The Smashing Machine 2025
Sa simula palang may nag resonate na agad na line sa akin. “I have to make sure that I am a hundred percent concentrated on what I have to do because if not then my emotions will be running around everywhere. If we do not control our emotions, our fears, our anxieties will get the best of us. We get slapped around by our emotions and we cannot have that.” It sets the tone for the whole film and it hits real life too.
Documentary style ang camera movements. Parang spectator ka lang na kasama sa daily life nila. Raw, unfiltered, and personal. The emotions feel real. Walang glamorizing. Kita mo yung vulnerability ng characters.
Dwayne Johnson was massive! Ang galing ng hair and make up. Ibang iba talaga itsura niya. Even the prosthetics have imperfections. Pero naririnig ko parin si Maui minsan. Which is weird.
Dwayne’s character feels like a gentle giant who loves to talk about the small details, what he wants, and what he feels. Emily Blunt’s character is carefree and parang iniisip niya na hindi big deal yung mga sinasabi ni Dwayne. Their relationship is so toxic. I feel like Emily wants to be wanted and recognized all the time. Hindi ko alam if controlling or manipulative pero ang lakas ng toyo. I think she is insecure. Ang galing ni Emily kasi nakakainis siya in a real way. It was a great decision letting her go.
Nice training arc after him getting sober. Mas feel ko yung sport at yung mga winning moments dito compared sa Iron Claw. Mas authentic yung struggle at recovery dito. Though mas nakakaiyak pa rin ang ending ng Iron Claw.
The finals were intense. You can feel each punch and kick, and the score added a lot of weight. It has a heavy percussion mixed with an airy flute or woodwind layer to build tension.
His shower scene feels like a baptism. Being born into a new life. A reset after the chaos. And that ending proves that he is now happy and liberated from addiction. Not just drugs, but also his addiction to winning. He finally admitted that he cannot always win, and that is okay to lose. This acceptance is what gives him peace.