The web went into overdrive this week as images of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson confirmed how he leaned into his function as MMA legend Mark Kerr by leaning out, dropping 60 kilos for what many critics are hailing as his most interesting efficiency but. In reality, the reception for The Smashing Machine has been so nice that DJ even shed a tear throughout its latest premiere.
As The Rock went viral for chopping a extra svelte look whereas in Venice for the premier of his Mark Kerr biography, The Smashing Machine, the excitement was already starting round a probably profession defining efficiency that might add an Oscar to his record of accomplishments. The movie, directed by Benny Safde who is maybe greatest identified for Uncut Gems starring Adam Sandler, and in addition starring Emily Blunt, digs into the trials and tribulations of the two-time UFC Heavyweight Match Champion Mark Kerr, and relies on the 2009 HBO documentary, additionally referred to as The Smashing Machine.
In distinction to Johnson’s lighter roles in box office behemoths like Jumanji and Jungle Cruise, the previous WWE Champion would want to channel a extra weak facet of his character to take care of a narrative that encompasses the psychological well being and substance abuse points that Kerr confronted throughout his illustrious however difficult profession. To develop into a plausible MMA fighter, Johnson labored with Kerr’s former rival-turned-friend, Mark Coleman. UFC’s president, Dana White has praised the project, telling Collider; “I feel that this might be the chance for The Rock to truly be nominated for an Oscar.”
Might Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Win an Oscar for ‘The Smashing Machine’?
Whereas Johnson made headlines for his lean, imply, smashing machine of a determine in Venice, critics had been weighing-in on the film itself. “It’s troublesome to recall one other time when the actor has been so outwardly weak on display,” wrote Jack King of GQ Journal. “You typically overlook it’s Johnson in any respect, partially as a result of prosthetics behind which he’s subtly masked, but additionally as a result of he’s so emotionally remodeled.”
Yasmine Kandil of Discussing Movie wrote, “The Smashing Machine is extra than simply one other sports activities biopic, inspecting what makes or breaks us as people by means of a spectacular lead efficiency from Dwayne Johnson.”
Some critics have been less convinced, nonetheless. “The awards season equal of a “fugazi” diamond,” wrote Kevin Maher of The Instances. “It seems like an Oscar contender, it sparkles like an Oscar contender, however on nearer inspection it’s completely plastic and principally nugatory.”
Whether or not or not DJ will get his flowers come Oscar season, “The Folks’s Champion” has proven simply how a lot this efficiency has imply to him. The light large was reduced to tears during the 15-minute standing ovation that the movie obtained in Venice. A weak Johnson additionally acquired actual whereas mirrored on his appearing resume, throughout a latest interview with Self-importance Truthful. “I spotted that possibly these alternatives weren’t coming my means as a result of I used to be too scared to discover these items,” he defined. “I used to be so hungry for a chance to do one thing uncooked and gritty and rip myself open. And, swiftly, Smashing Machine comes alongside.”
The Smashing Machine hits theaters on Oct. 3, 2025. To follow The Rock on Instagram, click here.
