‘The Smashing Machine’ Is Good, but This Is Dwayne Johnson’s Best Movie, According to Audiences
Jumanji’s actor might be getting that Oscar nod for Benny Safdie’s epic biopic, but more praise has gone to Dwayne Johnson’s 2021 family movie — and it also stars Emily Blunt.
The Oscar buzz is getting louder now that more potential nominees are coming to different streaming platforms, and it’s finally time for Dwayne Johnson’s most dramatical movie to get a bigger audiences.
Also starring Oppenheimer’s actress Emily Blunt, The Smashing Machine is another directorial work of, well, Oppenheimer’s other actor Benny Safdie about real-life mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr who puts everything at stake to become the greatest fighter in history.
Despite bombing in the box office and grossing only $20 million against its $50 million budget, The Smashing Machine received numerous accolades at the Venice International Film Festival back in September, with many critics hailing the movie as Johnson’s best performance yet.
However, some of the actor’s fans might have been more impressed by his earlier adventure flick also starring Emily Blunt.
‘Jungle Cruise’ Is Still Dwayne Johnson’s Best Audience-Rated Movie
- On Rotten Tomatoes, Jungle Cruise has scores of 62% and 92% from critics and viewers
- On IMDb, the movie is rated 6.5/10
Even though The Smashing Machine might potentially bring Johnson his first ever Oscar nomination, his 2021 adventure fantasy Jungle Cruise remains the most beloved feature in his filmography, according to the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie stars Johnson and his The Smashing Machine co-star Emily Blunt as skipper Frank Wolff and researcher Dr. Lily Houghton who hires Frank to guide her down the Amazon.
Determined to find an ancient tree that has unique healing abilities and can change the entire history of medicine, Lily embarks on a high-stakes quest that will include much more troubles and threats than she could possibly imagine.
Involuntarily dragged into the whole situation, Frank has no other way but to join Lily in the adventure that will also decide the entire humanity’s fate.
Despite a compelling premise, Jungle Cruise went on to fail hard in the box office, earning around $220 million against the initial budget of $200 million. However, the movie became extremely popular on streaming lately, resulting in Disney’s decision to give it a sequel which is currently in the development.
What Critics and Viewers Say About ‘The Smashing Machine’
- On Rotten Tomatoes, The Smashing Machine keeps scores of 70% and 75% from critics and audiences
- On IMDb, the movie rates 6.7/10
The movie was applauded during the premiere in Venice, but opinions on The Smashing Machine soon divided both critics and audiences.
Many point out Johnson and Blunt’s performances as the film’s strongest point while also suggesting that the screenplay could have been improved.
“The Smashing Machine” packs a real punch thanks to strong performances from Johnson and Blunt, even if the story itself lacks a bit of muscle to deliver a greater impact”, Emol.com’s Agustín Pérez wrote in his review.
“The Smashing Machine” slips between moments of powerful performance and uneven execution — its observational style undercuts the punch of its premise even as it offers a raw, emotionally charged portrait of ambition, struggle and compassion”, user J K chimed in on Rotten Tomatoes’ website.
The Smashing Machine is now streaming on digital platforms.
