"Force of gravity" means that there is a constant exchange of momentum happening between gravitating objects.
In the case of a supermassive black hole and a rocket near its event horizon the force of gravity is weak, because during one second just a moderate amount of momentum is exchanged between those two things.
That's how it makes sense to say the force of gravity is small.
BUT that second is a non-time dilated second. During one second according to a clock inside the rocket a very large amount of momentum gets exchanged. That's why the rocket has to be ridiculously powerful to ascend.
Of course if we say that the force of gravity of a supermassive black hole is weak, then we should also say that the thrust of a rocket is weak, when said rocket is climbing up from the neighborhood of said black hole without accelerating much.
But the passengers in that rocket say the force of gravity is very large and the force produced by the rocket motors is very large.