From professional wrestler to action film star to comedic actor, Dwayne Johnson, better known as ‘The Rock’, has had a fantastic acting career. His name on the movie title is enough to draw in millions of viewers. His natural charisma and impressive physique has earned him roles in many blockbusters over the last two decades, but some of his roles have performed better at the box office than others. To celebrate his best and most successful roles, this article will discuss the best (and worst) Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Movies.
The Rock’s Most Popular Movies
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
This action-comedy was the most successful film of Johnson’s career in terms of box office figures, earning an impressive $962 million at the worldwide box office. It was the second instalment of the Jumanji series and Johnson portrayed the role of Dr. Bravestone in the film. He starred alongside Jack Black and Kevin Hart in the movie, and the trio’s chemistry is what made it a special movie.
- Fast & Furious franchise (2009-present)
The Fast & Furious franchise stars Johnson as Luke Hobbs, a law enforcement agent who sometimes manages to outsmart criminals in his assignment. Johnson joined the ninth instalment of the franchise in Furious 7. The movie was a success and continued to draw in massive numbers of viewers after Johnson joined the cast.
- Moana (2016)
Although Moana is an animated movie, Johnson still plays a significant role in the movie. He voiced the role of the polynesian demigod Maui and gained immense praise for his performance. The movie is about a girl on an epic journey with a demigod and features an original soundtrack with music from Johnson and others. It earned over $600 million at the box office and stands as Johnson’s most acclaimed film of his career.
The Rock’s Controversial Movies
- Baywatch (2017)
One of Johnson’s most controversial movie roles was in the 2017 movie Baywatch. The movie follows the dysfunctional team of lifeguards in their mission to save the beach. Critics panned the movie for focusing too much on comedy rather than on the action sequences for which Johnson is renowned.
- Baywatch remake (2017)
The Baywatch remake stars Johnson as the same character from the original series, Mitch Buchannon. It was widely panned by critics, who cited the excessive focus on comedy as the primary reason the movie failed to make its mark.
- Race to Witch Mountain (2009)
This Johnson starred in this movie based on the other movies of the franchise, Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain. The movie was widely criticised for its poor plot and weak performance. To Johnson’s credit, he did his best with a role that ultimately failed to impress critics.
The Rock’s Still Popular Movies
- Skyscraper (2018)
The Rock starred in this movie as a man tasked with rescuing his family from a burning building. Despite a lack of critical success, the film performed reasonably well at the box office, earning $297.9 million at the global box office.
- Rampage (2018)
Rampage was one of Johnson’s most anticipated movie of 2018, and it managed to deliver on the hype. Despite its obnoxiously loud, quality dialogue and subpar special effects, Johnson still helped it earn $428.7 million at the box office.
- Central Intelligence (2016)
This movie is yet another example of a relatively weak script that was saved by Johnson’s natural charisma and humour. He starred alongside Kevin Hart in the movie and the two actors stole the show. It earned $217.2 million at the box office.
The Rock’s Least Successful Movies
- Tooth Fairy (2010)
This movie was the weakest of Johnson’s career. He plays a minor league hockey player who is sentenced to a stint as a tooth fairy. Despite its box office success, the critics and fans panned the movie.
- The Game Plan (2007)
The Game Plan is an example of a movie whose popularity and box office success doesn’t adequately reflect its actual quality. Johnson played the role of a single father and the movie lacked the humour that made many of his subsequent roles successful.
- Be Cool (2005)
Be Cool was Johnson’s first major role in a comedy, and it was not well-received by audiences. The movie earned $95.3 million at the box office, making it his least successful film in terms of box office figures.
Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson has had many great successes over his career, but he has also had some failures. Among his most successful movies are Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Fast and Furious, Moana, Skyscraper, Rampage, and Central Intelligence. Unfortunately, he has also starred in some movies that have not been met with the same levels of success, such as Tooth Fairy, The Game Plan, and Be Cool. Despite not every movie being a hit, Johnson continues to be one of the highest grossing actors in Hollywood, and he is still going strong.
