Dwayne Johnson Movies
If you can smell what the Rock is cookin' then you're no doubt familiar with superstar wrestler Dwayne Johnson's swaggeringly cocky alter ego. With his trademark right eyebrow raised and a penchant for implementing the patented "People's Elbow" to unwary opponents, the self-proclaimed "Most Electrifying Man in Sports-Entertainment" slammed, crashed, and crushed his way to becoming the youngest Intercontinental Champion in WWF history at the age of 24 before winning the WWF title record six times. After conquering the world of sports-entertainment, Johnson next set his sights on conquering Hollywood.Born May 2, 1972 in Miami, FL, Johnson became a third-generation wrestler after shifting from a career in professional football to professional wrestling when an injury sidelined his gridiron aspirations. After flexing his acting muscles on television in Saturday Night Live, That '70s Show (in which he played his own father), and The Net, the Rock made his feature debut with his role as the dreaded Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2001). Returning as the same character the following year in the appropriately titled The Scorpion King, Johnson did little to enhance his reputation of a trained thespian, though he did get the summer film season off to a rousing start for audiences hungering for some energetic escapist fun. Recalling John Milius' 1982 hit Conan the Barbarian (another film that launched the cinematic action career of a then-little-known athlete named Arnold Schwarzenegger), the sword-and-sandal adventure raked in 36 million dollars on its opening weekend and stayed at the top of the box office in the weeks following its impressive debut.
Though he would return to the ring for the remainder of 2002, it didn't take The Rock long to soften on the prospect of a return to the silver screen -- and with the following year's The Rundown, he did just that. Cast as a bounty hunter who is sent to Brazil to retrieve the son of a well-known mob boss (American Pie's Seann William Scott), the film provided The Rock with the sort of opportunity to display his comic flair -- a notable talent that was mostly neglected in the special-effects-laden Scorpion King. By this point, his screen career had earned the wrestler-turned-actor a notable fan base that reached well beyond the WWE universe, and in 2004 he took the law into his own hands with the feature remake (in name and general concept only) Walking Tall. Based on the exploits of hard-case Southern sheriff Buford Pusser (played by Joe Don Baker in the original 1973 version) -- the film found The Rock cast as an honest, retired soldier who -- upon return to his small, rural Washington State hometown -- discovers his former high-school rival Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough) has corrupted the once-prosperous town by introducing drugs and gambling and effectively shutting down the formerly successful lumber mill. Anyone who saw the original (and even those who didn't) could no doubt tell what follows -- and if there ever was a man to lay the smack down on the criminal element, few could doubt that The Rock would be up for the task.
With his role as a gay bodyguard in the 2005 Get Shorty sequel, Be Cool, The Rock showed once and for all that he wasn't above poking a little fun at his tough-guy persona, and though he would return to the action genre with the sci-fi video-game adaptation Doom, the next year found the increasingly prolific entertainer cast in the complex role of a sporadically amnesiac actor who begins to have trouble separating reality from fantasy in Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly's apocalyptic sophomore effort, Southland Tales. Later that same year, The Rock turned his attention toward the sport of football to tell the inspirational true story of a detention-camp probation officer who teaches his troubled young charges the meaning of self-respect and social responsibility in Gridiron Gang -- a feature adaptation of the Emmy-winning 1993 documentary of the same name.
He would appear in Get Smart and Race to Witch Mountain the following year, followed by Why Did I Get Married Too? in 2010 -- all films that grounded the actor in relatable, humorous roles. Never one to shy away from his roots, however, The Rock was back to action fare soon enough, signing on for G.I. Joe: Retaliation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2014
Dwayne Johnson stars as the son of Zeus in this Brett Ratner-directed adaptation of Steve Moore's Radical Comics graphic novel. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dwayne Johnson
- 2013
- PG13
- Add G.I. Joe: Retaliation to Queue
The Joes reteam to prevent Cobra from achieving total world domination in this sequel that picks up shortly after the events of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. The Nanomite threat has been neutralized, and the U.S. government has imprisoned Cobra Commander and Destro in an inescapable subterranean prison. When the leader of Pakistan is assassinated, the U.S. president (Jonathan Pryce) calls on the Joes to secure Pakistan's nuclear warheads before they fall into enemy hands. In the wake of successfully completing their mission, however, the Joes are decimated in a devastating surprise attack. When the smoke clears, Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), and Flint (D.J. Cotrona) are the sole survivors. They're convinced that something is amiss in the White House, and as Lady Jaye theorizes that an imposter is pretending to be the commander in chief, bad guys Storm Shadow (Lee Byung-hun) and Firefly (Ray Stevenson) team up to break Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey) out of prison. Later, as Storm Shadow retreats into the mountains to recover from burns incurred in the extraction, Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Jinx (Elodie Young) manage to capture the elusive white ninja, in the process discovering a shocking secret about his past and learning that Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), posing as the president, has called an international summit to discuss nuclear disarmament in order to bring the leaders of the world to their knees before the diabolical Cobra Commander. Now, as Cobra holds the entire globe hostage with a revolutionary new weapon placed on satellites orbiting the planet, it's up to the Joes and a trustworthy old friend to save the day. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, (more)
- 2013
- PG13
- Add Snitch to Queue
A desperate father infiltrates a powerful drug cartel in order to save his son from a 10-year prison sentence in this crime drama based on actual events. Arrested on charges of drug distribution after he's caught with a package of Ecstasy, 18-year-old Jason Collins (Rafi Gavron) faces a mandatory ten-year sentence in a federal prison. But Jason's father John (Dwayne Johnson) knows that his son is no drug dealer, and vows to do whatever it takes to win back his freedom. When Jason refuses an offer to reduce his sentence by setting someone up to take a big fall, John pleads with U.S. Attorney Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon) to let him go undercover, and gather enough evidence to convict the real power players. With the help of ex-con-turned-family man Daniel (Jon Bernthal), John is hot on the trail of Malik (Michael Kenneth Williams), a vicious drug dealer and the leader of a notorious street gang. Meanwhile, in his efforts to free his son, John may have inadvertently put Daniel's family in jeopardy. Later, when the growing trail of clues leads John to ruthless cartel leader Juan Carlos "El Topo" Pintera (Benjamin Bratt), the loyal father vows not to let his fate be dictated by the ambitious powers that be on either side of the law. Barry Pepper also stars. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2012
- PG
- Add Journey 2: The Mysterious Island to Queue Add Journey 2: The Mysterious Island to top of Queue
Intrepid young explorer Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) traces a mysterious distress signal to a remote island that isn't on any map, and he embarks on a daring rescue mission while encountering a vast array of mythological creatures in this follow-up to 2008's Journey to the Center of the Earth. Joined by his new stepfather (Dwayne Johnson), an adventure-seeking helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman), and the pilot's headstrong daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), Sean navigates the crumbling stone corridors of Atlantis and comes face-to-face with bizarre life-forms while on a mission to track down his long-missing grandfather (Michael Caine). Later, as seismic shock waves threaten mass destruction, the group must race to escape the otherworldly paradise before the ocean swallows it up. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, (more)
Director Justin Lin (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious) returns to the helm for this adrenaline-charged sequel reuniting series stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker for their biggest thrill ride yet. With the police in hot pursuit and wanted fugitive Dom (Diesel) in tow, Brian (Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) make their way to Rio, and realize they've run out of luck. In order to earn their freedom, they'll have to pull off their biggest job yet. After assembling a crack team of the top racers in Brazil, the gang prepares to confront the crooked businessman who seeks to silence them forever. Meanwhile, unstoppable federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) has assembled his own team, an intimidating group of top cops whose sole mission is to capture Dom, Brian, and Mia by whatever means possible. But as the race heats up, Hobbs loses his ability to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Now, in order to prevent the lawless trio from being turned into roadkill before he can arrest them, Luke puts his pedal to the metal, and begins to rely more on his killer instinct than his police training. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, (more)
20th Century Fox presents this family comedy following a star hockey player's (Dwayne Johnson) temporary transformation into a full-fledged tooth fairy as penalty for discouraging a young fan. Director Michael Lembeck (The Santa Clause 2 and 3) helms the family comedy, based on a screenplay by veteran comedic writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, with additional writing provided by Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia. Ashley Judd and Julie Andrews co-star in the Blumhouse and Mayhem Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd, (more)
A desk-jockey detective and his tough-talking partner get their moment to shine in this buddy police comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby). New York City detective Allen Gamble (Ferrell) is more comfortable pushing pencils than busting bad guys. A meticulous forensic accountant, his numbers are never off. Detective Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) is Gamble's reluctant partner. Try as Detective Hoitz might to get back on the streets, an embarrassing encounter with Derek Jeter has left a sizable black mark on his permanent record. Detectives Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) are the complete opposites of Gamble and Hoitz: unwaveringly confident, they always get their man, and they do it with style to spare. When the time comes for Gamble and Hoitz to prove their mettle and save the day, their incompetence becomes the stuff of legend. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, (more)
An ex-convict seeks revenge for his brother's death in this action-packed revenge thriller starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Ten years ago, Driver (Johnson) was part of a bank heist gone horribly awry. In the chaos of the botched robbery, his brother wound up dead. Now Driver is a free man, and he's determined to punish the men who killed his late sibling. But settling the score won't be easy, because despite being just a few days shy of retirement, a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) isn't about to let a massacre take place on his watch, and a hotshot hitman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) has Driver locked in his sights. Unfortunately for Driver, the closer he gets to his targets, the more he puts himself at risk. Later, just as Driver starts to think he's gotten everyone on his list, he discovers that one name seems to be missing. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, (more)
After the critical success of Street Fight, which documented upstart Cory Booker's hard-fought effort to unseat embattled Newark mayor Sharpe James, filmmaker Marshall Curry switches gears with Racing Dreams, a look at three adolescents who race in the World Karting Association. With racers driving karts that reach up to 70 mph, the World Karting Association has come to be seen as a sort of unofficial minor leagues for NASCAR, and Annabeth Barnes, Josh Hobson, and Brandon Warren -- all between 11 and 13 years old, are promising young stars of the circuit. Curry's film explores the dynamics of kart racing, and takes an intimate look at all three kids and the individual challenges they face. Hobson, who idolizes Jeff Gordon, is the slickest of the three. He does well in school, and practices his interview skills along with his driving. The brash Warren struggles to control his temper, which has gotten him into trouble on the track, while Barnes finds herself missing out on the ordinary pleasures of childhood, and wonders whether or not she's ready to commit her life to racing. Curry also shows how economic and gender issues impact the kids' ability to compete in the expensive sport. While Warren comes from a disadvantaged background and depends on finding a sponsor to be able to fulfill his dreams, Barnes is fortunate enough to be a top female competitor at a time when NASCAR is actively trying to promote diversity in its ranks. Racing Dreams had its world premiere at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, where it won Best Documentary Feature, and placed second for the Audience Award. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
An American astronaut believing himself to be the first person ever to set foot on Planet 51 gets the shock of his life in this animated adventure comedy featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, John Cleese, and Gary Oldman. Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker (voice of Johnson) was on a mission to boldly go where no man had gone before, a remote celestial body dubbed Planet 51. The scientific community had surmised that Planet 51 was uninhabited, so when Captain Baker steps out of his spacecraft to discover a race of tiny green people living in quaint communities reminiscent of 1950s America, he can't quite believe his eyes. Unfortunately, the tiny extraterrestrials suffer from a universal fear that their utopian community will one day be overrun by alien invaders...just like the extra-large astronaut who now stands before them. As General Grawl (voice of Gary Oldman) and Professor Kipple (voice of John Cleese) attempt to capture the peaceful visitor so they can dissect him and learn more about his anatomy, Captain Baker must count on his robot companion, "Rover," and his new friend, Lem, in order to navigate this strange new world and find a way back home before it's too late. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, (more)
Walt Disney Pictures resurrects one of their time-honored franchises with Race to Witch Mountain, a family-oriented sci-fi adventure that tells the story of two alien visitors (AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig) whose search for their spacecraft gets them caught up in an adventure with a cab driver (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) and a UFO specialist (Carla Gugino). As the group races toward the mysterious mountain in the Nevada desert that has mystified scientists and paranormal researchers for years, the government, gangsters, and an extraterrestrial bounty hunter attempt to prevent them from reaching their intended destination. Should the two planetary travelers fail in recovering their ship, an alien invasion will be launched against the entire planet. The original 1975 picture Escape to Witch Mountain was followed by the sequel Return From Witch Mountain, as well as a 1995 made-for-TV remake. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dwayne Johnson, AnnaSophia Robb, (more)
40-Year-Old Virgin star Steve Carell steps into the telephonic shoes of television's most beloved bumbling detective in this big-screen adaptation of the hit 1960s-era comedy series created by Mel Brooks. The evil geniuses at KAOS have hatched a diabolical plot to dominate every living man, woman, and child on the planet, and their plot gets under way as they attack the headquarters of the U.S. spy agency Control. As a result of the attack, the identity of every agent working for Control has been compromised. Realizing that the only way to thwart KAOS' evil plan is to promote eager but inexperienced Control analyst Maxwell Smart (Carell) to the rank of special agent, the Chief (Alan Arkin) reluctantly teams Smart with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) -- a veteran super-spy whose beauty is only surpassed by her lethality. With no real field experience to speak of and nothing but sheer enthusiasm and a handful of fancy spy gadgets to help him accomplish his deadly mission, Maxwell Smart his new partner, Agent 99, will be forced to faces malevolent KAOS head Siegfried (Terence Stamp) and his loyal army of minions in a decisive fight that will determine the fate of the free world. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, David Koechner, Terry Crews, and Ken Davitian co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, (more)
Touched by the plight of an aspiring Iraqi filmmaker whose dreams of working in Hollywood seemed to fall with Baghdad, American filmmaker Liev Schreiber invites the ambitious wannabe director to intern on Everything Is Illuminated, to unexpected results. In 2004, just one year after the United States launched a devastating attack on Baghdad, MTV ran a story about a 25-year-old Iraqi film student named Muthana Mohmed, who remained determined not to let the strife that consumed his country consume his dreams as well. At the time, American actor Schreiber was preparing to make his directorial debut with the film Everything Is Illuminated. After seeing the documentary on television, Schreiber was consumed by guilt for having so many amazing opportunities in the film industry and determined to give Mohmed the chance of a lifetime by inviting him to join the production of Everything Is Illuminated in the Czech Republic. Common wisdom dictates that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions," however, and as Mohmed attempted to balance the complications of living away from home for the first time with the cultural issues that arise while working with an all-American film crew, the situation quickly began to deteriorate. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Muthana Mohmed, Nina Davenport, (more)
California is at the epicenter of a political and environmental disaster that threatens to destroy the world in this ambitious fusion of comedy, drama, dystopian science fiction, and music from writer and director Richard Kelly, his first film after gaining a cult following with Donnie Darko. In the year 2005, a nuclear attack wipes out part of the state of Texas, and three years later America is a virtual police state, with the government taking control of nearly every part of people's lives, supposedly for their own good. A German firm has found a way to generate energy using seawater, but both public and private concerns are desperate to prevent the new technology from being introduced in the gasoline-starved United States. A Marxist underground based on the West Coast is determined to bring down the federal government through violent revolution.
In this midst of this chaos, we follow a number of stories that continually return to three principle characters. Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock) is an actor famous for his role in action films; he's trying to secure financing for a new project, but reality keeps mirroring the events in his script and he struggles to hold on to his identity following a bout with amnesia. Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is a porn star who is reinventing herself as a television pundit offering her views on politics, contemporary culture, and teenage sex. And Roland Taverner (Seann William Scott) is an L.A. police officer whose identity has mysteriously split in two, and he struggles to track down his other half. Featuring a massive supporting cast which includes Mandy Moore, Miranda Richardson, Wallace Shawn, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Smith, Amy Poehler, and Justin Timberlake, Southland Tales received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival; director Kelly also created an accompanying series of three graphic novels that chart these events and characters prior to this story. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
In this midst of this chaos, we follow a number of stories that continually return to three principle characters. Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock) is an actor famous for his role in action films; he's trying to secure financing for a new project, but reality keeps mirroring the events in his script and he struggles to hold on to his identity following a bout with amnesia. Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is a porn star who is reinventing herself as a television pundit offering her views on politics, contemporary culture, and teenage sex. And Roland Taverner (Seann William Scott) is an L.A. police officer whose identity has mysteriously split in two, and he struggles to track down his other half. Featuring a massive supporting cast which includes Mandy Moore, Miranda Richardson, Wallace Shawn, Jon Lovitz, Kevin Smith, Amy Poehler, and Justin Timberlake, Southland Tales received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival; director Kelly also created an accompanying series of three graphic novels that chart these events and characters prior to this story. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, (more)
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