In 2018, you undertook the seemingly impossible task of demonstrating that Dwayne Johnson has been portraying the same character throughout his entire career, which has been the epic saga of one remarkable man. Now comes the slightly easier challenge of evaluating every film in which the musician formerly known as the Rock appears. Read on for our complete breakdown.
1. Fast Five (2011)
It took me only five seconds to know what No. 1 would be. I’ll admit it: I’ve seen Fast Five around 100 times. That’s understandable, given that it’s the best action film of all time (yeah, I said it).
2. Moana (2016)
Johnson would like me to know that this isn’t his biggest non-Fast blockbuster (that honor belongs to Jumanji), but we can all agree on the most significant pop culture phenomenon. Johnson, Aulii Cravalho, and Lin-Manuel Miranda delighted the audience and helped make Moana into an animated classic. You’re welcome, Dwayne.
3. Furious 7 (2015)
Furious 7 is well known for the sad farewell to Walker and his character Brian O’Conner, but it is much more than that. James Wan, who replaces Justin Lin as director of Fast 3, 4, 5, and 6, takes action to new heights, literally (flying cars and jumping cars from skyscraper to skyscraper).
4. The Other Guys (2010)
Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson steal the first ten minutes of Adam McKay’s buddy cop action comedy, only to die horrifyingly. Despite their absence, the picture remains entertaining thanks to Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg’s chemistry, Eva Mendes’ funny cameo, and Michael Keaton’s love of TLC.
5. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Nobody asked for a new Jumanji since we were all perfectly content with the Robin Williams-led original. But it was a delightful plot twist and a likable ensemble that made Welcome to the Jungle a pleasant surprise.
6. Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
The Rock’s second Jumanji film narrowly beats Welcome to the Jungle. While Next Level isn’t strictly a better film, it is unquestionably funnier, thanks to the inclusion of Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, and Awkwafina, as well as a few humorous twists about who is in specific avatars.
7. Fighting With My Family (2019)
Johnson executive produces and appears in a supporting role as himself in Stephen Merchant’s hilarious wrestling film based on the life and career of WWE superstar Paige. The major stars in the ensemble are Vince Vaughn and Dwayne Johnson, but its leading lady Florence Pugh is a star in her own right. Fighting also gets additional points for making a Vin Diesel joke about Johnson.
8. The Fate of the Furious (2017)
Prepare for a flurry of Fast & Furious films! The Fate of the Furious has a lot to like, including Johnson and Jason Statham’s blossoming relationship (which led to their spin-off), Statham’s baby fight, and Queen Helen Mirren. Despite this, F. Gary Gray’s picture suffers from the absence of Paul Walker, who died during the shooting of Furious 7, and the loss of the Hobbs and Toretto dynamic, which had been a vital component of the franchise due to the tension between Johnson and Vin Diesel.
9. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Hobbs & Shaw, a fun, ludicrous action movie that doesn’t exactly feel like a legitimate Fast movie — except for including two characters that arrived later in the franchise and having “Fast & Furious Presents” added in front of the title — felt inevitable when Johnson entered the Fast & Furious franchise.
However, the chemistry between Johnson and Statham, Idris Elba chewing scenery in the most extraordinary way possible, Vanessa Kirby kicking ass, and some unexpected appearances make for a delightful trip.
10. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Following the success of Fast Five, Johnson is promoted to a co-star for the sixth sequel, alongside Diesel and Walker. The return of original lead Michelle Rodriguez and the departure of future Wonder Woman Gal Gadot are the most major cast news from Fast 6.
While filmmaker Justin Lin continues to raise the bar for action set pieces (including the longest runway in film history), Fast 6 suffers primarily from being sandwiched between the franchise’s two best pictures.
11. The Rundown (2003)
In his first non-Mummy-related role, Arnold Schwarzenegger metaphorically passes the action movie star belt to Johnson in the opening scene of Peter Berg’s overlooked masterpiece.
The jungle environment and fantastic chemistry between Johnson and Seann William Scott — who would later co-star in Southland Tales and Planet 51 — make this a high point for everyone involved and leave us eagerly awaiting the long-rumored sequel.
12. San Andreas (2015)
The Johnson and Gugino enchantment continues! And for San Andreas, I’ll defer to EW’s Chris Nashawaty, who perfectly summarised the film in his review: “Although director Brad Peyton’s orgy of CGI devastation is patently absurd, scientifically dubious, and unapologetically corny, its popcorn prophecy of the inevitable is a blast of giddy, disposable fun. It’s an insanely satisfying slice of summer disaster porn.” Chris, preach!
13. Central Intelligence (2016)
Central Intelligence isn’t particularly memorable on paper, but the dynamic duo of Johnson and Hart elevates the material (cameos from Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy also help). Johnson, who plays a fanny pack-wearing, the unicorn-loving spy opposite comedian Kevin Hart, gets the biggest chuckles.
14. Pain & Gain (2013)
Michael Bay’s dark comedy-crime film stars Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Mackie, Ken Jeong, Rebel Wilson, Rob Corddry, and Tony Shalhoub at their best. And it’s their performances and chemistry that elevate Pain & Gain above the over-the-top violence and criticism surrounding the film’s depiction of a genuine incident.
15. The Game Plan (2007)
Once I got beyond the absurdity of Johnson playing a quarterback (you don’t go from being a defensive lineman at the University of Miami to becoming another reality’s Tom Brady), The Game Plan was a delightful family comedy. Johnson portrays an arrogant jerk for the first time, and he does so admirably, especially when paired with the gorgeous Madison Pettis. This film also gets credit for being the only one with a lengthy Rock ballet scene.
16. Red Notice (2021)
Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot starred in Netflix’s most prominent film, bringing together three of Hollywood’s most prominent actors (and Fast & Furious alums). Johnson plays FBI profiler John Hartley, who works up with Reynolds’ wisecracking criminal to pursue Gadot’s skilled art thief, reuniting with regular colleague Rawson Marshall Thurber (Skyscraper, Central Intelligence).
At points, Red Notice is light, disposable entertainment. Still, the continual back-and-forth between Johnson and Reynolds becomes tiresome, mainly after they performed the same repetitive act in 2019’s Hobbs & Shaw. “A brilliant action comedy too slapstick-silly to take seriously,” says EW critic Leah Greenblatt in her review. However, kudos to the Vin Diesel-Cats joke. The beef endures!
17. Skyscraper (2018)
Johnson attempts to recreate his own Die Hard with this film, which appears to have been designed mainly to be a major smash in China (where Skyscraper is set). The latter came true, but not the former. The suspense is there, and Johnson does an excellent job, but he misses the intriguing antagonist that Bruce Willis had in Alan Rickman – no offense to the skyscraper.
19. Get Smart (2008)
While the cinematic adaptation of the 1960s TV series falls short of its potential, Johnson, Steve Carell, and Anne Hathaway are entertaining enough to keep you watching.
20. Rampage (2018)
I won’t go as far as Johnson and declare that Rampage broke the “dreaded video game curse,” but it is far superior to Doom (precisely 16 spots better). While Johnson is usually the primary attraction, the 30-foot-tall gorilla George and Jeffrey Dean Morgan eating scenery and oozing arrogance are the actual draws here.
21. The Mummy Returns (2002)
Johnson’s character’s existence lingers over the Mummy sequel. Still, he’s not onscreen much, which is OK because Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz remain an excellent combo — even if Returns falls short of its predecessor. Nonetheless, it’s far superior to Tom Cruise’s 2017 film, which is why my hashtag is #BrendanFraserIsMyMummy.
22. Gridiron Gang (2006)
Despite being a huge sports fan, I don’t usually appreciate sports movies because they always tell the same plot and are often one big cliché. While Gridiron Gang isn’t immune, the detention center setting and Johnson’s realistic performance elevate it above many of its rivals. Keep yourself updated with all the latest news from our website Newswatchlist.com and get all the recent updates.
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