A lot can happen in the space of two decades. For example, someone could conceivably go from the most electrifying man in sports entertainment to a tooth fairy before eventually ending up as one of the most marketable performers in the world. Considering he made his Hollywood debut in a movie that saw the actor share his screentime with a CGI monstrosity called the Scorpion King, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has certainly done well for himself.
A throwback to classic action heroes from the ’80s, Johnson has the charisma and muscles to bring the crowds to theatres. The actor has become a mainstay of modern summer blockbusters, movies that might not win any Oscars but tend to make bank at the box office. On February 16, 2021, Young Rock will debut on NBC; in celebration of the sitcom’s release, here are Dwayne Johnson’s highest-rated movies on Metacritic.
10 Jumanji: The Next Level (58%)
Jumanji: The Next Level attempts to answer a question that has been plaguing people since the dawn of the century: What would happen if Danny DeVito and The Rock were to switch bodies? While the film does not answer that exact question, it has a blast exploring its possibilities.
Similar to its predecessor, The Next Level follows a group of students (and two older gentlemen) as they are sucked into the world of the Jumanji game. A lighthearted blockbuster with plenty of memorable action sequences and funny moments, Jumanji: The Next Level is an enjoyable way to spend two hours.
9 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (58%)
The thought of a Jumanji sequel coming out without the involvement of Robin Williams might have left many people skeptical, but Welcome to the Jungle proved plenty of doubters wrong. Cast against type, Johnson’s turn as a scrawny teenager portraying an over-the-top adventure hero produces plenty of hilarious moments.
By this point in his career, Johnson’s brand of endlessly endearing one-liners, charming goofiness, and larger-than-life heroics had been well established. While Welcome to the Jungle does play around with expectations, it ultimately still adheres to the actor’s strengths.
8 The Rundown (59%)
An argument could be made that The Rundown is the most important film in The Rock’s catalog, as it served as an early showcase of the actor’s potential as a bankable action movie star. Projects like The Mummy Returns and Doom didn’t do much to elevate Johnson’s stock, but The Rundown genuinely worked as an odd couple road trip movie.
Seann William Scott and Dwayne Johnson bounce off each other extremely well, with the former delivering most of the laughs and the latter handling the more explosive moments.
7 Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (60%)
The first of many Fast & Furious projects featured in this countdown, Hobbs & Shaw is a spin-off focusing on Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham’s characters. Even in a franchise that has no qualms with embracing the ludicrous and cartoonish, Hobbs & Shaw is extraordinarily bombastic, almost to a fault.
Together, Johnson and Statham produce enough electricity to light up the western hemisphere, but Hobbs & Shaw seldom pauses to give the actors a chance to catch their breath and just banter. While sporadically entertaining, this film is also exhausting.
6 Fast & Furious 6 (61%)
Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs was such a hit in Fast Five, the sequel simply had to bring him back into the fold. Fast & Furious 6 boils down to a collection of insane stunts, tepid speeches about family, and somewhat endearing humor. While not likely to change anyone’s life, this 2013 film more than delivers in the type of entertainment expected of it.
Vin Diesel’s Dom might still be the center of attention, but Hobbs works well as something of a secondary protagonist.
5 The Other Guys (64%)
A parody of buddy cop movies, The Other Guys fittingly cast Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson as the ultimate action heroes. Known for saving the day and leaving chaos in their wake, Detectives Highsmith and Danson are walking cliches of the Last Action Hero variety.
While Highsmith and Danson do not last too long in the film, they still manage to leave quite an impression, even if it is mostly on a road’s pavement. While The Rock had a few blockbusters under his belt, The Other Guys actually came out before he had truly cemented himself as this generation’s default action star.
4 Fast Five (66%)
Dwayne Johnson’s Hollywood career can be divided into two: pre and post-Fast Five. Released in 2011, Fast Five introduced Johnson’s Luke Hobbs, an agent looking to put Dominic Toretto behind bars. In the franchise’s universe, Hobbs proves to be a great foil for Dom, a person who can match the protagonist in terms of dedication and power; on-screen, Johnson very much feels like Vin Diesel’s equal.
For Fast Five, the franchise ditches any pretense of realism and just becomes a full-blown cartoon; in fact, there is even Wonder Woman in it.
3 Furious 7 (67%)
Released following the untimely passing of Paul Walker, Furious 7‘s unfiltered insanity is underpinned by an emotional core that is fully exposed during the film’s final moments. This time, Jason Statham’s Shaw serves as the villain, and he shares one of the best scenes in the movie with Johnson’s Hobbs.
Hobbs spends large stretches of the story on the sidelines, although he does manage to flex his way back into the narrative by the time the third act rolls around.
2 Fighting with My Family (68%)
Portraying himself in a biopic about Saraya-Jade “Paige” Bevis, a WWE wrestler who grew up in a wrestling family, The Rock’s time on screen is quite brief as he only appears in a handful of short scenes. Ultimately, this makes sense as Fighting with My Family is not Dwayne Johnson’s story; however, his involvement certainly helped bring this project to life.
Fighting with My Family is a must-watch for anyone remotely interested in WWE or wrestling, while those looking for a well-acted sports drama can certainly do much worse than this film.
1 Moana (81%)
In 2016, Dwayne Johnson appeared as the demigod Maui in Moana, a role he was seemingly born to portray. Maui is not a conventional Disney character as he cannot be readily categorized as a hero or villain, making him one of the more complex personas in mainstream western animation.
The Rock delivers a charming and nuanced performance as the demigod, proving himself to be quite capable as a voice actor. The use of animation also allows Johnson to more effortlessly lose himself in the role than in some of his live-action productions.
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