Dwayne Johnson is one of our most ironic movie stars, if you think about it. He’s absolutely charming, totally beloved, and yet he’s never really starred in a “great” movie. He’s been part of great movies, but his star vehicles – i.e. the ones that he carries entirely on his muscular shoulders – are usually mixed bags that coast on his sly sense of humor and winsome personality. Everybody loves him, but everybody doesn’t necessarily love seeing all of his movies. Again… pretty ironic.
But he’s just so damned popular for so many other reasons that we keeping giving Dwayne Johnson more chances to win us over in the theaters, and to finally star in that one great movie we all know deep down in our hearts that he totally has in him. Maybe it will be this year’s buddy comedy Central Intelligence (…maybe…) or maybe it will be next year’s Baywatch reboot, or that upcoming adaptation of the nostalgia video game Rampage.
Also: The 10 (or 12) Best Prequels Ever
Until that fateful film finds us, let’s take stock of the best Dwayne Johnson movies we’ve had so far, and acknowledge that while they’re not all that great, they’re films that we do like watching. And in most cases, it’s all because of him.
The Seven Best Films of Dwayne Johnson
Top Photo: 20th Century Fox
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved, Rapid Reviews and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
Dwayne Johnson's Seven Best Movies
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6. The Scorpion King
Dwayne Johnson's first starring role was in this fantasy adventure, which is relatively low on budget but big on charm. Johnson winks his way through The Scorpion King, which proved that his star power could elevate otherwise mediocre material.
Photo: Universal Pictures
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5. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
The cast of the first G.I. Joe movie bites the dust and Dwayne Johnson picks up their slack in this messy sequel, which boasts kick-ass action but a problematic plot. The epic ninja mountain fight is the best part of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, but Johnson's performance as the heroic Roadblock is a close second.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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4. The Rundown
Dwayne Johnson's second starring role was a throwback to the macho action movies of the 1980s, about a bounty hunter who winds up getting involved in a deadly conflict in Brazil. Peter Berg's direction is grungy and exciting, Christopher Walken is a memorable villain, and once again Dwayne Johnson carries the whole film with ease.
Photo: Universal Pictures
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3. Pain & Gain
Michael Bay took a break from destroying robots to tell this Coen Bros-esque story about hapless weightlifters who get in over their heads with an ill-fated kidnapping scheme. The movie is a cacophony of wild imagery and oddball humor, and Dwayne Johnson steals it outright as a seemingly nice guy who decides that he's willing to do some terrible things.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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2. Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6 (Tie)
If Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6 were "Dwayne Johnson movies," they would be his best. As it stands he's only a part of a larger ensemble here, but he's absolutely vital to making these beloved action extravaganzas work: his sharp intelligence and imposing stature make for a formidable opponent, and later ally, for the rest of the Fast & Furious heroes.
Photo: Universal Pictures
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1. Hercules
Dwayne Johnson took another stab at the fantasy genre in this mostly clever, totally underrated Hercules reboot. Johnson plays a different version of the classic character than you're used to: his legends have been greatly exaggerated, and uses his wits and a likable supporting cast of mercenaries to perform impossible tasks. The ending doesn't entirely work, but it doesn't ruin an otherwise rousing adventure that - for better or worse - is the best starring vehicle Dwayne Johnson has had so far.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
