Based on the classic arcade game, Rampage brings iconic characters George, Lizzie, and Ralph to life. Sprinkle in some Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and you have yourself a Hollywood blockbuster. I was pleasantly surprised by this film’s ability to make me audibly “oooh” and “awwww.” I can typically see movie cliches coming from a kilometer away, but Rampage defeated my expectations. The film doesn’t tell the greatest story, as expected from a movie about giant lizards and gorillas, but it showcases a beautiful message about friendship all while delivering bad ass action scenarios.
I like what Rampage brings to the gigantic monster genre that seems to be making a comeback in America with movies like Godzilla and Kong Skull Island. Without thinking too hard about it, the cause of the monster’s growth in Rampage makes sense to me, and the writers do a great job at explaining the origins of all the beasts and how they came to be. Dwayne Johnson’s role in this film is very similar to Chris Pratt’s role in Jurassic World, except ‘The Rock’ kicks more ass, gigantic lizard booty to be exact.
I like the relationship between George, the albino gorilla, and Davis Okoye ( played by ‘The Rock’). Davis doesn’t like to socialize with humans because he was a former US soldier who had seen the horrible things that people did to other people during the war. Therefore, he turned to animals as his source of friendship. As the film progressed, I realized that George and Davis would do anything for each other, because they shared a bro-mance. Another interesting relationship throughout the film came between Davis and Harvey Russel ( played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, known for his role as Negan in The Walking Dead). It was interesting to watch their easily recognized egos clash and then later set aside for the greater good of humanity.
Rampage lives up to its title as George, Lizzie, and Ralph undoubtedly wreak havoc amongst most of Chicago. Watching the three beasts duke it out is where this movie really shines, as is expected. The fighting was the result of a bunch of senseless bashing. Instead, each of the three monsters strategies and advantages stood out amongst each other. For the most part, Davis was pretty much useless when it came to dealing damage to the antagonists, but did a fantastic job at setting up George to deliver some nasty blows.
Conclusively, Rampage isn’t perfect, but it’s worth seeing. I feel like the movie missed a couple of notes with the corporate baddies and a reference to the old school arcade game itself, however, it delivers in other ways that compensate for those mistakes. In a big way. Rampage is family-friendly to an extent with a PG-13 rating, yet if you can get past that, you’ve got yourself a great night out with friends or family.
Rampage In theaters Now
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