Dwayne Johnson

CHICAGO – I empathize with Dwayne Johnson and simultaneously don’t. Most people never get rich and famous once, let alone twice. Sure, it’s hard to re-brand people from the wrestling superstar you once were into the dramatic action star you’re trying to become, but your past is forever immortal.

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 75 pairs of advance-screening IMAX movie passes up for grabs to the highly anticipated “Hercules” starring Dwayne Johnson!

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Combo Pack with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 5 free Blu-ray and DVD combo packs up for grabs for the highly anticipated home release of “Fast & Furious 6” starring Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker!

CHICAGO – “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” may have been overly slammed by critics but audiences definitely liked the film, pushing it to over $370 million worldwide, more than 20% more than its predecessor (even if the domestic total for the sequel was less than the first film). Paramount has put together a solid release for the film, including over an hour of behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, a commentary track, and a great transfer. It’s what one wants from a major theatrical Blu-ray.

CHICAGO – “Snitch” is so close to being a movie that works. Dwayne Johnson shows more dramatic range than he ever has before, Jon Bernthal proves he can be a strong supporting actor, and the film’s true story sheds interesting light on the stupidity of mandatory drug sentencing. Why then is “Snitch” so flat? It’s a film with good ideas and performances but none of the grit, dread, or danger needed for its crime saga to be effective.

CHICAGO – What makes a hero? Is it the guy who rappels off a skyscraper with ease or the woman who confronts her fears and climbs a dangerous staircase? Is it the winner or the team player? At its best, TNT’s new reality competition series, “The Hero,” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, taps into these questions, but it so often does so in a manipulative, predictable, boring way that you might not want to stick around for the answers.

CHICAGO – “How did you know the car would be there to break my fall?” Everything you need to know about the current tone of the “Fast & Furious” franchise exists in that line. Not only are these people superhero enough to leap through the air from one vehicle to another but this is a world in which automobiles are designed to BREAK falls. It’s ridiculous, insane escapist entertainment, and while the bloated running time and less-exciting setting makes “Fast & Furious 6” a slight step down from the more well-paced “Fast Five,” it’s still a damn fun ride that’s sure to please the audience out to see a sixth installment of vehicular man-sanity.

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 25 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the highly anticipated new “Fast & Furious 6” starring Dwayne Johnson!

CHICAGO – Michael Bay’s “Pain & Gain” tells such a ridiculous story that it has to be true. Based on the infamous case of the Sun Gym Gang, a trio of bodybuilders who committed some unspeakable, bizarre crimes, “Pain & Gain” nearly works through the sheer charisma and talent of its A-list cast.

CHICAGO – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 25 pairs of movie passes up for grabs to the advance screening of the highly recommended “Pain & Gain” (based on a true story!) with Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson!