By Dan Doherty
The one thing that Hollywood has been lacking is a true bonafide action star akin to the likes of Stallone and Schwarzenegger in 1980s. However, one man has stepped up to the plate and taken the mantle. That man, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, headlines this week’s biggest release, San Andreas. In honor of that film hitting theaters, I bring you a ranking of The Rock’s top 5 films.
5. Pain & Gain: A film misunderstood upon it’s release, Pain & Gain is by far and away Michael Bay’s best film in a very long time. Bringing all of his best tricks to the table and using them to fantastic effect, Michael Bay shows us an extremely biting satire on what “The American Dream” actually is, while not shying away from the brutal true story. The cast also does a good job in their roles, and The Rock is the standout of the film, with the best comedic moments and the only character with any redeeming qualities.
4. Furious Seven: The most recent film to enter Dwayne Johnson’s top 5, Furious Seven is the perfect example of how to do a ridiculous action film and make it extremely fun. The crew that we know and love returns, with even more insane action sequences than ever before, particularly the mountain chase sequence. And while The Rock’s character does not have as much screen time in this one, he has some very memorable moments, particularly when he fights Jason Statham during the film’s first act.
3. The Other Guys: A typically nonsensical but still funny and entertaining film from Adam McKay and Co., The Other Guys is one of the funniest films of the 2010s so far, in no small part to it’s excellent cast. In a film with comedy heavyweights such as Will Ferrell and Rob Riggle, Dwayne Johnson remains the most memorable part of the film in his brief role as the all-star police officer who is the partner with Samuel L. Jackson. While their roles are brief, the serve up some of the funniest moments in the film.
2. Fast and Furious 6: Upping the ante from the previous films and utilizing the wonderful ensemble cast to extremely fun effect, Fast and Furious 6 is arguably the craziest installment in the series. It also gives The Rock’s character, Agent Luke Hobbs, the most to do, and the fight scenes are extremely energetic, clearly inspired of The Rock’s past career as a wrestler, and they hit the perfect tone of ridiculousness to fit the rest of the film.
1. Fast Five: The one that saved the franchise, changed the entire feel, and introduced The Rock in a pseudo-antagonist turned hero role, Fast Five is without question the best in the entire franchise. The genius move by Justin Lin and writer Chris Morgan to change the movie from a street racing franchise into a heist film, bringing the entire cast from the previous films back together, and bringing The Rock into the fray to spice things up, Fast Five is not only a fun, stupid popcorn film, but it also is a very clever heist film, and by far the best movie of the franchise and the filmography of Dwayne Johnson.