The Rock. The Brahama Bull. The Most Electrifying Man in Sports and Entertainment. Ever since Dwayne Johnson made the switch from WWE to Hollywood, the stars were very much aligned. He is possibly one of the most successful wrestlers of all time who was able to crossover to Hollywood and led the way for guys like John Cena, Batista and CM Punk.
But it wasn't always like that. In the beginning, he was still finding his way looking for that formula for success. While some of his movies have been huge hits like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Fast Five and San Andreas, some have been complete flops with critics and at the box office.
Here are the 10 Worst Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson movies (according to Rotten Tomatoes).
GRIDIRON GANG (43%)
This is actually a decent film and has Johnson playing a mentor/counselor in a juvenile detention facility. The rest of the cast includes Xzibit, Kevin Dunn, and Leon Rippy. The movie is sweet and isn't terrible but it plays by the numbers. Based on a true story, it isn't that there is no heart to the characters. But it's too predictable and descends into a typical sports drama about poor inner-city children taking on a rich white school on the football field.
While 43% was not bad, it didn't play to Johnson's strengths as an actor and perhaps he wasn't ready for it at the time.
RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (42%)
Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock is successful when he's showing off his strength in movies like Fast Five or Hercules. It's another when he is playing second fiddle to children. The film also stars Carla Gugino, AnnaSophia Robb and a teenage Alexander Ludwing (Vikings). The film was part of Johnson's strategy at a time to be seen as a child-friendly hero and cater specifically to those audiences.
Little did he realize that this would result in a very mixed outcome but this film still managed to be a minor box office hit. It would be a while before The Rock realized his true potential.
FASTER (42%)
This movie was better than the rating suggests. Dwayne Johnson stars as a man newly released from prison and is hell-bent on making the people who killed his brother pay for their crimes. The film also starred Billy Bob Thorton, Carla Gugino, Maggie Grace, Moon Bloodgood, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. Johnson is actually very good as a man of few words who shoots first and asks questions later.
The movie didn't succeed at the box office but it was the start of The Rock accepting his true potential of being an action star and was the beginning of his journey towards becoming a megastar.
THE SCORPION KING (42%)
This was The Rock's first time headlining a film, a spinoff of The Mummy franchise. There is nothing actually wrong with this film beyond its terrible CGI. It's by the numbers and is a combination of drama, comedy, and action. In India, it would be referred to as a masala mix film. Johnson is strong in a role rich in charisma and not much else.
It's also remarkable as it shows that The Rock has grown as an actor and his limited acting ability is on full display here. Even the love scene that he shares with Kelly Hu is forced and underwhelming. Still, the film was profitable and ensured Dwayne Johnson would continue on to great things.
G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (29%)
A sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, this film was a huge improvement over the original. The film even boasted a cast that included Bruce Willis, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Byung-hun Lee, and Ray Stevenson. At this point in his career, Dwayne Johnson had earned the moniker of "Franchise Viagara." Since his involvement in the Fast and Furious franchise helped it remarkably, studios look towards him to reinvigorate their franchises and the results showed.
The film outgrossed its predecessor and also enhanced Johnson's status as a star. While the critics may not have cared for it, the audiences gave it two thumbs up.
THE GAME PLAN (28%)
Another Disney film that was a hit for Dwayne Johnson but didn't necessarily translate into mega-stardom. The film follows a professional football player who suddenly finds out that he has an 8-year-old daughter and all hilarious hell breaks loose. The film also stars Kyra Sedgwick, Paige Turco, and Madison Pettis.
The Game Plan, while not horrible, is a cliched Disney film that has a predictable plot with little to no character development. While Johnson delivers a decent performance, anyone could in this role. It seems that the only requirement was that the star is large and can be silly on demand.
WALKING TALL (26%)
Another film that was early on in Johnson's career, this version of Walking Tall was a remake of the original 1973 film. Released in 2004, Johnson plays a war veteran who returns to find that his town has been overtaken by a casino and has attracted criminal elements. The film also stars Johnny Knoxville, Ashley Scott, Kevin Durand, and Neal McDonough as a very paint-by-numbers villain.
The film is predictable, has limited action and presents Johnson as a very bland hero devoid of his natural charisma. A misstep for Johnson but an important one on the road to success.
Doom (19 %)
Perhaps, The Rock's most infamous flop. It went down the same road as many other films that tried to adapt video games into successful franchises. The film made a mistake from the start by casting The Rock as the villain, a role he wasn't ready for. Released in 2005, the film also starred Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike and was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak.
The film is a disaster from start to finish and comes across as a poor man's Resident Evil. While the film does have sequences that resemble the POV shot from the video games, it doesn't make up for a terrible movie experience.
TOOTH FAIRY (18%)
This is by far The Rock's worst film. It came out in 2010. Dwayne Johnson plays a hockey player who becomes a tooth fairy. The less said about this movie, the better. Though it boasts a cast that consists of Ashley Judd, Julie Andrews, Stephen Merchant, Billy Crystal, and Seth MacFarlane, the film received largely negative reviews.
For the record, it was a box office hit but perhaps it was also the film that made Johnson realize that he could do better. Sometimes, a bad decision can lead to several good ones. 9 years later, The Rock is one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.
BAYWATCH (2017) (18%)
Baywatch was the long-awaited remake of the TV show that ruled the 1990s. Starring The Rock, Zac Effron, Priyanka Chopra, and Alexandra Daddario, the film was an R-Rated take on the campy tv show of the same name. While it was a modest hit, it didn't fare well with critics.
While Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff made cameos in the film, it didn't stop it from receiving multiple Golden Raspberry Award nominations. Johnson came out of it just fine as he always does. Dwayne Johnson has carried over the same charisma from his wrestling days into this film and beyond. No matter how bad the film's reviews are, Johnson always has a connection with the audience.