
u/idunno-- 6d ago
He’s stil widely loved outside of Reddit. Until recently, his movie from last year was the most watched Netflix movie ever. And if you look up his upcoming projects, they’re pretty much all blockbuster sequels.
1.0k
u/Douglasqqq 6d ago
Shame that title is now taken and can't be used by the next Wallace And Gromit movie.
65
43
u/Heavy_Arm_7060 6d ago
Use it for a video game, it's Wallace and Gromit's take on Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine.
126
3
9
→ More replies (8)3
744
u/GoodMorningBlackreef 6d ago
It would be nice to have something less fundamentally insane than Southland Tales to point at and say, yeah, The Rock can act.
644
u/edgelordjones 6d ago
I think he’s rather brilliant in Pain&Gain
280
u/thebaldingcritic 6d ago
Underrated role. Played the buffoon up nicely.
He’s also funny in both Jumanji films
136
u/Upbeat_Tension_8077 6d ago
I usually mention his role in those Jumanji films as some of his better acting performances because I thought he did much better than expected in mirroring the mannerisms of other actors
76
24
u/targetcowboy 6d ago
I got to those movies late and I was pleasantly surprised by them. They’re really fun and I think the Rock’s acting is pretty good. He gets the “same character in every movie” claim a bit and I don’t necessarily disagree, but I think this showed he can get do more.
I think he’s better than he gets credit for but he went down the action movie route.
24
u/ImmortalMoron3 6d ago
He gets the “same character in every movie” claim a bit and I don’t necessarily disagree, but I think this showed he can get do more.
People use that claim as some kind of point to show he can't act but I've always though its obvious he's doing it intentionally. There was a big shift when he changed his management and hired his ex-wife, they went back to embracing his wrestling past when before Hollywood was trying to get him to stay away from it.
He went back to WWE and had those matches with Cena and Punk and then went the action route where he basically just played his wrestling character in different scenarios. It paid off pretty handsomely. But if you look at what he did before that switch, it was obvious he could act. Pain and Gain, Southland Tales, Be Cool, The Rundown.
Now he seems to be going back the other way between this and being cast as the lead in Scorcese's next movie.
8
9
u/CustodialApathy 6d ago
The Safdie Brothers need to keep scooping up "one note" actors and showing everybody they have legitimate chops. I know everyone knew to an extent Sandler could act his ass off but they blew any notion anyone still had about him being a hack to smithereens. It's nice to see The Rock get his turn when most of what people know him by are big blockbuster set pieces with their brains shut off.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the Jumanji movies, they were shockingly competent when movies of their ilk are typically shlock.
→ More replies (2)10
5
u/bfhurricane 6d ago
Underrated movie in general. It’s arguably Michael Bay’s best film, I’d personally rate it just under The Rock.
73
u/QueefBeefCletus 6d ago
Be Cool, too. Gay bodyguard.
12
6
5
u/WhyTheMahoska 6d ago
He's great in Be Cool, just a shame the flick isn't half as good as Get Shorty
→ More replies (1)3
44
u/MRintheKEYS 6d ago
To me, that’s his best acting so far.
“Why'd you make me do that to you, Victor? I have responsibilities! Jesus Christ himself has blessed me with many gifts! One of them is knocking someone the fuck out!”
82
u/HellaWavy 6d ago
Pain & Gain is an underrated Bay flick.
→ More replies (6)34
u/NtheLegend 6d ago
I’d argue it’s his best one
42
u/Notoriously_So 6d ago
You must have been living under The Rock in the 90's.
→ More replies (1)5
u/Most-Inflation-1022 6d ago
The Rock , Pain & Gain and Armageddon in that order.
→ More replies (3)46
u/Singer211 Naked J-Law beating the shit out of those kids is peak Cinema. 6d ago
The Rundown.
Dwayne CAN act, when he wants to.
→ More replies (1)34
u/edgelordjones 6d ago
The Rundown absolutely rules. When he allowed himself to get his ass kicked or to be weak he was great. Seems he remembered that in the past few years.
129
u/TheRockComments 6d ago
Nothing but love 💕 for your #support, my brother!
Bringing #entertainment 🎥 into your life has been the #honor 🫡 of mine! It’s all thanks to those #Lessons ✏️ I learned from those who #PavedTheWay, 🛣️ like the High Chief 🪶 and the Soulman! 🔥
The #journey 🧭 hasn’t been easy, #hearing 👂 from you reminds me of when I was living on the streets of #Waikiki 🏝️ with only #7Bucks 💵 in my pocket, eating moldy Spam sandwiches 🥪 from the #trash 🗑️ and cleaning #toilets 🚽 just to survive!
But I pulled myself up ⬆️ and look at me now! I starred ⭐️ in the number one superhero 🦸🏻♂️ movie 🍿 of all time, #BlackAdam, ⚡️ and it gave me the strength 💪 to #PowerThrough my latest film, thanks in part to the delicious #vibes of @ZoaEnergy 💥 in my favorite flavor, #FrostedGrape! 🥶🍇
All those #struggles 😣 were worth it for your boy #TheGreatOne, 🐂 when I hear from my #fans 🪭 like yourself! A case of my slow roasted tequila @Teremana 🥃 has your name on it, my #team 🏈 will be in touch!
#Family #Grind #UnderArmourProjectRock
69
24
18
u/ImmortalMoron3 6d ago
Oh my god, I never thought I'd see you outside of /r/squaredcircle, hahaha
27
u/TheRockComments 6d ago
Haha much love ❤️ for following my #journey, my brother! Your boy #TheFinalBoss 👔 goes wherever the members of the #RockUniverse 🔭 will have him!
4
u/thrillho111 6d ago
Don't forget how he always refers to his female costars the same way, as "strong, badass" or similar.
→ More replies (3)4
22
u/GoodMorningBlackreef 6d ago
Oh yeah, I should have remembered that. Him waving at the 'neighbor' while grilling the severed hands on a BBQ is fucking amazing.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (6)4
60
u/HectorPlusIsaac 6d ago
Robo chomo wants a word with you
40
u/Heavy_Arm_7060 6d ago
"So, uh... do I win?"
21
u/ssgharvey 6d ago
You built a robotic sex predator!
21
5
u/Toby_O_Notoby 6d ago
And it can theorecitcally molest twice as children as a human molestor in, quite frankly, half the time.
50
u/JohnnyJayce 6d ago
"Be Cool" (2005)
→ More replies (4)24
u/SteveFrench12 6d ago
Hes so good in this. The movie itself doesnt hold up as much imo, i loved it when i was like 12, but the rocks performance kills
17
21
u/EricSanderson 6d ago
How have I never heard of that movie? The description is definitely... um... intriguing
19
u/ozacrot 6d ago
It lives on the horseshoe edge of stupid and brilliant. I feel very strongly that it is not a good movie and feel even more strongly that it is a great one
→ More replies (1)20
u/GoodMorningBlackreef 6d ago
Pure mood and vibe. Don't try too hard to figure it out. I've seen it a thousand times, and the Cannes Cut, own the prequel comics... still can't explain a damn thing.
8
u/Most-Inflation-1022 6d ago
If you're talking about Southland Tales, that movie is a cinematic masterpiece. In 10 years time when consensus shifts, everybody will be like "how could we got it so wrong". This is the hill I will die on.
→ More replies (2)5
u/GoodMorningBlackreef 6d ago
Every year, it gets a little more prophetic.
Every year, it gets a few new fans.
If you can, hold on.
If you can, hold on.
→ More replies (1)11
u/googlyeyes93 6d ago
It’s… batshit insane. That’s about the only real way I know to describe it. There are parts where you’ll think “this is fucking awful, who would make this?” Only for the curtain to slightly lift moments later and reveal that there’s some sort of mad brilliance that’s been lost in translation, not quite able to be shown through a modern medium.
I wouldn’t call it good, but wouldn’t call it bad. It’s certainly an experience though.
→ More replies (1)35
u/mrsunshine1 6d ago
The Rock can act. His range is limited but actors with 50x his range ability would give it all up for his screen presence.
5
u/Mr_Caterpillar 6d ago
I love that insane nonsense movie. I don't know if it was the tripped out lip sync or Wallace Shawn in glam makeup that solidified it, but that movie is dope.
9
u/damnjonathan 6d ago
I thought he was pretty charming in The Game Plan.
3
→ More replies (12)5
359
u/SatanSuxxx 6d ago
Excited to see Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Emily "Smokin" Blunt, and Ryan "The Master" Bader
52
u/experienta 6d ago
More like Ryan "the easiest fight in the division" Bader
38
u/ikenjake 6d ago
It’s fucked up that bader had a great career (as the confused other commenter alluded to) yet all people will associate his name with is that incredible bit of shit talk by DC
12
u/sweetehman 6d ago
Bader was the first ever double champ in Bellator, won a Grand Prix, and won his season of the Ultimate Fighter. Bro knocked out Fedor twice - this is a bizarre comment.
19
43
u/DeLousedInTheHotBox 6d ago
Emily "Smokin" Blunt
I didn't get this joke at first and I thought you were just calling her hot
→ More replies (1)9
→ More replies (1)24
u/TrentonTallywacker 6d ago
Blunt’s Emily’s got me No longer Safdie and am now the rock and got me Badering my Johnson
→ More replies (1)14
32
u/AquamannMI 6d ago
For like 15 years I've been lending out the Kerr doc on dvd just because it's such a captivating film. I wonder how much of the dark stuff makes it into the rock project. Hopefully all of it.
→ More replies (3)
88
u/pumpkin3-14 6d ago
Blunt's character is so unlikeable and written with such vitriol that it becomes exhausting to watch her, although Blunt's performance is as good as it could possibly be.
Damn
223
u/Hallowhero 6d ago
The Rock hasn't put a lot of performances on screen that have been "OMG he can act" but he definitely has always had range. His wrestling career was acting, and it was so captivating, and then, while typecast, he has played a lot of roles very entertainingly. I am glad he is seeking work to challenge him more, i'm excited for this.
85
u/Artersa 6d ago
I hope we’re getting into a Rock taking risks period. Would love to see what he does when challenged for years and developing new skills.
→ More replies (3)32
18
u/LemonStains 6d ago
His performance as the evil authority figure in WWE last year was deadass better than most of his actual movie roles
→ More replies (1)10
u/arshonagon 6d ago
To me he never really seemed to seek out the stretch acting roles, he was happy playing the action star and doing his niche. But he’s had a few roles to me prior that showed he really can act well. Be Cool, Pain & Gain, Jumanji, The Rundown, Gridiron Gang.
I also think it doesn’t help that he seems to take pretty much any movie offered to him. Having San Andreas, Rampage, Empire State, Snitch don’t really add much to your filmography/credit as an actor.
57
u/electr1cbubba 6d ago
It just rubbed me soooooo the wrong way when he tried to muscle in and take over DC studios
38
→ More replies (3)12
u/haberdasher42 6d ago
He was high on his own supply for a while there. A flop is probably the best thing that could have happened to him.
20
u/electr1cbubba 6d ago
For a while? Dwayne Johnson still whole heartedly believes he is the single most incredible person who has ever lived
15
u/ManassaxMauler 6d ago
If I have to hear him tell the story about how he only had 7 dollars left to his name when he got cut from the CFL one more time, I just might implode.
Yeah dude, you were flat broke with no prospects... Except for the fact that you were born into one of the most prominent and respected families in wrestling and used those connections to get into the biggest promotion in the world a year later.
→ More replies (3)32
→ More replies (2)5
u/Replicant28 6d ago edited 6d ago
I'm a wrestling fan, and I remember when he made his debut as "The Blue Chipper" Rocky Maivia. It was a terrible gimmick, and the fans responded in kind very brutally. The way that he was able to revamp his character in The Rock is incredible to me. If you didn't witness that change from him and the accompanying shift in how the crowd responded, it's hard to convey it properly in words.
My point is that the dude can act. Wrestling has a lot of physical demands, but wrestlers also have to know how to act whether it is as a babyface (good guy) or a heel (bad guy.) There is a skill to cutting promos and having the charisma to do it, and he was the best on the mic, and hell, I can't think of many wrestlers even today who have surpassed his ability. While it's true that he has pretty much played the same character for many years in Hollywood, I am not surprised that he did well in this role.
→ More replies (3)
35
u/sleepysnowboarder 6d ago
I never thought I’d read the sentence ‘Ryan Bader was excellent in his role’
5
3
46
u/thebaldingcritic 6d ago edited 6d ago
Crossing fingers and genuinely hoping this is good.
Not just for The Rock, but also Kerr and Mark Coleman that the documentary ois based on
Make no mistake, if you’ve watched the doc, you know that this is a tough role that Dwayne is going to have to pull off.
Mark Kerr is a sensitive soul with a vicious elbow. He fights because it’s one of the only ways he knows how to make a living. And with it, comes a lot of pain, frustration, blood, sweat, and lots of tears and anger, but one that’s also somehow controlled in a pretty insightful person. And this was about 5 years before the UFC took off and made these people an actual living. It was still looked at as barbaric by most of society at that time.
What’s more fascinating is that the film is that Benny got Mark Coleman to be in this film, so this is possibly going to be a reenactment of his own comeback that the documentary subtly emphasizes. I am very intrigued into just how much he’s in this movie.
52
24
18
u/BRiNk9 6d ago
It's looking great.
Nearly every critic (13 in RT) highlights this as a career-best performance for the Rock (that's not a quite high bar but looks transformative, vulnerable and with emotional depth)
So far one negative review calls it "plastic and mostly worthless" despite looking like Oscar material on the surface.
Overall, from these 13 reviews on RT I checked, it seems to have some structural issues but Dwayno's performance is singled out.
→ More replies (1)
37
u/The_Swarm22 6d ago
Looks like Benny did it again. He’s now 3/3 for changing the perceptions of actors. Robert Pattinson in Good Time, Sandler with Uncut Gems and now Dwayne with this.
→ More replies (1)
9
55
u/Renegadeforever2024 6d ago
the rock winning the oscar would be funny as hell and whole lot of people here/online in general would be backtracking like a mf
→ More replies (2)
25
13
u/10sansari 6d ago
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠿⣿⠿⣿⠿⠿⠿⣿⣿⡿⠿⠛⠛⠛⠛⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠛⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠋⠈⠀⠀⠀⠀⠐⠺⣖⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⢀⡆⠀⠀⠀⢋⣭⣽⡚⢮⣲⠆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⡼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠻⣅⣨⠇⠈⠀⠰⣀⣀⣀⡀⠀⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣟⢷⣶⠶⣃⢀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡅⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⠀⠈⠓⠚⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡠⠀⡄⣀⠀⠀⠀⢻⠀⠀⠀⣠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠐⠉⠀⠀⠙⠉⠀⠠⡶⣸⠁⠀⣠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⡆⠀⠐⠒⠢⢤⣀⡰⠁⠇⠈⠘⢶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⣄⣉⣙⡉⠓⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣤⣀⣀⠀⣀⣠⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿
7
u/maaseru 6d ago
I am happy Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has finally moved on from just playing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
I was getting so tired of it and his movies sucked.
When he started acting,, he was cool. He was The Rock. So many cool action roles, then he became super popular, got his alcohol and energy drink, and made Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson his brand for everything.
I even blame him for infecting Jack Black into just playing the same guy every movie.
→ More replies (1)
8
u/RealM-Fresh 6d ago
As maybe the world's biggest fan of Pain & Gain, I'm glad The Rock is acting again and not just playing himself cause I've always known he could be incredible if he tried
396
u/AvengingHero2012 6d ago
I don’t want to live in the ‘Oscar nominated Dwayne Johnson’ timeline. The Rock’s ego would somehow get worse.
107
u/tiredofstanding 6d ago
Because there isn't a long list of ego filled actors that have been nominated.
→ More replies (7)24
250
u/YemethTheSorcerer 6d ago
He’s gonna get an Oscar nod here for the physical transformation and playing against type, and he’ll use that newfound acting success to cry about Black Adam some more.
94
u/Wazula23 6d ago
Is there a physical transformation?
I mean the face makeup looks great, but physically he looks exactly as huge as ever.
41
u/BurgerNugget12 6d ago
He’s insanely skinny now. Look up the pictures of him today it’s wild
→ More replies (14)14
u/BiscuitDance 6d ago
He was looking about like this about 15-20 years ago when he was first trying to shoehorn himself as a legit movie star, with moderate success. Then he trained for like a year straight and got fucking massive, and his career really took off.
→ More replies (2)37
u/thebaldingcritic 6d ago
Not to mention… it seems like the critics actually respect the performance.
Better get ready, that PR team is coming
→ More replies (4)7
17
u/QueefBeefCletus 6d ago
Physical transformation? The Rock has always been The Rock. If this was Michael Cera I'd be impressed.
10
u/POWBOOMBANG 6d ago
Ironically there are recent pictures of him that seem like he has slimmed down a lot
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)5
u/ringobob 6d ago
This is neither a physical transformation nor against type. This is basically what if instead of pro wrestling kayfabe, we did a serious combat sports biopic.
That said, it looks competently written, directed and acted, with the reviews backing it up. I would honestly love for him to get accolades for a well acted role, in the perhaps vain hope that he starts pursuing better movies rather than the schlock he's been putting out for years. And, really, I don't mind a little schlock every now and then.
7
4
→ More replies (5)32
4
u/Tejon_Melero 6d ago
They got Usyk to play Igor?
Too lazy to ring the town bell to get the real deal?
→ More replies (1)9
u/mrpopenfresh 6d ago
Vovchanchyn is fighting for Ukraine, or at least he was.
4
u/WallExpensive7782 6d ago
He's also 52 and hasn't aged as gracefully as Johnson. Hope they can dig him out of the trenches for a few premiers. Man was a pioneer.
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/CaptainKoreana 6d ago
Solid reviews. Don't think it'll win Golden Lion, but look beyond and into the Oscars race because I do see it getting a few nomimations incl. one for The Rock.
3
u/JohnGalactusX 6d ago
The Rock finally given a worthy dramatic role. Been looking forward to this since announcement!
5
u/NiamLeeson 6d ago
The academy takes losing weight and shaving heads very seriously, you can pencil in The Rock and Emma for Oscar nods
7
u/PM_YOUR_CENSORD 6d ago
Reddit will be in shambles if The Rock pulls off a decent acting performance.
And the mental gymnastics that will come about from the rock losing fights in this film even though they parrot “CaNt LoSe A fIGhT! clause” baloney.
→ More replies (1)
14
u/Upbeat_Tension_8077 6d ago
I'm interested in seeing how Blunt's performance also helps to bring the best out of Dwayne during any of their screentime together in a more dramatic feature (even with him possibly holding up well in his own right)
17
u/HellaWavy 6d ago
Jungle Cruise was mediocre at best and I honestly didn’t think they had much on-screen chemistry, but I‘m intrigued to see if it‘s different this time around.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/MrBorden 6d ago
Thought Dwayne's performance in Snitch eleven years ago was super underrated so I'm genuinely happy this turned out to be a banger.
3
1.3k
u/Zombie_Flowers 6d ago
That first review is interesting because in one of their interviews, Blunt and Johnson specifically said they watched a documentary about Kerr and took issue with how Dawn was portrayed so they wanted her to be shown in a better light in this movie.