Brightcast/MovieStillsDBCan you smell what The Rock is cooking? It’s usually high-octane action that fuels his massive box office numbers. These are the superstar’s best films.
25. Doom
Zayne/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — October 21, 2005
Video game adaptations are notorious for typically failing on all cinematic fronts. While turning a book into a film allows the audience to cement their visualization of beloved characters and places, video games are built on interacting and controlling the actions of your on-screen avatar — something impossible in a film. For a plot that deals with space marines battling the demons of Hell on Mars, Doom fell grotesquely flat.
Despite being released in 2005 — that gave us still revered visual effects in films such as King Kong and Revenge of the Sith — the film’s graphics were years behind the curve and were the final nail in the coffin for a film with a barely written plot and characters. Attempting to mask its narrative issues with the blood-letting that its video game counterpart is famous for came as a poor excuse and audiences weren’t biting. Universal Studios endured a $15 million loss, but Dwayne Johnson thankfully skated by the majority of the criticism.
24. Pain and Gain
Wolf/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — April 26, 2013
Released in 2013, one might wonder why it took so long for a muscle-bound superstar like Dwayne Johnson to partner with the bombastic cinematic force that is Michael Bay — but per the results of the finished product, maybe this union of titans should have never happened. Marketed as blue collar vigilantes striking out at the filthy and corrupt rich turned out to be a frightfully incompetent attempt to turn real life tragedy into macho-American comedy. Three gym rats — Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, and Anthony Mackie — decide to extort a massively rich client and have his assets transferred to them.
Yet, while the film still attempts to frame these characters as heroes just in the pursuit of the American Dream, their get-rich-quick-scheme soon devolves into kidnapping, torture, and murder. The events of how they try to kill their mark becomes overdone and stomach churning, even by Michael Bay standards. Though Johnson and his two co-stars are always enjoyable, their comedic timing and charm is consistently misplaced in squandered characterization.
23. Baywatch
scarletwitch/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — May 25, 2017
With leads like Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, this reboot of the popular 90s tv show lacked none of the beef — but desperately needed more cheese. Adding an action angle to the film in fact detracted from what made the iconic red bathing suits part of the cultural zeitgeist. With David Hasselhoff and Pam Anderson, the show never took itself too seriously, preferring to cheekily rely on its oozing sex appeal and soap opera style shenanigans — and therein lies the film’s ultimate problem.
Baywatch was much like today’s reality TV — regarded as something mind numbing and even happily trashy. To base a film off of it requires audiences to sit for two hours rather than the half four to forty-five minutes they grew accustomed to. Beautiful people jog down the beach while the audience ogles them, but this film leaves zero lasting cultural impact — perhaps the best thing that can be said about Baywatch is that it certainly made people think about going to the gym to work on their summer body.
22. Hercules
Hope74/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — July 25, 2014
It really is a shame that Hercules ranks so low. The Rock has many a time dubbed it his ultimate passion project, but the final product lacked the Herculean critical response and box office numbers the star was certainly hoping for. With a truly heroic physique and personality in the lead, there was no way that any aspect of this film could be compared to the Disney film many are accustomed to — so why would they frame the film after his completion of his famous Twelve Labours?
This version saw the titular hero as a mercenary fighting against a corrupt king and redeeming himself from a supposed horrible act. It’s the structure of a historical fantasy film we have seen dozens of times before. The source material of Greek Mythology is perhaps the greatest wellspring of creativity that humanity has ever been given and the filmmakers elected to put their own misguided narrative spin on it. The result is laborious, rather than a celebration of labors. The plus side? This is probably the best and biggest shape Dwayne Johnson has ever been in — 150 days of clean eating and packing on even more muscle is a true feat to behold.
21. The Game Plan
richard3rd/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — September 28, 2007
Here we have Dwayne Johnson in an odd career transition. Attempting to break away from strictly his wrestling persona, it is the last film to credit him as The Rock. Desperate to show he is not only a rough-and-tough warrior, this comedy — produced by Disney — is about a father reconnecting with the young daughter he never knew he had. The critical conflict becomes that this specific father is a star football player, just a few games away from winning his team’s first championship. With a team of promoters and agents worried she will only be a distraction, Johnson’s Joe Kingman is constantly torn between football fame or fatherly happiness.
Is there anything particularly bad about The Game Plan? Absolutely not — the film’s faults simply lie in a story we have seen multiple times before. The Game Plan is also a victim of the time in which it was produced. The Walt Disney company in the early to mid 2000s were throwing cash on quick-to-shoot family comedies that could hopefully turn a profit — The Game Plan was simply outplayed by laziness and circumstance.
20. The Scorpion King
Zayne/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — April 19, 2002
Despite appearing as the titular character in The Mummy Returns, this origin story gave The Rock his true break in Hollywood. Capitalizing off the success of the Mummy franchise, Universal let Johnson take the reigns as Mathayus, the man who would be known as the conquering Scorpion King. While Rick O’Connell was a semi-sloppy, Indiana Jones style hero, this series attempted to recreate Conan the Barbarian in a hero that could seemingly conquer all — it is the attempt of that mighty feat that The Scorpion King begins to fall apart.
The Rock is as charming and captivating as always, but this epic action film is neither as epic nor filled with well-choreographed action set pieces as the filmmakers would have hoped. Johnson gives it his all in his first leading role, but the rest of the cast and crew cannot carry the rest of a feature length film. Somehow, his franchise has spawned four sequels on a winding scale of descending quality — the true indication that The Rock was the only thing giving the first entry any substantial talent.
19. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Darcy/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — March 28, 2013
This action-packed sequel begins an interesting trend for Johnson — entering franchises after their inception to shake things up and add validity. With the previous film’s headliner, Channing Tatum, dying in the first act, the slate was nearly completely wiped clean for The Rock to shake up a potentially stagnant franchise. With the villainous Cobra Commander usurping major world leaders, the G.I. Joe team must clear their name, avenge their fallen comrades, and save the day.
The film is nearly perfect summer popcorn flair — and is a vast improvement over the original — but suffers from an over-reliance on action rather than hinging its globe-trotting story on the characters that spend most of their time clobbering each other. Any story — no matter how epic or apocalyptic — needs its characters to be personalities rather than props. To do anything else makes it clear that most critics would have been happier playing with their original G.I. Joe action figures rather than seeing biological robots hack and slash.
18. Race to Witch Mountain
MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — March 13, 2009
In another partnering with Disney — a precursor to a growing relationship with the House of Mouse — Dwayne becomes the unlikely courier of two teenage aliens meant to save the human race from extinction. A remake of a similarly named Disney film from 1975, this sci-fi tale is anchored by the heartfelt performances of its talented cast. But in an unfortunate trend in multiple science fiction remakes, the technology of the modern era results in an over-reliance on action and spectacle rather than the intimate moments of species colliding that makes the genre so truly special. Despite entries like Star Wars, Terminator, and Back to the Future, science fiction has always existed as a quiet genre — some of the best scenes from the aforementioned films are in fact the subtle moments of humanity and grace. Race to Witch Mountain could have capitalized on those same tenants but unfortunately elected for what would be considered flashy and exciting.
17. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
steve2806/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — February 10, 2012
As another example of Dwayne Johnson putting a franchise on his shoulders rather than another’s, he replaced Brendan Fraser — his own Mummy Returns co-star in this family-friendly adventure franchise. With veteran acting-maestro Michael Caine and future superstars Josh Hutcherson and Vanessa Hudgens rounding out the cast, Journey 2 seemed primed to become the addiction of pre-teens everywhere. Dripping in visual grandeur, the film looks amazing — and it wants to remind you scene after scene.
The “look at that” moments are so constant that it begins to feel like a pop-up book rather than a film. The Mysterious Island does not lack for visual ingenuity, but most certainly did not give the same time to the other areas that any film requires. It’s enough to put youngsters and teens into theater seats, but not enough for their parents to drive them to the movies and stay there. With one film under their belt, the team behind this sequel could have expanded their horizons and found the subtle, mature moments that blockbusters hinge the family — not just kids — audience on.
16. Walking Tall
Zayne/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — April 2, 2004
A remake of the 1973 film of the same name, one of The Rock’s earliest forays into film is a showcase for not only his well-known action set pieces, but an uncharacteristically truly dramatic performance as well. As a veteran coming home, Johnson’s Chris Vaughn becomes its sheriff when he finds that his quaint town has been bought up by corporate interests that give the locals access to drugs and is rife with corruption. Though nearly a consistent on-screen hero, The Rock’s moral crusade somehow hits even harder here.
As modern America continues to face an opioid epidemic, Sheriff Vaughn works tirelessly to clear his town of drugs and petty crime. It is a sad trend that is sweeping some of our nation’s smallest and most vulnerable communities. While bureaucratic red tape doesn’t allow for action, it is extra satisfying to see Vaughn use a 2×4 wooden plank to dispense his painful but effective brand of justice. In comparison to some of Dwayne Johnson’s more recent films, Walking Tall is a smaller story that allows the filmmakers and script to explore some of America’s overlooked victims of institutional failure.
15. Gridiron Gang
Robyher/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — September 15, 2006
A real-life inspired sports drama is always a sure fire way to get the adrenaline pumping and the tears welling. Combining two slices of The Rock’s life — football and brushes with the law — the star played Sean Porter, the guard-turned-coach of a juvenile corrections football team. Unable to reach the teenagers through normal therapeutic means, Porter’s decision to take their rehabilitation to the field is exactly the healing they need — there are few better ways than to learn the value of working together through sports.
Though their trials and tribulations on and off the field are given plenty of focus, the film excels when it explores the life circumstances that lead so many youths to engage in drug and criminal behavior. The Rock’s Porter is a champion for those who are deemed wayward — everyone, especially at such a young age, deserves a second chance. With the bittersweet and tragic revelations about multiple characters playing over the credits, Gridiron Gang serves as a reminder that we must continue to do better to serve our communities from the bottom up.
14. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
yassi/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — December 20, 2017
Reboots have become frustratingly common in Hollywood, but this newest foray into the dangers of a cursed board game came as a pleasant — and unexpected — surprise to many. Framed as going into the game rather than the world coming out, this new Jumanji amped up the adventure, action, and humor that made the Robin Williams original such a classic. But to shoulder the mantle of a comedic genius like Williams left this new entry in an identity crisis. Alan Parish (William’s character) describes the jungle he was sucked into as a horrid, dark, and dangerous place that sounds like Edgar Allen Poe wrote Tarzan. Johnson’s jungle is a far more mainstream foray into the wilderness.
Its bright, vibrant greens and torch lit nights give it a friendlier vibe than anything the original film left us imagining. Additionally, this venture into expanding the Jumanji-verse was never quite sure how far to take its in-game premise — its slightly muddled rules and indistinct adversaries unfortunately carry the hallmark of why actual video game adaptations fail. Though not the best in The Rock’s canon, Welcome to the Jungle remains a thrilling romp through gorgeous landscapes with humorous characterizations.
13. San Andreas
Hope73/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — May 29, 2015
It is clear that Dwayne Johnson loves adventure more than anything — and the largest, destructive challenge to face him yet is mother nature herself. With massive earthquakes ravaging cities along the San Andreas Fault, helicopter-rescue pilot Ray Gaines has his work cut out for him. Disaster movies in the modern era are far too tied in with monsters movies or the machinations of world ending super-villains — sometimes the Earth itself just strikes back without rhyme or reason, and we as its inhabitants need to pick up the pieces. San Andreas is a throwback to the celebration of citizens in the midst of global crisis. With the state of California crumbling around Johnson — and fantastic co-stars Carla Gugino and Alexandra Daddario — the film delivers fantastic set pieces of destruction and danger at every turn. Anyone raised in California has probably heard their parents say “the big one is coming” — San Andreas capitalizes on that promise with full force.
12. Fast & Furious 6
Zayne/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — May 24, 2013
Though its egregiously long runway climax may give action-fatigue to some, there is no denying the pure fun that this franchise brings to its audiences. In his second go-round as no-nonsense Luke Hobbs, Johnson is able to ham it up even more with the rest of the beefcake cast. Initially partnering with them begrudgingly, Hobbs soon finds that the family network these heist-masters have created is something he becomes envious of.
That rough edge and friendly distance still exists — particularly with fellow alpha male Dom Toretto — but to see Hobbs grow more comfortable with this team signals not only a great arc for his character, but his general acceptance into the mainstream Fast franchise. With Fast 6 continuing the international espionage trend of the series, the technological hijinks and beat-down action are once again thrown into high gear at full speed — and Johnson cements that Hobbs is a character necessary to increasing fun and quality of these films.
11. Get Smart
GLOWWORM/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — June 20, 2008
This modern retelling of the iconic Mel Brooks television show makes it a unique gem in Johnson’s filmography for two reasons — his supporting role, and the reveal that he is the villain. In this parody of the secret agent genre, Johnson’s lauded and praised Agent 23 can seemingly do no wrong. Johnson’s charm is in full effect here, effectively masking that he is a double-agent until the script decides to reveal the traitorous information. With leads Steve Carrel and Anne Hathaway enduring various traps and setups, Get Smart is nothing more than your standard action comedy — but Dwayne Johnson believes in escapism in his films.
Why not disappear to a place where things are comfortable and fun to watch? Johnson is a man that believes in entertainment. As a wrestler, it is not his physical prowess that drew cheers — it was his ability to command the crowd and tell the story that the WWE was circulating at the time. Get Smart perhaps brought his career full circle — when first entering the WWE, The Rock was many times the “villain” in those ring-side scenarios.
10. Central Intelligence
CozICanOriginal Releases — June 17, 2016
Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart have proved to be a near unbeatable comedic and box office team. Their off-screen rapport has led to electrifying and perfectly timed chemistry on camera — something to praise on its own besides the humor of their respective statures. As former high school classmates that reconnect in a blaze of CIA bullets, their buddy-adventure film is filled with both action and heart. Central Intelligence is a story we have seen before — the pain one carries from growing up, the bonds of friendship, career difficulty and unhappiness — but these two stars are able to make it fresh beyond what this script deserves, especially Johnson.
With his on and off-screen persona seemingly matching anywhere you look, the superstar has commented multiple times on his difficult upbringing and stagnant entrance into celebrity and success. He is able to channel those decades-long insecurities into the character of Bob Stone — a man who still carries scars from incessant high school bullying — and emerge from the other side with a clean mental slate.
9. Rampage
hpuk/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — April 13, 2018
It’s The Rock-meets-King Kong in this throwdown action film, pairing Johnson with the only co-star who could be physically bigger than he is. Genetically enhanced animals grow in size and strength and unleash their fury on each other — and the innocent denizens who tremble in their quake. With an early conceit of how fun and campy the premise is, the film rolls right along and plays perfectly with its own silliness. Hollywood has seen a resurgence of monster movies lately and though Rampage may not have led the pack, it has emerged as an ironically overlooked entry in a growing genre.
The action is intense — you can’t beat the visuals of a giant albino gorilla pummeling a dragon-sized crocodile — but Johnson allows his sensitive and more dramatic side to shine through his relationship with George the gorilla. As a man that connects better with animals than people, Johnson’s David Okoye prefers the company of beings who don’t intentionally wish harm on each other. Rampage succeeds because of poignant relationships, a consistent tone, and yes — excellent and thrilling beast vs. beast action.
8. Skyscraper
chago/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — July 13, 2018
For those yearning for the fun, adventurous, and clock-ticking tension of 90s action films, Skyscraper is a must-see. As a security developer working on the most high-tech building in the world, Johnson’s Will Sawyer and his family are granted access and living quarter. When terrorists attempt to seize the building, Sawyer is cut off from his family and must traverse fires, collapsing steel beams, and structural destruction to save them. With stunt after stunt, this isn’t Dwayne Johnson in Terminator mode — this is his ode to John McClane, Bruce Willis’ everyman cop from Die Hard.
This man shouldn’t be in this situation, but his desire to save his loved ones forces him to take on these daring tasks. If it’s an obstacle that will help him save his family, he never looks back. In a move that is both bold and wonderful for the film, Johnson’s character is an amputee who lost his left leg as a Marine — and yet he is given all the same action and bravery that any other hero on screen has experienced. It’s a marvelous step forward for disabled portrayal on screen — here’s to hoping the next time is in the form of an amputee actor to show a true commitment to the cause of representation.
7. The Rundown
Zayne/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — September 26, 2003
One of The Rock’s few commercial stalemates is in fact one of his most enjoyable films. As a bounty hunter contracted to bring home a client’s wayward son — the perennial man-child Sean William Scott of American Pie fame — Johnson was able to easily transition in to the type of role that continues to dominate his career. Playing a rough-and-tough but heart-of-gold adventurer is what The Rock was born to do, and the beautiful Brazilian locations that serve as a backdrop hearkens the film back to the adventures of Indiana Jones and other jet-setting heroes.
Where so much action is now staged on drape after drape of green screen, the rich textures that a real jungle provides is always unmatched on camera. As the two central characters become tied up in a corrupt mining operation and the plight of Brazilian rebels, more heart is injected than you typically find in your standard action-comedy. With the perfect mix of ingredients to create popcorn fare that sticks the landing, The Rundown signaled to audiences and critics that Dwayne Johnson wasn’t just a charming pass-through — his career was here to stay.
6. The Fate of the Furious
massi/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — April 14, 2017
The title of the 8th film in the long running franchise may be telling — is Dwayne Johnson fated to eclipse Vin Diesel as the face of this franchise in the next few years? With Dom being blackmailed by super hacker Cypher (a wonderfully self-aware Charlize Theron), Hobbs is tasked with leading the team to both combat and to save their friend. It is undoubtedly the biggest, most zany film in the series yet, with stunts and set pieces that push the franchise further towards the realm of needing to expand into outer space. Yet, in what is almost a twist in itself, despite each film entry mentioning how important “family” is, Fate of the Furious truly digs into the heart that beats underneath all that testosterone.
With the reveal that Dom has a child and his friends left without their usual leader, everyone is forced to confront their interpersonal relationships and why they need each other — when you find your pack, it’s hard to imagine a world without it. The action and the friendship are once again the highlight, but succeeds several of its predecessors by wonderfully amping up the creativity and drama in both fields.
5. Fighting with My Family
spacemajdn/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — February 22, 2019
For Dwayne Johnson, everything is about gratitude — true success is being able to not only celebrate where you are, but appreciate where you have been. Produced by Johnson — and playing himself in the film — the movie chronicles the introduction of WWE’s Saraya-Jade “Paige” Bevis and her unstoppable will to rise in the wrestling organization. In a primarily male-dominated field of entertainment, Paige’s desire for recognition while overcoming her own insecurities makes an incredibly contrasting yet moving story — conquering your fear by opening yourself up fully to a cheering or jeering audience.
With a figure that is unlike most of the other cheerleader-esque wrestling trainees, Paige’s journey and ascent is far from traditional. It includes your typical sequence of her trying to blend in — only to realize that her identity and individuality is best — but greatly benefits from Johnson’s role as producer. Showing the frustration, physical toll, and literal pain that being in the WWE delivers unto one’s body with authentic detail, the lengths that wrestlers go to provide entertainment for the masses is appropriately given a dramatic and truthful treatment.
4. Hobbs and Shaw
Alcatraz/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — August 2, 2019
With his co-titular character reinvigorating the tone and style of the Fast franchise, the powers at Universal Studios wisely expanded the Fast universe and gave Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw their own spin-off. Playing primarily on the unexpected and utterly fantastic chemistry of its two leads, these two stars perfectly fill the well of their characters with their own personalities — you get to see Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham take down the bad guys, a prospect more exciting than seeing their respective characters.
It’s a move that used to dominate Hollywood in its Golden Age. Studio-contracted stars drew in audiences, not their characters necessarily — Hobbs and Shaw draws us in with these two contrasting off-camera personalities that blend oh so wonderfully together. The action? Top notch. Comedic chemistry? Brimming with wonderful arguments and quips. But it is the further exploration of Deckard Shaw and his motivations that puts Hobbs and Shaw a cut above. Where once he was the villain of the main franchise’s seventh entry, a multi-film redemption arc with plenty of logical and emotional explanations continues his repentance and further intrigues us as an audience.
3. Jumanji: The Next Level
MePrDB/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — December 13, 2019
Jumanji: The Next Level truly takes things to a new plateau by improving on nearly every aspect of its predecessor. Stronger, more layered characterizations enhance a solidified structure of how the world inside the game works — this time around, the script acts as the perfect rule book. Instead of just four high schoolers getting transported into the jungle, one of their grandfathers accidentally tags along — played to senile perfection by Danny DeVito. Few things have been funnier on-screen lately than seeing the Herculean Dwayne Johnson perform as an elderly man.
With the body-swapping of in-game avatars a greater component of this sequel, Johnson’s comedy chops are put on full display to show him switch between personalities — jumping from grumpy old man to a shy, awkward college freshman proves his acting chops are higher than your standard action-comedy star. The Next Level further embraces the video game trope with an expanded location pallet — besides your standard jungle, audiences are given the treat of seeing intense, well executed action take place in deserts, snowy palaces, and treacherous cliffsides. When you watch an adventure movie, you want to see relatable characters doing exciting things in wondrous places — and this sequel leaves you more satiated than the coldest jungle river.
2. Fast Five
Machionic/MovieStillsDBOriginal Release — April 29, 2011
Fast Five is not only the film that introduced Luke Hobbs but remains the franchise’s best entry yet. With box office receipts and critical response beginning to fall off, the studio wisely shifted the tone and style of their series — Dominic Toretto’s crew would no longer be street racers, but master heist planners. With a growing disregard for physics and preference for unnatural strength, Toretto needed a challenge that could match his growing prestige — and Luke Hobbs answered the call with propane in his veins and the strength of a bull at his fingertips.
Like a rampaging force of pure testosterone, Hobbs’ incessant pursuit of Dom and his crew is almost more damaging to them than the drug lord they’re attempting to steal from. But while Hobbs could have presented himself as a secondary antagonist, Johnson’s on-screen magnetism creates a characterization that leads to a much more interesting scenario — hero vs. hero. When Hobbs and Toretto finally smash fists, it’s a wonderfully over-the-top presentation of two pieces of beef slapping together — the beginning of a true embrace of campiness that has helped to reinvigorate what is now one of action’s biggest and best franchises.
1. Moana
Korsar/MovieStillsDBOriginal Releases — November 23, 2016
For as magnetic Dwayne Johnson is in both reel and real life, it is his supporting voice-acting role in this Disney animated gem that makes it his very best work. As the demi-god Maui, the Rock brings thrills, fun, and even singing to the big screen in a role that demands all of the depth and heroism his voice alone can muster. With so much of his life rooted in appreciation and respect for his Polynesian ancestry, Johnson gives Maui life in an authentic way that makes you believe both his power and his hard-earned humility.
The vibrant cerulean blues and jungle greens that give the screen life reflect the playful musical numbers — similar to how the starry nighttime sky that Moana and Maui observe each evening clues the audience into the true soul of the film at work. Moana is a movie about both letting go and charging forward — letting go of fear and pain, and taking the leap of faith into the destiny you always knew was just beyond the horizon. For those who ever watched the waves or gazed at the stars with fear of life passing them by, Moana and Maui guide the audience on a series of rousing and emotional adventures that prove how answering the call of who you are is always worth the risk.
