10 Worst Dwayne Johnson Movies, Ranked

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Dwayne Johnson as Sarge holding the BFG weapon in 'Doom' (2005)

Dwayne Johnson has proven to be one of the most charming and recognizable Hollywood stars of recent memory, from his memorable beginnings as WWE Superstar icon 'The Rock' to his array of modern blockbuster franchises, he has grown to be one of the biggest working actors today. Ranging from light-hearted and comedic roles such as in Moana and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle to more grounded and serious performances in Pain & Gain and the upcoming The Smashing Machine, Johnson has had a largely versatile career over the years.

However, for every massive worldwide success that Johnson's films have had over the years, there have also been a select few critical misfires that have either faded into obscurity or become infamous dark spots in his career. Ranging from films during the messy early years of acting when Johnson was still finding his footing as a Hollywood star to more recent failures that played into too many generic tropes and clichés, even the undeniable, often screen-commanding charm of Johnson couldn't save these disasters.

10 'Empire State' (2013)

Directed by Dito Montiel

Dwayne Johnson wearing a police uniform and holding a pistol while entering a room with two other officers in 'Empire State' (2013)

One of the biggest strengths that Johnson has had as an action star was his electrifying presence that almost never made his action movies dull to watch, yet one of the few examples of the contrary is Empire State. The straight-to-DVD crime drama follows failed cop Chris Potamitis (Liam Hemsworth) settling for a role as a security guard for an armored truck company. However, after mentioning his company's underwhelming security specs to his best friend, Chris ends up at the center of an elaborate scheme to rob his own company, resulting in one of the largest cash heists in U.S. History.

While Empire State's premise of a mystery thriller with a likable criminal going up against a top-notch detective seems like it would make for an instantly exciting time, the film is simply too by-the-numbers and generic to truly enjoy. Johnson does his best to add some excitement and drama to the film through his performance as Detective James Ransome, yet it wasn't enough to make Empire State more than just another run-of-the-mill thriller.

9 'Planet 51' (2009)

Directed by Jorge Blanco

An astronaut smiling and looking down at a green alien in 'Planet 51'

In terms of voice-acting performances, Johnson is most commonly recognized and beloved for his role of Maui in Disney's Moana, but many forget that he lent his voice-acting abilities to the co-lead of another animated film 7 years prior. Planet 51 sees Johnson voicing Captain Chuck Baker, an astronaut who plans on a mysterious alien planet brimming with life and culture that parallels 1950s American suburbia. With the residents of this world believing Chuck to be a mind-controlling alien, it becomes up to him and a teenage alien that he befriended to find a way back home to Earth.

Even aside from the culture shock of hearing Johnson's voice come out of a Caucasian man with ginger hair, Planet 51's biggest flaws come from its lack of memorability and failure to capitalize on the potential of its setting and aesthetic. The concept of an alien world living through their equivalent of the 50s is a fun and original concept with countless potential for topical themes and hindsight-based humor, yet the film is more focused on underwhelming slapstick and pop culture reference humor. While it's far from being one of the worst animated movies of the 2000s, it doesn't hold a candle to the array of masterful animated films from 2009.

Release Date November 19, 2009

Director Jorge Blanco , Javier Abad , Marcos Martínez

Runtime 91

8 'Doom' (2005)

Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak

While video game adaptations have been a source for many widely successful and beloved movies and series in the modern day, there was a long period of time where nearly every attempted adaptation was a largely maligned failure, with one of the most prominent examples being Doom. Based on the series of massively influential sci-fi shooters, Doom sees a group of space marines being sent to a Mars science facility after reports of a security breach. However, upon investigation, they soon realize that a mass murderer injected with alien DNA has been killing people and mutating them into monsters.

One of the greatest issues that plagued early video game movies was their insistence on completely changing and abandoning aspects of the original game series, with Doom completely removing the demonic hell aspects of its story in exchange for going all in on science fiction. While the film isn't completely devoid of positives, as it features a single great first-person action sequence and Dwayne himself plays a fun villainous role, the film pales in comparison to anything the video game franchise has to offer.

Doom

Release Date October 21, 2005

Director Andrzej Bartkowiak

Cast Karl Urban , Dwayne Johnson , Rosamund Pike , Deobia Oparei , Ben Daniels , Raz Adoti , Richard Brake , Dexter Fletcher , Al Weaver , Yao Chin , Robert Russell

Runtime 104 minutes

Watch on Amazon Prime

7 'Red Notice' (2021)

Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber

John and Nolan handcuffed together while Sarah watches in Red Notice

One of the most interesting and defining dynamics of modern-day filmmaking is the increasing prevalence of blockbuster-budgeted films on streaming services, with one of the most successful yet low-quality of these being Red Notice. The film sees Johnson as John Hartley, an FBI profiler who is forced to team up with a notorious criminal (Ryan Reynolds) to take down a shared enemy, another criminal planning to steal one of the most coveted artifacts in the world. Their quest sees them constantly clashing with one another and traveling across the world to take down the mysterious "The Bishop".

While Red Notice may be the most watched movie in Netflix history, the film's quality doesn't come close to holding up to its popularity, being about as generic and formulaic as action comedy blockbusters get. While both Reynolds and Johnson are effective and charismatic leads in various other projects, the duo has minimal chemistry with one another and it quickly transforms the movie into a competition of who can get in the most quips. The film simply fails to leave any discernable impact, as many audiences will be quick to forget that the film even exists soon after watching it.

Release Date November 12, 2021

Director Rawson Marshall Thurber

Runtime 118 minutes

6 'Be Cool' (2005)

Directed by F. Gary Gray

Dwayne Johnson as Elliot Wilhelm raising his eyebrow in 'Be Cool' (2005)

Before Johnson had fully been adopted as a massive leading star and when his film appearances were much more scattered and varied, his supporting performance in Be Cool is short yet leaves an undeniably sour impact. Acting as a sequel to 1995's Get Shorty, Be Cool sees Chili Palmer (John Travolta) tired with the state of the movie industry, deciding to completely change things up and take a shot at the equally chaotic music industry. In the process, he ends up meeting and getting swept up by the widow of a music executive as he attempts to make his name in this different industry.

Johnson plays the role of Elliot in the film, a gay Samoan bodyguard for a duo of crooked producers who often finds himself the butt of their constant homophobic jokes. For what seems like they would be a one-off gag character, Elliot finds himself consistently recurring throughout the film, mostly acting as the physical embodiment of power that these producers hold over Chili. Dwayne's role and performance is emblematic of the film as a whole, being a largely outdated and underwhelming gag that hasn't just aged poorly, but was barely even funny in the first place.

Be Cool

Release Date March 4, 2005

Runtime 115 minutes

Main Genre Comedy

5 'Baywatch' (2017)

Directed by Seth Gordon

One of many classic franchises that sought a massive boost in success and popularity in the modern era by using the star power of Dwayne Johnson, Baywatch has little to offer outside the visual appeal of its actors. The film sees Johnson as Mitch Buchannon, a devoted lifeguard who is tasked with training a hotheaded new recruit (Zac Efron), yet the duo accidentally uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the beach.

The original appeal of the Baywatch television series was always centered around the sex appeal of having attractive young Hollywood stars getting wet and wearing swimsuits, with this cinematic outing only amplifying this factor. However, there was an inherent charm and campiness to the original series that is severely lacking in this cinematic reboot, exchanged for some by-the-numbers action and unfunny comedy. The film proves that there needs to be much more than just muscular actors looking good to actually make a substantial film experience.

Release Date May 12, 2017

Runtime 2h 1m

4 'Black Adam' (2022)

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Dwayne Johnson preparing to dish out violent justice in Black Adam

One of the most infamous and heavily divided blockbuster attempts from Johnson in recent memory, Black Adam was largely touted as the film that would finally change the DC Extended Universe for the better. In reality, the film managed to fall into a lot of the same pitfalls and issues of the franchise's worst outings, combined with an array of creative differences and a film's insistence of not being connected to other DC films. The film sees Johnson as the titular Black Adam, a man graced with the power of the gods who is awoken in modern times after being imprisoned for 5,000 years.

One of Johnson's greatest assets as a blockbuster star is his inherent likability and charm, being able to exude a likable energy that simply can't help but get others enjoying his presence on screen. Black Adam manages to completely remove Johnson's biggest strength as an actor in an attempt to make him a brooding, deeply serious character that, ironically, comes across as less effective as a result. It doesn't help that the story is constantly tiptoeing around the character of Shazam, even though Black Adam is supposed to be Shazam's arch-nemesis, one of many reasons that the film was destined to be a box office flop.

Black Adam

Release Date October 21, 2022

Cast Dwayne Johnson , Aldis Hodge , Pierce Brosnan , Noah Centineo , Sarah Shahi , Quintessa Swindell , Marwan Kenzari , Bodhi Sabongui , Mohammed Amer , James Cusati-Moyer , Jalon Christian , Benjamin Patterson , Odelya Halevi , Uli Latukefu , Jennifer Holland , Henry Winkler , Chaim Jeraffi , Sharon Gee , Stephan Jones , A. Manuel Miranda , Djimon Hounsou , Raj Kala , E. Lloyd Napier , Kiara Rashawn , Onye Eme-Akwari , Sanna Erica , Vince Canlas , Tonea Stewart , Meghna Nagarajan , Patrick Sabongui , Alex Parkinson , Joseph Gatt , Kamen Casey , Dennis Dawson , Mike Senior , Jermaine Rivers , Regina Ting Chen , Sekou Laidlow , Cameron Moir , Donny Carrington , Boone Platt , Philip Fornah , Derek Russo , Angel Rosario Jr. , Tang Nguyen , Christopher Matthew Cook , Natacha Ellie , Daniel Danca , Yssamei Panganiban , Ben Jenkin

Runtime 125 Minutes

3 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

Directed by Jon M. Chu

There have been various failed attempts over the years to transform the G.I. Joe toy line into a massive blockbuster franchise in the same vein as Transformers, with none of them managing to find a dedicated audience. One of the most notable failures in this underwhelming franchise is G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which attempted to use the likability factor of Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis to bring more excitement to their action franchise. The film sees the G.I. Joe team being framed for crimes against the country and terminated via a presidential order. This forces the team into a battle against threats within the government on top of their continued battle against Cobra.

While Retaliation featured enough high-budget action and setpieces to be an effective blockbuster for the era, time has not been kind to the film, as it's easily one of the most forgettable and underwhelming blockbusters of the 2010s. The film is about as generic and formulaic as action blockbusters get, with cookie-cutter characters and little to actually entice audience to care about the story, characters, or anything in the film that isn't an action scene. The film proved to be so ineffective that another G.I Joe film wouldn't be made for nearly a decade.

Release Date March 29, 2013

Cast Dwayne Johnson , Bruce Willis , Jonathan Pryce , Adrianne Palicki , Ray Park , Ray Stevenson , Elodie Yung , Lee Byung-hun , D.J. Cotrona , Luke Bracey , Channing Tatum , Joseph Mazzello , RZA , Arnold Vosloo , Walton Goggins , Matt Gerald , Joe Chrest , DeRay Davis , Ravi Naidu , Terry Dale Parks , Grant Goodman , Naim Alherimi , Douglas M. Griffin , James Carville , Ryan Hansen

Runtime 110 Minutes

2 'The Scorpion King' (2002)

Directed by Stephen Sommers

Dwayne Johnson as The Scorpion King raising a bow in The Scorpion King (2002)

One of Dwayne Johnson's first big roles in blockbuster films was as the notorious Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns, a role that coincided with its own titular spinoff film about the character. The Scorpion King sees Johnson as the Egyptian peasant Mathayus, hired to enact revenge upon the powerful Memnon and the sorceress Cassandra to stop them from overtaking the village. Amidst all the bloodshed, betrayal, and thievery present in the world, Mathayus and his core values have him fighting to bring justice to the ancient world.

While period movies about the struggles and infighting of ancient civilizations have been a consistent avenue for great storytelling and exceptional action, The Scorpion King manages to be one of the most insulting and worst period movies of all time. It's not to say that creating a spinoff story about a villain with minimal screen time was a great idea in the first place, but The Scorpion King fails to deliver on the potential of its premise and world-building. While it proved to many that Dwayne had what it takes to be the leading star in an action film, it's also an apparent showcase of the growing pains he took before fitting into his role as a charismatic leading star.

Release Date April 18, 2002

Runtime 94

1 'Tooth Fairy' (2010)

Directed by Michael Lembeck

Dwayne Johnson as Derek Thompson yelling while wearing a pink outfit and with fairy wings in 'Tooth Fairy' (2010)

It has almost become a right of passage for any notable celebrity that got massive in a medium other than film to be a part of the most painfully unfunny family movies while on the journey to being a Hollywood star. When it comes to Johnson, he was a part of several half-decent family movies like The Game Plan and Race to Witch Mountain, but Tooth Fairy goes above and beyond as the most egregious film in his entire filmography. The film sees Johnson as a minor league hockey player who is forced to work as a tooth fairy as a punishment for constantly crushing people's dreams.

"Dwayne Johnson plays the Tooth Fairy" is a concept that may seem fun in the context of a comedy sketch or a parody film, but this gag simply doesn't have enough weight or merit to carry a 100-minute family film. Johnson tries his best to make the most out of this absurd premise, but the actual story, comedy and execution of the film flounders around him and makes the entire experience largely dull and uninteresting. There's certainly a world where this premise could have worked as a great self-aware comedy, but Tooth Fairy is simply all bark without any bite.