The Smashing Machine – A movie about Mark Kerr but all eyes on the Rock
By Brandon Bryce
The Smashing Machine was a smash hit but not for any commercial or box office reasons but because it rehabilitated Dwayne Johnson’s Hollywood image.
Before we get into it it’s important to understand the box office powerhouse that Dwayne was in Hollywood during the 2010s.
He came from a career in professional wrestling and at first, it wasn’t smooth sailing, starring in flop after flop like Doom and Walking Tall during the 2000s.
But he reshaped his image by becoming a real-life superhero. He was bigger, stronger, tireless and humble. He made himself a studio’s biggest marketing asset.
Hits like the Other Guys, Rampage and especially the Fast & Furious franchise would catapult Dwayne into worldwide stardom turning him into the highest paid actor in the world.
He was marketed relentlessly as down to earth, hardworking, and grateful for every opportunity, he was the nicest guy in Hollywood, and that meant money.
The infamously passive aggressive feud with Vin Diesel would be the first real chink in his armour.
Johnson would begin making it public, criticising “unprofessional” male co-stars which was followed by Diesel’s dismissive framing of Johnson as a “little brother.”
This exposed their underlying ego’s and when both men couldn’t put their difference aside for Fast & Furious 9, Johnson’s reliability comes into question.
More damage would be done when people would start to notice the walking advert Johnson had turned into over on social media.
His repeated claims of trying the In-N-Out Burger “for the first time,” on three separate occasions may be harmless on its own but it brings into question the authenticity of Johnson’s entire Hollywood persona.
Johnson’s denial of steroid use matched with him hitting his peak physique well into his 40s and 50s was completely laughable to most and yet another case of a lack of authenticity.
Audiences slowly became tired of his performances on and off screen around this time, slowly stagnating the once box office powerhouse.
However, he soldiered on and was still being paid millions as an action star in high budget films like Moana 2, Jungle Cruise and Red Notice.
He even tried to become the driving force for DC Studios by making Black Adam and therefore himself the centre piece of a new era.
Black Adam however would be unsuccessful as critics would slam the movie and bomb the box office with all the media around the film primarily focusing on the backstage politics Dwayne employed to mould the movie and the studios plans.
The final nail in the coffin for the public's perception of Dwayne came in 2024, with his Netflix movie Red One.
Multiple claims would come out that Dwayne was chronically late which would cost the studio 50 million dollars, a clear distinction from his always reliable, humble, public persona.
Claims circulated that he urinated in bottles to “save time” while still being seven to eight hours late showed a real lack of professionalism and modesty.
Johnson realised his days as an invincible superhero was coming to an end so he decided to do what so few believed he would.
He took on the role of MMA Legend Mark Kerr disappearing into makeup and prosthetics in an attempt to have a breakthrough dramatic role.
He succeeded by giving a truly heartbreaking performance that many didn’t see coming.
This film was a means to reinvent himself into a more serious, profound, and yet again, humble actor. Upon the premiere his weight loss was evident as he gears up for another dramatic role in “Lizard Music.”
The premiere was met with a 15-minute standing ovation as Johnson wept in front of many actors that the world believed he couldn’t hold a candle to.
Media coverage overwhelmingly focused on Johnson’s performance turning the gritty and heartbreaking true story of MMA legend Mark Kerr into the backdrop of a Johnson Hollywood rebrand.
The Smashing Machine isn’t just a film; it’s Johnson’s greatest brand deal; it’s restored his image almost overnight and even made it fresher than it has been in a decade.
This is a film that won’t be remembered in a decade but the change it has made for Johnson’s career will be evident. It was the shift he needed, at exactly, the right time and a reminder to Hollywood that people can change.