Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s rise to Hollywood superstardom is a story of hard work, persistence and luck. After leaving WWE in the early 2000s to become a full-time actor, Johnson initially gravitated toward mid-budget action films (The Scorpion King, High Walk, Doom) and family comedies (The Game Plan and The Tooth Fairy). It wasn’t until the success of 2011’s Fast Five that Johnson’s career shifted toward blockbusters and adventure comedies.
Now The Rock is a movie star of the first magnitude, capable of directing almost any film based on his name alone. His career spans over 20 years, and during that time Johnson has given some memorable performances. Here are five of Roka’s best films.
Summary
In the early 2000s, The Rock began delving into Hollywood while also wrestling in WWE. Johnson’s second major role came in 2003’s The Rundown, and 20 years later it remains one of his best roles. Johnson plays Beck, a hard-nosed bounty hunter sent to collect debts for his loan shark boss Billy Walker (William Lucking). Seeking to give up bounty hunting and pursue a career as a chef, Beck is given one last mission: retrieving Billy’s treasure hunter son Travis (Sean William Scott) from a mining town in Brazil.
Upon arrival, Beck meets the town’s leader, Cornelius Bernard Hatcher (Christopher Walken), who doesn’t take kindly to outsiders. Odd couple Beck and Travis must work together to escape Brazil before Hatcher tracks them down. The lasting memory of Rundown is the innate chemistry between Johnson and Scott, which makes you wonder why a sequel never happened.
Look beyond Peacock
Fast Five
Since 2011, Johnson has played DSS agent Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious franchise. This list will include only one film from the “Fast Saga”. Otherwise, several Fast films would have taken at least three spots. Accordingly, Johnson’s first appearance in The Fast and the Furious remains the best Fast and Furious film.
After escaping from US custody, Dom Torretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) and Mia Torretto (Jordana Brewster) flee to Rio de Janeiro. Desperate for money and a new life, the trio assembles a team to steal $100 million from Brazilian drug lord Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida). However, Hobbs (Johnson) is hot on their heels, intending to bring Torretto to justice for his crimes. For the first time in the franchise, Dom had a worthy adversary in Hobbs, and their brutal fight remains one of the most talked about scenes in the series.
Look beyond Netflix or Peacock
Gridiron Gang
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Johnson played football for four years at the University of Miami. While his NFL dreams materialized, Johnson brought some of his old football magic back, this time as a coach, to the Gridiron Gang. Sean Porter (Johnson), a counselor at a detention center for teenage boys, decides to start a football program to instill a sense of faith, dedication and victory in their lives.
The team struggles at first due to their lack of experience and inability to work together. However, the boys gradually trust Porter’s disciplinary mindset and coaching strategy while learning to play as a team player. While the action on the field can be entertaining, it’s the relationships and character interactions off the field that elevate the material from a run-of-the-mill sports movie into a gripping drama.
Look beyond Netflix
Informers
In 2013, Johnson was a rising action hero on the cusp of bona fide superstardom. At the time, Johnson was still starring in mid-budget action films such as Snitch. In one of his best dramatic performances, Johnson plays John Matthews, a construction company owner whose life is upended when his son Jason (Rafi Gavron) is unexpectedly arrested for drug possession and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Using his connections, John makes a deal with US Attorney Joan Keegan (Susan Sarandon) to go undercover and report on the drug operation in exchange for a reduced sentence for Jason. A covert operation goes awry when John becomes involved with a Mexican cartel, forcing him to risk his life to complete the mission. With a modest budget of $25 million, Snitch somehow assembled a cast that includes Johnson, Barry Pepper, Benjamin Bratt, Harold Perrineau, Jon Bernthal, Michael Kenneth Williams, Melina Kanakaredes, David Harbor and Susan Sarandon.
Look beyond Netflix or Max
San Andreas
After spending nearly 20 years battling some of the best in the ring, The Rock faced his toughest challenge yet – Mother Nature – in San Andreas. After the San Andreas Fault shifts, the largest earthquake in history wreaks havoc on Californians. Ray Gaines (Johnson), a Los Angeles rescue helicopter pilot, leaps into action to save his ex-wife Emma (Carla Gugino) from a collapsing skyscraper.
Blake (Alexandra Daddario), daughter of Ray and Emma, was stranded in San Francisco when the earthquake struck but survived the destruction. Knowing that the fault will shift again and cause more earthquakes, Ray and Emma fly to San Francisco to save their daughter. However, trying to escape the devastation caused by the earthquake will push the couple to their limits.
Buy/rent at Amazon or Apple