Ah, but Central Intelligence had perhaps the greatest marketing slogan in Hollywood history: “All it takes to save the world is a little Hart and a big Johnson”
I think the Rock is facing a point in his career where he needs to break out of the box that fans have placed him in. Personally I would love to see him branch out of the action/comedy/adventure genre into things that might be more challenging for him. Try some thrillers, do some dramas. I'd also love to see him actually play a bad guy. He can still do action films (Red Notice 2 if thats still happening etc), but perhaps if he can change our on-screen view of him then maybe his films will perform better. Unfortunately he also caused a major Rock-Fatigue due to the fact that it felt like he was in something every 5 seconds.
I didn't know about that South Park episode and laughed out loud reading the Adam Sandler film premises. I did remember that time and as you say the funny thing is that they are totally plausible scenarios. I now need to find that episode, thanks for putting it on my radar.
I believe the only movies I've seen with The Rock in them are the Jumanji remakes and they were ok, the first one was quite entertaining actually. Not something you'd go to the cinema for but nice to catch on streaming.
Well, my first thought is that movie quality matters. I don't love his filmography on the whole, but he made some good films before the pandemic. It's just been junk since.
More interestingly, how long do pure action superstars stay on top? Cruise, Willis, and Smith are different because they are actually good actors who didn't just make action films; I think Schwarzenegger is a better comparison for Johnson. He was the biggest star in the world, but how long did it last? A little more than a decade; I would argue he wasn't a star until after Conan (1982), and in retrospect True Lies (1994) was the end of his peak, even if he still had enough clout to drag bad films like End of Days (1999) into profitability. He didn't become governator until 2003, but his filmography curdled well before that.
I think a certain kind of action star has a limited life span because he's always kind of playing the same character, and they might have an age limit, too, as both Ahnold and The Rock seemed to run out of gas in their late 40s. Coincidence? (John Wayne might be in this mold too, but if so he broke it. More than 30 years from when he graduated from horse operas with Stagecoach and his star never really faded.)
I read all the South Park pitches in Cartman's voice, then heard all The Rock's film descriptions in the same voice. I believe The Smashing Machine was meant to be a way to show audiences he could be a "serious" actor but unfortunately, audiences didn't show up. Though perhaps a few smaller films like that, and he might actually stage a comeback just as Pulp Fiction did for Travolta and Willis.
Willis and Travolta both were ~40 at the time of their comeback in Pulp Fiction. Johnson is 54. I don't think a certain kind of action star is still viable at that age; Schwarzenegger wasn't.
Johnson is 54?? That’s some skincare routine he has, the man does not look like he’s 50. I would say Tom Cruise was viable at age, but then there’s only ever been one Tom Cruise. Who knows, though, Hollywood loves a comeback story. Maybe we just can’t smell what the Rock is cooking.
He completely wrecked Southland Tales, a problematic film which could have been saved if anyone but Dwayne Johnson starred in it. After watching his lack of acting ability in the blood squib scene, I'll never criticise Nicholas Cage again.
"An actor can only make so many less-than-stellar films (Red One, Red Notice, Black Adam, etc.) before this perceived disregard for quality catches up to them."
I, for one, am looking forward to The Rock's upcoming adaptation of Stendhal's 1830 bildungsroman The Red and the Black.
Every time I see one of these live-action remakes I think to myself: "why?" And while I know the answer to my question is "because people pay to see it," that would be one of the million things I would change about this world if I could.
And outstanding article title! Hopefully this spells the end of some of this.
“What if The Rock looked enormous while standing next to Kevin Hart, who is very small?”
Cackling because that’s so true
Ah, but Central Intelligence had perhaps the greatest marketing slogan in Hollywood history: “All it takes to save the world is a little Hart and a big Johnson”
💀
I think the Rock is facing a point in his career where he needs to break out of the box that fans have placed him in. Personally I would love to see him branch out of the action/comedy/adventure genre into things that might be more challenging for him. Try some thrillers, do some dramas. I'd also love to see him actually play a bad guy. He can still do action films (Red Notice 2 if thats still happening etc), but perhaps if he can change our on-screen view of him then maybe his films will perform better. Unfortunately he also caused a major Rock-Fatigue due to the fact that it felt like he was in something every 5 seconds.
I didn't know about that South Park episode and laughed out loud reading the Adam Sandler film premises. I did remember that time and as you say the funny thing is that they are totally plausible scenarios. I now need to find that episode, thanks for putting it on my radar.
I believe the only movies I've seen with The Rock in them are the Jumanji remakes and they were ok, the first one was quite entertaining actually. Not something you'd go to the cinema for but nice to catch on streaming.
His big comeback will be in “Digger 2.”
I liked Red One and Jumanji. But yes, other than that not much happening.
Well, my first thought is that movie quality matters. I don't love his filmography on the whole, but he made some good films before the pandemic. It's just been junk since.
More interestingly, how long do pure action superstars stay on top? Cruise, Willis, and Smith are different because they are actually good actors who didn't just make action films; I think Schwarzenegger is a better comparison for Johnson. He was the biggest star in the world, but how long did it last? A little more than a decade; I would argue he wasn't a star until after Conan (1982), and in retrospect True Lies (1994) was the end of his peak, even if he still had enough clout to drag bad films like End of Days (1999) into profitability. He didn't become governator until 2003, but his filmography curdled well before that.
I think a certain kind of action star has a limited life span because he's always kind of playing the same character, and they might have an age limit, too, as both Ahnold and The Rock seemed to run out of gas in their late 40s. Coincidence? (John Wayne might be in this mold too, but if so he broke it. More than 30 years from when he graduated from horse operas with Stagecoach and his star never really faded.)
"I don’t want to rejoice in The Rock’s downfall"
I do. He can sod off with his stiff shite.
I read all the South Park pitches in Cartman's voice, then heard all The Rock's film descriptions in the same voice. I believe The Smashing Machine was meant to be a way to show audiences he could be a "serious" actor but unfortunately, audiences didn't show up. Though perhaps a few smaller films like that, and he might actually stage a comeback just as Pulp Fiction did for Travolta and Willis.
Willis and Travolta both were ~40 at the time of their comeback in Pulp Fiction. Johnson is 54. I don't think a certain kind of action star is still viable at that age; Schwarzenegger wasn't.
Johnson is 54?? That’s some skincare routine he has, the man does not look like he’s 50. I would say Tom Cruise was viable at age, but then there’s only ever been one Tom Cruise. Who knows, though, Hollywood loves a comeback story. Maybe we just can’t smell what the Rock is cooking.
As always, super interesting and very well researched! I always look forward to your articles!
Live action remake of South Park... with The Rock....career revival episode.
He completely wrecked Southland Tales, a problematic film which could have been saved if anyone but Dwayne Johnson starred in it. After watching his lack of acting ability in the blood squib scene, I'll never criticise Nicholas Cage again.
Dwayne Johnson’s hi-point was Be Cool.
"An actor can only make so many less-than-stellar films (Red One, Red Notice, Black Adam, etc.) before this perceived disregard for quality catches up to them."
I, for one, am looking forward to The Rock's upcoming adaptation of Stendhal's 1830 bildungsroman The Red and the Black.
Every time I see one of these live-action remakes I think to myself: "why?" And while I know the answer to my question is "because people pay to see it," that would be one of the million things I would change about this world if I could.
And outstanding article title! Hopefully this spells the end of some of this.