Ten Movies

A fun-filled romp with beloved A-list stars or a soulless exercise in branded entertainment products? Brian and Hemal discuss - you decide.

Released almost as a surprise directly onto Netflix in 2021, Red Notice stars Dwayne Johnson as a heroic federal agent (when does the man NOT play a heroic federal agent?) who is forced to team up with Ryan Reynolds as a smarmy art thief. Together they battle various antagonists - chiefly Gal Gadot, who does a lot of twirling around in a fancy dress and jumping out of windows.

The movie was written, directed, and produced by Rawson Marshall Thurber - his third time working with The Rock (he was also responsible for Central Intelligence and Skyscraper). Despite the comical implausibility of his name, Thurber seems to have his thumb on the pulse of the American cultural zeitgeist - giving the people what they want, some might say, or perhaps delivering tepid lowest common denominator fare. It's a fine line, friends.

Another Dwayne Johnson movie about swords and wizards? Yeah, but this one is straight-up terrible. This week, Brian and Hemal watch 'Hercules' - and they are not pleased about it.

Director Brett Ratner seems to specialize in the lowest common denominator filmmaking, and this is certainly that. 'Hercules' features one inspired act of casting - get the biggest, mightiest actor to play the iconically biggest and mightiest hero of Greek myth - but not much else.

An almost cynical exercise in giving the audience nothing to challenge or interest them, the movie strips the original tale of all its darkness and emotional weight, takes the story out of the realm of the supernatural, and then - an insult to injury - doesn't even give us cool fight scenes.

There's a host of other great actors on board, including ​​Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Rebecca Ferguson, and John Hurt, but none of them are given much to do other than shout corny dialogue and be indistinguishable from one another. Even The Rock is wasted here, as the movie is interested solely in his physique, not his performance or humor. The dude doesn't even get a sword.

Fast Five, released to cheering moviegoers in 2011, is The Rock's debut in the Fast and Furious franchise, where he towers as the only man bigger, balder, and more ethnically ambiguous than Vin Diesel. Engines on, family.

The fifth installment in the ever-escalating Fast & Furious franchise was directed by Justin Lin, who presumably understood what was being asked of him. In addition to Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel, the movie stars a veritable menagerie of beloved actors, including Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Tyrese Gibson, and Ludacris. Some of them are mostly only famous for being in the Fast & Furious movies, but even that is a significant commitment since they make a new one of these every year.

As has often been the case during this season of Ten Movies, Brian and Hemal were somewhat divided on the merits of the film, but Brian did agree to speak as respectfully as possible of Paul Walker, who has passed on from this mortal realm, but not from Hemal's heart or the inside of her locker.

Also, it turns out that you need to be well-steeped in the extensive lore of the Fast & Furious cinematic universe to truly appreciate this movie. Who knew? So if you're thinking you'll just jump right in and understand what all these emotionally inert people are doing and how they relate to one another, you have another thing coming, friend.

Swords! Wizards! Loincloths! Dwayne Johnson's 2002 debut feature film is a D&D game set to a heavy metal soundtrack and if you are a 14-year-old boy, or simply have a taste for the simple yet earnest cultural products that might appeal to a 14-year-old boy, then The Scorpion King may be for you. After watching The Scorpion King, Hemal and Brian (the co-hosts of Ten Movies) both agreed that, whatever its faults, the movie was a romp.

Those faults include the movie's dismissive treatment of its (lone) woman character, though we could not, in good conscience, object her to skimpy costume, as no one is wearing a whole lot in this movie.

The Scorpion King was directed by Chuck Russell, and stars Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and the late Michael Clarke Duncan, in addition to Dwayne Johnson. Also, spoiler alert, The Rock has a full head of hair in this movie, so if you are used to thinking of him as canonically bald, as we are, it's a bit of a shock.

Dwayne Johnson rescues his family while a million buildings fall down.

The first episode of the Dwayne Johnson 10 Movies season focuses on the 2015 release, San Andreas. In addition to the Rock, the film stars Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, and Paul Giamatti. It was directed by Brad Peyton and written by Carlton Cuse, with Andre Fabrizio and Jeremy Passmore receiving story credit.

San Andreas grossed $474 million worldwide.

Is it fun? Is it reactionary? Brian and Hemal get into it.

One iconic actor, ten of their most iconic movies. This season: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Join Hemal and Brian each week as they argue, have some laughs and reach startling insights about the dark, quotidien heart of America."

One iconic actor, ten of their most iconic movies. This season: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Join Hemal and Brian each week as they argue, have some laughs and reach startling insights about the dark, quotidien heart of America."

Welcome to Ten Movies, the podcast that digs into the work of one actor through 10 of their most popular movies.

THIS SEASON: An in-depth look into the movies of The Rock, including Fast Five, San Andreas and more!