‘Young Rock’ Reviews: What Critics Are Saying About Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Sitcom

Young Rock aired its first episode on Tuesday, providing the first glimpse into the life of a young Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The show is supposed to examine the wrestler-turned-action star’s formative years and why he became one of the biggest names in Hollywood. The fans have voiced varying opinions about whether the show is worth watching, but the critics have been very positive.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, Young Rock is “certified fresh” with a critical score of 88%. The majority of critics rave about various aspects of the show, including the diversity and how certain flashbacks try to “teach lessons” instead of simply being funny for no reason. Here is what the top critics are saying after three episodes.

Relatable Characters

Jen Chaney reviewed Young Rock for Vulture and highlighted the show’s ability to hit the emotional trifecta of freakish, absurd, and touching. The review also focused on the standout cast members that portray prominent figures from Johnson’s life. She referred to them as “instantly likable” and mentioned how they help make the show more fun. 

“While all three of the actors who play Johnson in the ’80s and ’90s have natural screen presence, it’s Anderson and Leilua whose performances register most strongly, in part because they appear most consistently in the time jumps,” Chaney writes in the review. “Rocky Johnson is overconfident and prone to ego inflation, but Anderson plays him with such smooth affability that it’s easy to understand why people tend to cut him so much slack. One ear-to-ear grin from that guy makes you want to believe what he’s selling, even if your instincts tell you loud and clear that he’s exaggerating.”

Bit Off Too Much

Allison Shoemaker of RogerEbert.com reviewed two of NBC’s new offerings — Young Rock and Kenan. She had positive comments overall about each show but mentioned that Johnson’s new sitcom bites off more than it can chew and that there are too many storylines in play. Though Shoemaker also praises the moments when the show focuses on one main topic.

“Yet when ‘Young Rock’ stops long enough to focus on any one story, it’s handled pretty well,” Shoemaker writes. “Who doesn’t want to watch a sitcom in which a young Dwayne Johnson goes to see ‘E.T.’ with Andre the Giant, or buys a crappy car for 103 bucks only to discover there’s a surprisingly wise dude named Waffle asleep in the backseat?”

Somehow Still Works

Ben Travers of IndieWire gave Johnson’s new show a B-minus while talking about potential issues with the show becoming more of a “campaign ad” than an actual comedy series. The writer specifically mentioned the timing of the show’s premise considering the recent election and a campaign featuring Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Though Travers also writes that the show somehow still works despite the emphasis on presidential campaigns.

“Plenty of individual components within ‘Young Rock’ should capsize the series, whether it’s the four timelines, the nagging narration, or the forced framing device,” Travers writes. “The pilot, which tries to introduce all four versions of The Rock, is a bit of a mess, bogged down by bloat that could easily have plagued every part of the show. Instead, showrunner and executive producer Nahnatchka Khan, the phenomenal writer behind ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ and ‘Always Be My Maybe,’ reins the ambitious plotlines together, incorporates fresh themes, and avoids all-too-obvious endings.”

Highly-Stylized

Dorian Parks of Geeks of Color reviewed Young Rock and acknowledged an aspect that many viewers discussed after the show’s first episode. Many said that Johnson was “stroking his ego” with the show, but the reviewer said that a “show-offy approach” is very much his style. Parks said that there isn’t really any other way to tell Johnson’s story.

“I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed all three episodes,” Parks writes in the review. “Pilots for sitcoms can be hit or miss, and the first episode knocks it out of the park as the show is both new and familiar. It is refreshing to see a fairly new group of diverse Black and Polynesian actors take centre stage in a typical American sitcom, which gives off that familiarity that Khan so perfectly captured in Fresh off the Boat.”

Glimpse Into the Future?

Melanie McFarland of Salon reviewed Young Rock and tried to determine if the new sitcom is more akin to The Wonder Years or if it is simply a prediction of the future presidential campaigns. She mentioned in the review that there was some “apprehension” about the show’s premise but also said that it was more for display only.

“People struggling to wrap their arms around initial episodes of ‘Young Rock’ may find a reason to stick around in the show’s outstanding crew of actors impersonating such ’80s-era wrestling legends as Ric Flair and Iron Sheik,” McFarland writes in the review. “That much the show nails straightaway, and a sixth episode adventure featuring a day out with Andre the Giant (Matthew Willig) is especially enchanting. Willig channels the lovable tenderness of the towering icon which a gentle joy capable of melting away all doubts about this show.”

Sweet Lessons

Tim Stevens of The Spool highlighted very different aspects of Young Rock while referring to it as an appealing and tender show. He explained that while he doesn’t want to see Johnson become President of the United States in the near future, he does express a fascination for the “future” sequences that show the actor as a candidate instead of an actor.

“The flashbacks, which make up the bulk of each episode, tend to be gentle affairs, more interested in being sweet and teaching a lesson than in being funny,” Stevens writes. “When paired with the framing device, Young Rock feels almost didactic. Johnson is here to teach you about what’s important in life and, wouldn’t you know it, he has a relatable anecdote from his past to illustrate the point.”

A Solid Start

Liz Shannon Miller of Collider gave Young Rock an A-minus while praising the way in which Johnson showcases vulnerability while discussing mistakes from his past. She compared the show to Ballers in the sense that the best moments focused on the former professional wrestler turning his weaknesses into strengths while displaying dignity and grace. 

“Young Rock, in some sense, explodes this concept to an even greater degree, with The Rock acknowledging and embracing every ounce of his unconventional childhood and his awkward adolescence, admitting to less-than-savory behavior and bringing forward his humiliations with the sort of pride and self-confidence that come from having lived life well, and learning from your mistakes,” Miller writes. “As a TV show, Young Rock is off to a solid start, and as a look into how The Rock became the baller he is today, it’s must-see TV.”