Hollywood’s ‘The Rock’ has certainly made a place for himself in the industry. He had a rocky start back in 2001 with ‘The Mummy Returns‘, and now, nearly 20 years later, the actor has appeared in over 40 films. Dwayne Johnson is now one of the highest-paid actors in the world. His films’ box-office success has made him a bonafide star. His action-hero status turned also helps studios to count on him to launch or revamp franchises.
Johnson certainly has come a long way. Apart from the movie business, he has founded his own luxury Tequila company Teremana and co-founded a production house named Seven Bucks Productions. He also owns an exercise clothing line, and even launched ‘The Rock’ earbuds in collaboration with Under Armour. No wonder the man is a rockstar. Let’s take a look at his top 10 best works of all time in cinema.
Read More: Kevin Hart Slaps Dwayne Johnson Twice And Laughs Whole-Heartedly During Tortilla Challenge
10. Pain and Gain
Loosely based on a true story, ‘Pain & Gain’ is a dark comedic tale of stupidity and the American dream. When three bodybuilders from Sun Gym decide they deserve what the rich and powerful guys have, they plan to get it by any means they deem necessary. Directed by Michael Bay, the film is absolutely over the top in so many ways but delivers some laughs along the way.
The film’s layout and style are similar to ‘Baywatch‘ but give much more to work with. Starring Mark Wahlberg alongside the star of the hour, the duo made an unexpected on-screen chemistry work for fans.
IMDb rating – 6.4/10
9. Jumanji: Welcome to the jungle
‘Jumanji‘ came back to enthral audiences after many years, all thanks to our leading man. What was once a dark tale of family issues and tragedy, was made into a universe that catered to a new generation of kids who spend arguably too much time playing video games. Similar to the original plot, a group of kids are sucked into a video game with only one way out. that is to finish the game. Provided with three lives this time, our characters have a lot more freedom to be wacky and careless with each other. This is what makes the movie great.
Johnson plays Dr. Xander Bravestone, a muscly and charming archaeologist who literally uses a special power called ‘smoulder’ against his enemies. This is a hilarious way for the actor to portray himself in a film as the big, buff, charming man.
IMDb rating – 6.9/10
8. Faster
The movie ‘Faster’ is a 2010 American action thriller film. Directed by George Tillman Jr. with Dwayne Johnson as a criminal seeking vengeance and and Billy Bob Thornton as a corrupt cop who pursues him.
The plot follows Johnson’s character. After serving time in prison, he’s ready to avenge his brother by going after the murderer. As he blazes through a trail of violence and vengeance, he is pursued by two police officers and an assassin.
IMDb rating – 6.4/10
7. Race to Witch Mountain
The 2009 American science fiction movie ‘Race to Witch Mountain’ is an adventure thriller film directed by Andy Fickman. It stars Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, alongside AnnaSophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, Ciarán Hinds, and Carla Gugino. The film is a remake of the 1975 Disney live-action film ‘Escape to Witch Mountain,’ which is based on the 1968 novel of the same name by Alexander Key.
Jack, a taxi driver, finds himself helping two aliens who appear to look like human children. The kids claim that they’re trying to save Earth and themselves from Siphon, a dangerous killer from outer space.
IMDb rating – 5.7/10
6. G.I Joe: Retaliation
It is a 2013 American military science fiction action film based on Hasbro’s ‘G.I. Joe‘ toy, comic, and media franchise. It is directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The second film in the ‘G.I. Joe‘ film series, follows 2009’s ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra‘. In ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ the Joes are declared traitors by Zartan. The Cobra Commander now has all the world leaders under his control. With nowhere to go, the remaining Joes turn to their original leader, General Colton.
IMDb rating of 5.7/10
5. San Andreas
Director Brad Peyton and Dwayne Johnson paired up once again for the action film ‘San Andreas’. It follows LAFD search and rescue helicopter pilot Raymond Gaines (Johnson) through Los Angeles and San Francisco as he tries to navigate the destruction caused by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake. His main mission is to bring his estranged wife Emma (Carla Gugino) and daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario) to safety.
‘San Andreas‘ became one of Warner Bros. Pictures’ biggest box office successes and one of their highest-grossing films of 2015. The success of the film led to a sequel being in the works, though nothing has come of it yet.
IMDb rating – 6/10
4. Fast Five
‘Fast Five’ follows franchise regulars Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and others as they try to steal $100 million from Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida). While planning and trying to execute the heist, U.S. Diplomatic Security Service Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) plans to take them down and arrest the team. ‘Fast Five‘ marked Johnson’s debut in the franchise.
Before Johnson joined the crew, ‘The Fast and The Furious‘ franchise was already four films strong. The first ‘Fast and The Furious‘ film made over $207 million worldwide. The three following films continued to grow the series’ box office numbers and now, it’s ready for the tenth instalment, ‘Fast X‘.
IMDb rating – 7.3/10
3. The Scorpion King
A spinoff tale stemming from ‘The Mummy‘ series, ‘The Scorpion King’ is a fun action-adventure film that expands upon the fictional universe. When an evil ruler of the city of Gomorrah vows to destroy the outlying tribes, a skilled warrior and assassin named Mathayus (Dwayne Johnson) is forced to unite them against a common threat. Mathayus is also interested because the evil leader threatens to destroy his homeland and his people.
Though the film is based on the character from ‘The Mummy Returns,’ it stands on its own and makes no attempts to piggyback on the charm of the original story. Due to this, the film delivers everything that is expected. As Johnson’s next big movie after his cameo in ‘The Mummy Returns‘, the film was instrumental in the actor’s rising career.
IMDb rating – 5.5/10
2. Journey to the Mysterious Island
All-out corny fun for the whole family, ‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’ delivers on everything you might expect from a comedic sequel. This premise takes the more popular creative writings of Jules Verne (‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’, ‘Gulliver’s Island,’ ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth,’ etc.) and combines it all to create a mish-mash of fun and excitement. The biggest highlight of the film is our guy Dwayne and a nice appearance from Michael Caine as the sassy and sarcastic grandfather.
An important thing to remember before watching this movie: it’s a family and kids action movie. That being said, there are a few young stars in this film. There are also some surprisingly entertaining visual effects in this film.
IMDb rating – 5.7/10
1. Hobbs and Shaw
‘Hobbs & Shaw‘ is the first spinoff series from ‘The Fast and The Furious‘ franchise. It follows Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham as they reprise their roles of Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, respectively. In ‘Hobbs & Shaw’, the titular badasses become an unlikely and unwilling duo when they must team up to stop a genetically modified terrorist, Brixton Lore (Idris Elba). Helen Mirren, Eiza Gonzalez, Vanessa Kirby, and Cliff Curtis also star in the film.
‘The Fast and Furious‘ franchise had already proved its mettle with a massive box office collection by the time Universal Pictures released ‘Hobbs & Shaw.’ But all the action fans were definitely just as excited to watch Johnson and Statham team up in this stand-alone offshoot.
Read More: Dwayne Johnson ‘THE ROCK’ Surprises His Cousin Tamina With A Brand New House And Car
Read More: Why Dwayne Johnson Severed Ties With His YouTuber Friend Logan Paul
