REVIEW | The Rock aims for Oscar glory in movie about toxic masculinity

When Dwayne Johnson’s acting career kicked off, he was at the height of his fame as WWE’s poster boy “The Rock”. Over the years he established himself as a prominent action star and experienced floundering fame in the era of franchise movies.

The last promise of a dramatic role was a closing scene in Tyle Perry’s Why Did I Get Married series with no dialogue if he returned to the screen as the love interest of Jane Jackson. However, seasoned leading lady Emily Blunt goes toe-to-toe with Johnson in their latest offering, The Smashing Machine.

The movie sees Johnson play UFC star Mark Kerr at the height of his career in the late 1990s. During this time the sport was not sanctioned, so its athletes were put through the wringer, taking part in two or more fights in one night and employing moves that were also not regulated. His solution was an overuse of opioids.

In the ring, Mark faces opponents with ferocious violence. In the opening scene he describes this as something “magical” that allows him to appreciate the demands of the sport. Mark’s advantage over his opponents is that his opioid use numbs him and allows him to fight with an unyielding spirit that earns him an undefeated record.

We see the issues with this approach when we are introduced to his girlfriend Dawn, who immediately recognises he is high before a match. This brazen drug use is put to the test when a journalist asks him how he would accept a loss, which Mark cannot fathom. It’s a struggle he has never had to face — he quickly recovers from the pain and is seemingly not affected it.

Dawn, however, is affected by his selfishness. The tone of their relationship is defined by their first interaction on screen. When she makes him a breakfast smoothie as a gesture of kindness, he corrects the ingredients with an impassive tone. Having not informed her (and not for the first time), he discards the mixture and starts over again. While he apologises after realising he hurt her feelings, it becomes a contentious issue between the two.

Dawn continues to try to tend to his needs, only to be met with a wall. She books a flight to Japan for one of his bouts and upon arrival is met with a cold shoulder from his friend Mark Coleman (played by mixed martial arts star Ryan Bader), creating a hostile environment. This behaviour is repeated by Mark’s coach (played by Bas Rutten), who treats Dawn as a negative influence.

This takes a toll on Dawn as Mark continues to act in his own best interests, neglecting her needs.

Rather than rehashing Rocky or F1, familiar stories that revolve around a protagonist needing to overcome obstacles to win in life, The Smashing Machine offers a cautionary tale about the toxic expectations that come with success.

Mark puts himself in harm’s way in pursuit of winning — a burden he believes he must carry due to the pressure of success. In his relationship with Dawn he fails to take an interest in her and as a result he isolates her and she becomes the victim of his emotional abuse. Both of these conflicts showcase Mark’s martydom, where his lack of physical pain felt in the ring reflects the lack of emotions at home with Dawn. Once the opioids are finally thrown away, we see how he lacks skill during bouts and is unable to centre himself in conflicts.

When it comes to performances, Rutten and Bader do a good job of portraying the dreary mood and tone of what fighters experience in their personal lives.

In his first “serious” lead role, Johnson shines and is potential Oscar bait. While gaining weight for the role wasn’t necessary considering the real-life Kerr is slightly smaller, the prosthetics and wig allow for his mannerisms to shine as Johnson becomes the revered fighter.

There is a significant shift in his performance once the wig is shaved to match Kerr’s look at the time — especially the big fight between him and Blunt’s Dawn. The actress has not played a bimbo since her breakout role in The Devil Wears Prada. In The Smashing Machine she brings the lesser-known character to life with sharp delivery and gut-wrenching emotional execution.