Everybody Wants To Talk About How Good Dwayne Johnson Is In The Smashing Machine, But I Need To Talk About Another Great Acting Performance By Him

All I keep hearing about lately is that “The Rock can actually act!” now that people have seen Dwayne Johnson's new movie, The Smashing Machine. But, hello? Did people not see 2013's Pain & Gain? Because I did, and I could have told you that awhile ago.

But look, I get it. A lot of Dwayne Johnson’s best movies are action flicks, so he hasn’t always had the opportunity to flex his acting muscles. Even though critics seem to be raving about his “scarily unstable” performance in The Smashing Machine, I feel like Johnson has already shown nuance as Paul Doyle in Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain.

So, why was this performance so good? Well, you’re about to find out.

Pain & Gain Was The First Movie Where People Actually Thought, This Man Can Act!

I know it was a while back, but Pain & Gain was a pretty big deal when it first came out. Loosely based on the true story of the Sun Gym Gang, which was a group of mostly bodybuilders who committed crimes like kidnapping, extortion, and murder, the filmwas a big deal for a number of reasons.

One such was that it was a genuinely good Michael Bay movie that wasn’t just another Transformers film, as he had done a string of them by this point in his lengthy career. Another reason was because it was really the first time in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s career where people were truly impressed by his acting prowess (and to think, he actually wanted to quit before production).

Yes, he’d done other impressive films, like The Rundown, Be Cool, and Southland Tales. But, this was the first where I remember people discussing him as more of an actor, rather than just a wrestler-turned-actor. In fact, this is one of the roles that made me consider whether The Rock might just be a better actor than John Cena or Batista.

He’s arguably the best part of this movie, and I probably wouldn’t even remember this film if not for Johnson’s performance.

He Provides The Moral Compass Of The Film

As mentioned earlier, the film is about bodybuilders-turned-hoodlums, and it’s a wild story that involves kidnapping people and basically muscling them out of money. Johnson’s character, Paul Doyle, is constantly on the fence when it comes to his morality. The main hoodlum, Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) recruits Doyle after he was recently released from prison. In jail, Doyle turned to Christ and hoped to stay on the path…

But, he ends up straying from it once again, and joining the Sun Gym Gang. He actually falls quite heavily, getting back into drugs, however, this is only after a priest makes sexual advances on him, which makes him question his faith to begin with.

He then questions his faith throughout the entire movie, and Johnson shows such a range of emotions that you’re constantly rooting for him. On one hand, you believe his commitment to wanting to save “all God’s creatures.” On the other, you’re laughing as he takes several drug bumps off the back of his hand. That said, you never feel like Doyle is not capable of getting back on the path.

Which is incredibly impressive. Pain & Gain is a humorous movie, but Johnson centers the film. He deviates from his faith, but is also the moral compass, going back and forth on whether he's actually happy living the life he’s leading. This is immensely impressive to be able to pull off, and Johnson did it elegantly. Like I said, this guy can act!

Plus, Like The Smashing Machine, Johnson Plays A Real Person. Actually, Three Of Them

Here’s the thing about telling real people’s stories - sometimes, you might have to embellish a little bit, and that seems to be the case with Johnson’s role as Paul Doyle, as he’s actually a composite character for three people, those being Carl Weekes, Stevenson Pierre, and Jorge Delgado.

Now, in the real Sun Gym Gang, all three of them played instrumental roles in the actual crimes. But, Johnson is such a superstar actor, that it's believable that the writers and director were able to meld all three people into one burly man. Once again, this is extremely impressive. Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Mackie are the main stars of the film, and they play real life criminals, Daniel Lugo and Adrian “Noel” Doorbal, respectively.

Throughout the film, Lugo and Doorbal commit such horrible (and incredibly stupid) crimes that you don’t really feel bad for them. Here’s the thing about Johnson’s character. If you read up on the actual activities from the Sun Gym Gang, you’ll find little elements of the three people Johnson embodies in the film, but a lot of it feels like his own creation.

I think it’s because Johnson is larger than life. His character extends outside of Weekes, Pierre, and Delgado, and he feels like a new criminal in this gang. One who is ultimately unforgettable.

The Film Plays To His Immense Size, But Doesn't Focus On It

Dwayne Johnson is big, but nobody was bigger than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his heyday. Films like Commando (which I still think is the greatest action movie ever made) showcased Arnie in all of his muscular glory. I mean, even the way he held his gun showcased his massive biceps. It was truly a sight to behold.

Lots of action movies have done the same with Johnson. It’s one of the reasons why I think a lot of people think he can’t act. For a large portion of his career, he’s just been this massive guy who performs miracles, and looks cool doing it, and honestly, I feel like a lot of people have grown tired of it.

However, sometimes, Johnson has used his massive frame to his advantage, and it’s not just for action purposes. Apparently, his size is an integral part of his character in The Smashing Machine. The thing is, it was also much the case in Pain & Gain. Paul is a big guy, and the other characters use him for his size, but, he’s more than just his muscles. In fact, the strongest muscle he uses (wait for it) is his heart.

In the movie, he’s massive, but that’s part of his character, which is something I wish we saw more in Johnson’s career - his size used for story purposes.

In The End, I'm Excited For The Smashing Machine, But Let's Not Forget Pain & Gain

Am I excited for The Smashing Machine? Hell yeah, I am. For one thing, I love Dwayne Johnson, and for another, I love Benny Safdie films (hopefully, The Smashing Machine gets more love than my beloved Uncut Gems come Oscar season).

That said, I don’t think we should forget about Pain & Gain, which I feel like a lot of people have. When I heard people raving over Johnson’s portrayal of Mark Kerr, I thought, have we already forgotten his portrayal as Paul Doyle? Apparently, people have, which is why I decided to write this article.

However, people should remember Pain & Gain since it was that first glimmer that Johnson always had it in him. It’s a testament to his dedication to the craft, and I’m happy that people are finally seeing him for the great actor he could always be.

What do you think? Do you remember Pain & Gain? I’d love to hear your thoughts.