The Rock’s 10 Best Movies (So Far), According To IMDb

By now, fans of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson know that he’s a multi-tasker when it comes to his career. Not only is he a household name in the pro-wrestling family but since the early 2000s, he’s been working his way to becoming the international movie star that he is today. When it comes to the movies he’s been in, there have been some incredibly successful films, while there also have been some critical duds along the way. But even many of those ended up being beloved by fans.

The Rock is a great actor, not only because can he mold himself into any role, but he’s also known for some standout original characters as well. From the Fast & Furious franchise to playing a beloved Disney animation character, his versatility is well documented.

Updated on June 5th, 2021 by Mark Birrell: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s career as a movie actor is so vast that it should come as no surprise that this list has seen some subtle but important shifts since it was first published. We’ve updated it to show a current ranking of The Rock’s best movies according to the scores on IMDb. From huge blockbuster sequels to more personal and dramatic projects, these are the top 10 of Dwayne Johnson’s best movie roles according to the fans who voted. Though, with so much on the horizon still for the superstar, it’s likely to change again soon.

10 Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) – 6.6

● Available on Starz

One of the most recent additions to The Rock’s many successful franchises has been the Jumanji movies. The Next Level would be Dwayne Johnson’s second but the third entry overall in the series.

Going back into the titular magical video game, the main cast from the first movie all returned with new additions Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, and Awkwafina bringing a new dynamic to things, especially as The Rock’s avatar character ends up being controlled by Danny DeVito’s character, allowing Dwayne Johnson to demonstrate his skills in impersonation.

9 Fast & Furious 8 (2017) – 6.6

● Available for purchase on Prime Video

The Rock returned to the Fast & Furious franchise for his third–but certainly not final–appearance in the series of movies, this time teaming up with Jason Statham’s villain from the previous movie to begin forging their buddy action dynamic.

The Rock’s more typically heroic characteristics really help to sell the core team of the fast-moving action movies as a kind of superpowered ‘Carvengers’, with the corresponding sequel and spin-off movie following close behind.

8 The Rundown (2003) – 6.7

● Available for purchase on Prime Video 

In this action-adventure movie, The Rock starred as Beck, an aspiring chef who is trying to get enough money together to own his own business. With financial woes on his mind, he’s talked into bringing home a mobster’s son played by American Pie’s, Seann William Scott, who proves a great scene partner for the then still-budding buddy action star.

Beck is easily one of Dwayne Johnson’s most badass movie characters so far, giving The Rock an unforgettable ‘cool guys don’t look at explosions’ moment as he walks away from a fireball in slow motion.

7 Gridiron Gang (2006) – 6.9

● Available on Showtime

In Gridiron Gang, The Rock plays Sean Porter, a supervisor and former football player at the Kilpatrick Juvenile Detention Center. After witnessing a lack of discipline and self-esteem within the kids, Porter proposes to start a football team to teach them teamwork and motivate them in life, with the story being loosely based on the true story of the Kilpatrick Mustangs.

The Rock proved himself as an actor with dramatic chops with this role, providing him with some of his most inspirational quotes so far. 

6 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017) – 6.9

● Available on Fubo TV

When reboots are announced, it’s a toss-up between fans of the original either loving the idea or hating it. But when it came to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, it seems like the audiences loved it for the most part.

When four teenagers are sucked into a magical video game called Jumanji, the only way they can escape it is to work together to finish the game. Even though this film didn’t follow the original storyline and catered to fit the current era, it still had fun aspects that the original had. The Rock stars as the in-game avatar of the skittish main character, essentially making him the protagonist and showing his abilities in taking on unconventional roles.

5 Fast & The Furious 6 (2013) – 7.0

● Available on Peacock

The Fast & Furious series has been a long-running favorite amongst fans of cars and action movies and the cast has always been stellar. But when The Rock joined the team, he brought something different to the table.

In this installment, Hobbs, played by The Rock, is tracking an organization with lethally skilled drivers and will stop at nothing to shut them down. He realizes he needs help and enlists Dom (Vin Diesel), to help assemble his crew once again. Their reward? They’ll be pardoned for all of their illegal deeds. It’s a high stakes round that continued the franchise’s meteoric rise at the box office, cementing The Rock’s involvement as a major player within the ever-expanding story.

4 Fighting with My Family (2019) – 7.1

● Available on Prime Video

Another sports drama based on a true story, Fighting with My Family focuses on the rise to fame of another well-known WWE wrestler, Paige, making this somewhat of a personal project for The Rock, who also acted as producer on the movie as well as appearing in it as himself.

It’s really a small cameo in the wider drama, but his presence makes perfect sense and an extra note of star power to the relatively small-scale movie.

3 Furious 7 (2015) – 7.1

● Available on FXNow

After Furious & Furious 6 proved to be a success, the cast was back to film Furious 7. With Owen Shaw defeated in the previous installment, his brother, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), comes back for revenge against Dom and his family. Dom and his crew thought they’d left their criminal lives behind, but after Shaw starts taking out members of their crew, the action starts up again.

Even though certain scenes were over-the-top, the chemistry between the cast shone through and the action sequences were always dazzling. The Rock sits out most of the movie, but the huge ensemble more than makes up for his absence, bringing him back for the big finale.

2 Fast Five (2011) – 7.3

● Available on Peacock

Fast Five was the first film in the series that The Rock starred in, and it’s a good thing he did because it’s one of the highest-ranked films in the Fast series by both fans and critics. Also, this entry was a turning point for the franchise, as Dom and his crew of street racers want to get out of the business and start normal lives. So when they plan a massive heist against a Brazilian drug lord, viewers knew they were in for a ride.

Hobbs, played by The Rock, starts out in the franchise as a government agent out to get Dom and Brian O’Connor and the fast become one of the franchise’s standout characters, even getting his own spin-off movie with Jason Statham’s reformed villain from the series in 2019, Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw.

1 Moana (2016) – 7.6

● Available on Disney+

Even long after the streak known as the Disney Renaissance, the company continued to churn out classic after classic and Moana is definitely among its animated elite. Moana starts out on the Pacific island of Motunui when a terrible curse is stowed upon Moana’s home. She gains the courage to risk everything and answers the Ocean’s call to seek out the Demigod, Maui, to set things right.

If there is one character that was made for Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, it’s Maui. He plays his part perfectly with just his voice and contributed to the success the film received. There were also a lot of cool aspects here that audiences probably picked up on, but leave it to Disney to leave a few hidden Easter eggs in Moana, along the way.