MovieChat Forums > Dwayne Johnson Discussion > Herald of the mediocrity of this century

Herald of the mediocrity of this century

posted 3 years ago by Heisenberg (6730)
29 replies | jump to latest

This guy has some talent and charisma and would be capable of being the new Sly or Arnie.
Those guys landed roles that perfectly fit their personas, creating a series of memorable characters and classic movies.
This guy NEVER manages to get the right character nor film, he NEVER fits either, and instead winds up always playing himself.
Not only that, he is a master of picking ONLY the most underwhelming, derivative, uninspired, cash grabbing projects.

He is the poster boy of the awful mediocrity we have been living in the past years.

I wish he reflected upon his embarrassing filmography instead of his bank account, and started looking for WORTHY projects from now on, if he is capable of such high aspiration.

[–] acelesson (791) 3 years ago

He’s too obsessed with using Hollywood as a vehicle to fuel his brand.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 3 years ago

Ok, but what is his brand?
Crap?
The art of selling out?
Prostitute your soul?
Mediocrity for president?

[–] Kendricks (2239) 3 years ago

Spot on, really.

I like him, he seems to be an okay guy but his movies... oh boy.
As you said, he just never really fits.

And yet: Second best paid actor of all time.

I stand behind Ridley Scott and blame the 'young audience'.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 3 years ago

Unfortunately, I don't think it's just an age problem.
1: young audiences are the ones getting the short end of the stick.
I doubt that they chose this mediocre buffoon as their champion, he is just all they got, they can only dream of the real action heroes from the past decades while they have to pick someone between The Rock, Statham, Diesel or Worthington.
2: I bet most of his audience is not just young idiots, but middle aged ones too. Again, other than their poor taste, I would blame what is out there now: not much else in terms of solid action, so why not watch brainless crap like Jumanji? (I'd rather watch Predator or Die Hard another 50 times rather than watch F&F a single time, but that's just me).

[–] Kendricks (2239) 3 years ago

As a child of the 80s, I know exactly what you mean and I agree.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 3 years ago

Yeah man, I hear ya.
The 80s were the greatest decade ever for Hollywood.
Second best, the 90s.
Third, the 70s.

This century has been pathetic, so far.

[–] ccr1633 (1523) 3 years ago

The 70s was Hollywood's best for all types of films. The 80s was their peak for horror and action.

[–] Galactus03 (4373) 2 years ago

Well fast and furious was pretty good right up until about movie 6. After that they tried to top the action. 7, 8.and 9 overdid it.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 2 years ago

If you mean it as an alternative to anal cancer, yes it was pretty good.

Otherwise, I wouldn't consider any of that series worthy of the elecricity it would take to download it for free.

[–] Callahan7 (1155) 2 years ago

If this was 1985 he would be like Bennett. Matrix would kick him out of The Unit.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 2 years ago

Totally! And with a cool one liner too.

[–] ccr1633 (1523) 3 years ago

The mindless slab of flesh known as Dwayne Johnson doesn't have the talent to do anything interesting. He also lacks any unique appeal, unlike, say, Schwarzenegger and his absurd Austrian accent that was so out of place in films like Conan and The Terminator (which gave Arnie an intrinsic tongue-in-cheek humor). The Rock is nothing. Just a buff bald dude. Go back to the gym where you belong, Dwayne.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 3 years ago

I can tell you are a fan...

He could if he tried, maybe.
The worst is, he is not even trying to make good movies.

[–] ccr1633 (1523) 3 years ago

Lol. I'm just tired of zero personality bald meatheads like Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, etc.

[–] Gd5150 (11747) 3 years ago

More like the peoples asscrack. Can be sexy but mostly just full of hot air.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 3 years ago

That is a very fitting and very poetic description for him.

[–] HolyWars (61) 3 years ago

Yeah, either his agent is failing him, or the Rock just has terrible taste in movies.

[–] ccr1633 (1523) 3 years ago

"Yeah, either his agent is failing him, or the Rock just has terrible taste in movies."

And, as his cheerleader stint at the Super Bowl amply demonstrated, a crippling lack of talent.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 2 years ago

I think he fits in with the general degrading in quality.
He cannot solve the problem on his own, given his limited talent and aspiration.

So he just prefers to be part of the problem. He is actually the champion of such mediocrity. As long as idiots pay to see his crappy products, I doubt he's gonna stop.

[–] mirelurk (884) 2 years ago

I think he has a strange personality. If he were a malicious person he would quickly be labeled a narcissist, but he seems to be very nice. He's also not a pushover. He comes across fake sometimes, but he actually stood up to Vin Diesel more than Justin Lin did. So I don't think he's an ass kisser

Ultimately I think he is just extremely ambitious. I doubt that he reveres the art of film, he just happens to be a movie star

I have no doubt that as he gets older and gets tired of taking steroids that he will move on to business or politics, which I think are his true passions

I loved him back in the WWF days, though. He was an incredible entertainer back in the day

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 2 years ago

Ok but, even if he does not seek it, he is the biggest action star right now.
He should take some responsibility for it, and he should start requesting some quality from his own films.

Maybe the roids obfuscate his judgement.

[–] mirelurk (884) 2 years ago

I doubt that he cares. I don't know what responsibility an overexposed star has to produce quality work, but historically guys like Johnson eventually flame out and their schtick starts leading to high-profile flops

Johnson seems to live in his own reality, like other weirdly self-motivated people like Tom Cruise. I wish TC would do more dramas and villain roles, but he has his own agenda

I think Johnson does have presidential ambitions and his movie choices are more about playing it safe than creating art

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 2 years ago

I guess you are right, but he'd better have a kickass program for his politics. More steroids ain't gonna cut it.
Arnold had some good ideas, but being able to quote the Terminator or any of his other beloved hits as a slogan in his campaign granted him quite the boost.

What is this clown gonna use? "I will jumanji all your taxes in the jungle"?

[–] Galactus03 (4373) 2 years ago

Dramas no longer sell tickets. Tom Cruise is actually a very good action star. His MI movies are better than the current bond films and WAY better than Fast And Furious....he also looks like a normal fit person.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I have an irrational dislike of anyone who's made a career of the back of taking steroids.

Arnie, Sly, Hemsworth, The Rock...the lot of them.

It's basically cheating. Living a lie. Pushing an unrealistic body image.

Take away the steroids and Arnold would have been an Austrian no-mark. An everyday joe. I mean yeah good for him for being a success but it was all of the back of him roiding up. The butterfly effect at work. One day he takes to working out, decides to become really serious about it and roids to the gills and wins awards then moves to Hollywood to be the big roided goon and progresses to legitimacy. All from taking steroids.

Annoying.

Some would call it jealously, I guess that may be part of it, but I'd never take steroids. Too afraid of the side effects and long term harm so here I am begrudging the bastards who took the plunge and made millions from it.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 2 years ago

I never considered that dirty aspect of their career, because they are not sportsmen.
But I guess you are right.

Kardashian has massive amount of plastic on her, she might look "good" but is a complete failure of a human being. Yet people are willing to give her billions. She is cheating on her appearance and most people would never take her seriously.
But society is more impressed by superficial things than by deep, important contributions.

These guys overdosing roids are also cheating their way into fame, but most people just ignore that and just gawk at their artificial muscle or admire their "dedication" to their "fitness". They do set a horrible example for everyone not on steroids, but nobody cares. What can I say. People=shit?

[–] scannerdarkly (1376) 2 years ago

Ya'll are reminding me of a good description of the degradation of these people. "All these social media influencers have all these followers with nowhere to lead them".

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 2 years ago

Great description.
It is a new cult, less serious and dedicated than ancient ones, but also more pathetic and sad.

They remind me of those preachers in Life of Brian. One more deranged than the other, yet all those fools followers were lining, eagerly listening to their nonsense.

[–] OnanTheBarbarian (11952) 2 years ago

Thank you. I have complete and utter contempt for this blowhard.

I like Schwarzenegger because though he's not the world's greatest actor, he's made some great and classic movies. "Total Recall" for example is a top notch piece of sci-fi gold. "Terminator" is another classic.

Johnson has never made a compelling movie.