#Thinking rock movie movie

It’s a dramatic turn that could have been a one-note joke, but Dwayne Johnson knows when to downplay his charm enough to come off as sympathetic and even a little sad. Especially when you have drugs and strippers so easily at your disposal. You feel that the dude obviously doesn’t want to go astray, but it’s hard to stay straight. What works so well for The Rock here is that he’s being so gee-gosh earnest in the role. Who knew watching restraint could be so hilarious? The second half of the film is The Rock’s downward spiral back into his old criminal ways, but it’s funny throughout. But things quickly go awry when Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Mackie’s characters hatch a scheme to kidnap a rich guy (played by Monk’s Tony Shalhoub) and rob him of his loot. In it, Dwayne Johnson plays an ex-convict who has found Jesus and doesn’t want to use his massive muscles to hurt anybody. Honestly, Pain and Gain might be Dwayne Johnson’s funniest movie, which is saying something given that this is a Michael Bay film. He's the one highlight in this rather lackluster sports drama. This just shows that Dwayne Johnson has always been willing to take risks, even if he doesn't always stick the landing. Going back to the Arnold Schwarzenegger comparison, the Austrian actor didn’t come close to trying straight up drama until much later in his career with Maggie. But it’s a rare glimpse of what Johnson could do if he just sticks to drama. I mean, he is charming in it, of course, since Dwayne Johnson can’t help but being charming. Gridiron Gang is one of the few instances where Dwayne Johnson is genuinely acting and not relying on his charm. And there's a reason I have it among Dwayne Johnson's best movies. It’s a little sappy and it’s kind of dumb, but you know what? I like it. Dwayne Johnson plays a correctional officer who thinks it’s a better idea to get juvenile delinquents on the football field rather than behind bars. It’s like a cross between Dangerous Minds and Remember the Titans. Is Gridiron Gang a great movie? Eh… not really, if I’m being completely honest.

#Thinking rock movie movie

But then I remember John Cusack in 2012 and I count my lucky stars that Dwayne Johnson decided to become a movie star. This is yet another film where I wonder whether it would be just as good if The Rock wasn’t in it. Neither is parachuting into a disaster, but Johnson somehow manages to pull both off and make it all believable. Delivering one-liners in the midst of an earthquake is no small feat. But I just think he’s playing a small cog in the even bigger wheel that in the disaster picture.Įither way, Dwayne Johnson is not overshadowed by the disaster itself since he has charisma for days. Some might call Dwayne Johnson’s character selfish. He also plays a divorcée who spends half the movie trying to rescue his ex-wife and his estranged daughter, leaving countless people to die below. In this disaster epic, he plays a first responder during a seismic earthquake that rocks California. He can be a sports agent, a bounty hunter, heck, he can even be the tooth fairy.

Dwayne Johnson is like Super Mario in his assortment of professions when it comes to his roles.