These days, there aren’t many actors who can get your ass in a movie seat on name value alone,
Hi!
and even fewer with the electrifying charisma of the
pie-eating, jabroni-beating, trailblazing, eyebrow-raising,
box-office smashing, big-check cashing people’s champ,
Dwayne Johnson.
IF YA SMELLL... what THE ROCK... is COOKING.
The Rock is on an absolute roll right now,
and we haven’t seen a celebrity of this caliber since another former athlete took Hollywood by storm,
I’m talking about the Running Man,
the Governator,
the Last Action Hero himself,
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
These two action icons had a surprisingly similar path to success,
but there’s only one way to settle which superstar reigns supreme.
I’m Moose,
and today, we’re putting the People’s Champ against the Austrian Oak in a no-holds-barred dream match,
to see how their careers stack up.
Place your bets, and hold onto your butts, because it’s
The Rock vs. Arnold: Battle of the Great Ones
For the first round, let’s see how their early athletic endeavors compare.
I am getting the feeling of coming in the gym, the feeling of coming at home, the feeling of
coming backstage when I pump up, when I pose in front of 5,000 people I get the same feeling.
So I am coming day and night! I mean, it's terrific, right?
Arnold dreamed of living in the United States since he was ten years old,
and he saw bodybuilding as his ticket out of Austria.
He started weightlifting at the age of 14,
and soon he was competing at contests across Europe.
The documentary ‘Pumping Iron’ helped bring bodybuilding into the mainstream,
and made Arnold a phenomenon thanks to his portrayal as a cocky, unbeatable dick,
and his clear… passion for his craft.
It’s hard to overstate Arnold’s sheer dominance over the entire sport,
which provided the name for his production company that is now worth millions and millions.
 And millions! Shit, I should have did that like the Rock.
Millions... AND MILLIONS of dollars.
He decided to follow in his family tradition of pro wrestling,
he won the Mr. Olympia content six times in a row before retiring in 1975,
then, in 1980,
he got so jacked for ‘Conan’ that he came out of retirement, entered just for funsies,
and won again.
In comparison, the Rock had a bumpier start to his sporting career.
Originally, he thought he was destined for the NFL.
But after a college knee injury killed his chances,
he had to settle for the Canadian Football League.
He was cut from the team at age 23,
and returned home with only seven bucks in his pocket,
but despite coming from a dynasty,
his original character of a happy-go-lucky good guy turned the crowds against him.
They chanted ‘Rocky sucks’ and ‘die, Rocky, die,’
Also in the WWE Hall of Fame:
Donald Trump.
Kid Rock.
Bob Uecker...
so he took their hatred and turned it into the arrogant heel character that made him a megastar.
Still, we’ve got to give this round to Arnold.
He was a bigger deal to bodybuilding than the Rock was to wrestling.
Rocky was a huge star, but he didn’t move the needle to the same level as Hulk Hogan or Steve Austin,
whereas Arnold was basically the entire sport for damn near a decade.
Plus, only one of these guys is in the WWE Hall of Fame,
and it ain’t the Rock.
Not yet anyway.
Both men have impressive origins,
but neither truly hit their true stride until Hollywood.
For Round 2, we’re going to the movies.
Arnold’s movie career began in 1970,
with his less-than-dignified debut ‘Hercules in New York.’
The producers loves Arnold’s look,
but they didn’t think America would accept his thick Austrian accent,
so they dubbed his voice and billed him as ‘Arnold Strong.’
Let me be the judge of that. I'm tired of the same old faces. The same old things.
I'm a friend of Sarah Connor's. I was told that she's here, could I see her please?
No, you can't see her, she's making a statement.
He followed it up with a few more minor roles,
but his real breakthrough came in 1982, with John
Milius’ sword and sorcery epic ‘Conan the Barbarian.’
His massive size, stony face and icy acting made him the perfect fit for the warlord,
and an even better android in James Cameron’s ‘The Terminator’ two years later.
Arnold helped kick off an ‘80s action boom, with himself planted firmly atop of the food chain,
pumping out hit after hit, like ‘Commando,’ ‘Total Recall,’ 'Predator,'
and climaxing in his commercial peak, ‘T2: Judgment Day.’
which earned him the title ‘International Star of the Decade.’
His output has slowed down recently,
In his early days, all he could do was play wrestlers. Even in space, in 'Star Trek,' he's still a wrestler.
But he did get to expand his horizons with his first major movie role in 'The Mummy Returns.'
You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', partner?
Aim for the bushes!
turning 70, governing an entire state, and having open heart surgery will do that to you,
but there’s no doubt that Arnold is front and center on the Mt. Rushmore of action movies.
As for the Rock, he first dipped his toes into acting during his original WWE run.
He hosted SNL on the eve of WrestleMania 2000,
portrayed his father, Rocky Johnson, on ‘That ‘70s Show,’
and an intergalactic gladiator who suplexed Seven of Nine on ‘Star Trek.’’
He played the villainous Scorpion King.
Things were looking great for the Great One,
he was paid $5 million for a ‘Scorpion King’ spinoff,
but his next few action movies,
like ‘Walking Tall,’ ‘Doom,’
and ‘The Rundown,’
failed to set the box office on fire,
And what the hell is that smell?!
I could have been at a barbecue!!!
That's why we're doing this video. There's money to be made!
and by the late 2000s, he was stuck in a string of cheesy family films.
Playing the goddamn Tooth Fairy was probably the last straw,
so Rock had a come-to-Jesus meeting with his agents and said
“I want you to make me Will Smith, only bigger.”
They couldn’t smell what the Rock was cooking,
but his new representation landed him a career-making role in ‘Fast Five.’
His character Luke Hobbs helped revitalize the ‘Fast and the Furious’ franchise,
and after that, the Rock was off to the races.
‘San Andreas’ solidified him as a solo star who could carry his own franchise,
and his team-ups with Kevin Hart provided Rock with the perfect roody-poo candy-ass foil.
Seriously, where’s my ‘Jingle All the Way’ reboot?
You remade Jumanji, it was great, you're remaking literally
everything, you can't give me a 'Jingle All the Way' remake? Come on!
You're one ugly mister falcon...
Today, the Rock is the highest-paid, highest-grossing actor in all of Hollywood,
and he makes so many damn movies that even his failures like ‘Baywatch’
get completely forgotten among his massive hits like ‘Jumanji,’
Which, by the way, is already greenlit for two sequels.
So who comes out on top on this cinematic clash?
It wouldn’t be fair to judge this one based on sheer quality,
although, come on, Arnold should win on ‘Predator’ alone.
The most objective thing we can do is compare the receipts.
So far, the Rock’s career worldwide total of $9.1 billion nearly doubles Arnold’s $4.7.
Granted, that’s not adjusting for inflation, or the fact that the global marketplace is much bigger for film,
but you have to remember,
the Rock is in his prime right now,
he’s still on the rise,
Cool party!
Don't give up your day job.
I know now why you cry.
Just imagine there's molten lava down there.
WHAT'S THAT SMELL???
whereas Arnold’s career never really recovered from ‘Batman and Robin.’
Yeah, Rocky takes this one,
which means we’re all tied up heading into the final round,
that all-important
IT FACTOR
What is it about these guys that draws you to the box office?
It sure isn’t their acting chops.
Don’t get me wrong, Rock and Arnold are great at what they do,
but their movies don’t lend themselves to tear-jerking, Oscar-bait performances,
even though I cry every single time at the end of ‘T2.’
It’s gotta be more than just sheer size, too,
otherwise Hulk Hogan would have been the biggest box office draw of the ‘80s.
D-d-dookie!
It might be a tumor.
It's not a tumor!
No spoilers, that doesn't happen. Although it's kind of a spoiler that it doesn't happen,
but you don't think the big friendly monkey is gonna die at the end of the movie? Whatever, spoilers!
Something about their movies just put a smile on our faces,
there’s a raw, visceral appeal to seeing these big, goofy meatheads gunning down bad guys and battling monsters,
and even when they’re playing outside their wheelhouse in comedies or kids movies,
you almost always leave the theater happy.
That’s the Rock’s main goal, after all,
He’s adamant that his movies should all have happy endings,
he even lobbied hard to change the finish of ‘Rampage’ after his gorilla friend George died in the climax.
Rock and Arnold both have a rep for being professionals who always bring a positive attitude to the set,
and are gracious and friendly with their millions… I'm doing it again... AND MILLIONS of fans.
This dude stopped his truck in the middle of the street... What's
up dude? You're gonna get hit by traffic, come on, let's get it.
No shit.
By no means does being a celebrity who can get people to vote for you make you not an asshole,
They’re two of the most likeable megastars in the history of Hollywood,
so how do we break the tie?
Well, until 5 million people vote for the Rock and actually let him govern them,
I think we have to give this category, and our competition to Arnold.
and we may have to revise this list once the Rock takes his inaugural oath,
but for now, Schwarzenegger still reigns supreme in my eyes.
Still, no matter who wins the battle of the brawn,
Arnold and the Rock are part of a rare breed.
Today, access to the Internet means celebrity is just a viral video away,
but in an age where fame is more accessible than ever,
these two giants are even more impressive.
Athletics - Arnold
Athletics - ROCK
Movies - ARNOLD
Movies - ROCK
The Rock’s first major movie role was in ‘The Mummy Returns,’
Arnold has a habit of popping up on reddit to offer heartfelt bodybuilding advice,
and you just have to take one look at the Rock’s Instagram to see how much he loves his adoring populace.
Well,
Thanks for watching,
This was a tough decision to make,
But, come on, I’m sure the Rock would agree that Arnold is untouchable.
Do you guys agree?
Or is the Rock the most electrifying man in entertainment?
Leave a comment, let me know,
and as always, please subscribe to NTN
