The Rock at 50: Ranking Dwayne Johnson's best scene partners, from Vin Diesel to Kevin Hart

Imagine trying to share the screen with the larger-than-life Dwayne Johnson – the Brahma Bull, the People's Champ, onetime Sexiest Man Alive, the most electrifying man in pop culture ... The Rock.

Over the past two decades, Johnson has gradually taken over Hollywood the same way he ruled a wrestling ring, while finding plenty of fellow thespians and action figures to hold their own and, on occasion, outshine him. For example, The Rock reteams with his "Central Intelligence" co-star Kevin Hart for the upcoming animated superhero adventure "DC League of Super-Pets" (in theaters July 29) – with Johnson as Krypto the Super-Dog and Hart as Ace the Bat-Hound.

But how does Hart rank against, say, Vin Diesel?

We took the challenge: In celebration of Johnson's 50th birthday, here are his top 10 scene partners, definitively ranked:

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10. Zac Efron (‘Baywatch')

Efron is roughly half the size of Johnson – and as a modern take on David Hasselhoff's old TV character, The Rock flexes on the rookie lifeguard whenever he can. But they find a good chemistry together, teaming up to save the bay from a villainous businesswoman (Priyanka Chopra), even if the 2017 comedy reboot in general is all washed up.

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9. Seann William Scott (‘The Rundown')

The Rock was just a young pebble in Hollywood when he tag-teamed with Scott (of "American Pie" fame) in the 2003 buddy action comedy. Johnson's the bounty hunter, Scott's his wisecracking target in the Amazon, and Christopher Walken's the resident treasure-hunting big bad in the jungle.

8. Samuel L. Jackson (‘The Other Guys')

Johnson and Jackson are the two coolest cops in New York City – at least until they inadvertently leap to their deaths early in the 2010 police comedy, giving a couple of bumbling detectives (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) a chance to save the day. Their limited screen time together leaves you craving another team-up from the iconic action stars as Jackson's attitude pairs nicely with Johnson's charisma.

7. George the gorilla (‘Rampage')

Based on the 1980s video game, the 2018 sci-fi disaster film casts Johnson as a primatologist and best friend to a computer-generated ape exposed to a genetic-editing experiment gone wrong, who together battle giant mutated critters. The digital gorilla, even in an inherently silly premise, still delivers moments of heart with his Rockin' human pal.

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6. Ryan Reynolds (‘Red Notice')

While it's technically a three-hander with Gal Gadot also onboard as a notorious criminal known as The Bishop, the action-comedy shenanigans fall mainly on the shoulders of Johnson and Reynolds' characters, who have to break out of prison, deal with an angry bull and weather various other obstacles trying to beat Gadot to Cleopatra's lost egg. Reynolds is endlessly snarky; Johnson's earnest and ready to smack him every five minutes; and although the film's sort of a dud, their interactions are a highlight.

5. Emily Blunt (‘Jungle Cruise')

Johnson stars in so many dude movies that the fantasy adventure (based on the Disney theme-park ride) offers a refreshing change of pace – and even some romance. With shades of "The African Queen" and "Indiana Jones," the intelligence and moxie of Blunt's good-hearted scientist mixes well with Rock's punny skipper along a banter-filled river trip to find a mystical flower.

Review: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt are well-matched heroes on a cheesy-fun 'Jungle Cruise'

4. Jason Statham (‘Hobbs & Shaw’)

After originally meeting as foes in the "Fast & Furious" cinematic universe, there's a nice '80s action throwback vibe (think "Tango & Cash") to the 2019 spinoff pairing lawman Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and rogue MI6 agent Deckard Shaw (Statham) who face off with a cybernetically enhanced baddie (Idris Elba). The fighting and bickering are top notch between the two hard-headed frenemies as the strait-laced Hobbs has to wrestle with teaming with a wanted man and Shaw has to deal with actually needing help to save his sister (Vanessa Kirby).

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3. Auli‘i Cravalho (‘Moana’)

Rapping Lin-Manuel Miranda lyrics and singing as animated demigod Maui, Johnson's talents were opened to a whole new kid fan base in "Moana." But the magic of the Disney musical adventure is in the friendship between Maui and teenage wayfarer Moana (Cravalho), which brings out the big guy's sizable heart on a fantastic voyage that involves cannibal coconuts and a glam crab as well as self-discovery and redemption.

2. Kevin Hart (‘Central Intelligence,’ ‘Jumanji’ films)

Like peanut butter and jelly, there's something just intriguingly special about the dynamic Hart and Johnson strike together, as they utilize their obvious size difference for laughs, but also match each other's impeccable timing. Hart plays accountant straight man to Johnson's unicorn-loving secret agent in "Central Intelligence," a 2016 film where both men showed their complementary comedic talents, and their personalities liven up the crazy "Jumanji" series alongside Jack Black and Karen Gillan.

1. Vin Diesel (‘Fast & Furious’ series)

There's definite beef (prime rib, not ground round) between "Fast" stalwart Diesel and "Furious" co-star Johnson. Whether it's real or a manufactured feud for show, the mega-popular franchise needs these buff forces of nature together rather than apart. They're both so over the top that they take over any scene they're in by themselves, and it's like Godzilla tackling King Kong every time they actually share the screen. Heck, even Diesel understands this, as seen with his earnest Instagram post asking his "little brother" (oof) to come back for "Fast 10." Time will tell whether the action-movie equivalent of Lennon and McCartney reteams, but let's hope so. For the family.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Rock turns 50: Ranking all of Dwayne Johnson's best scene partners