Rampage

Big meets bigger
Big meets bigger

RAMPAGE (12)

D: Brad Peyton

Warner Bros/New Line/Seven Bucks (Brad Peyton, Beau Flynn, John Rickard & Hiram Garcia)

US 2018

107 mins


Action/Science Fiction


W: Ryan Engle, Carlton Cuse, Ryan J. Condal & Adam Sztykiel [based on the video game by Midway Games]

DP: Jaron Presant

Ed: Jim May & Bob Ducsay

Mus: Andrew Lockington


Dwayne Johnson (Davis Okoye), Naomie Harris (Dr. Kate Caldwell), Malin Åkerman (Claire Wyden), Jake Lacy (Brett Wyden), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Harvey Russell), Joe Manganiello (Burke)


Man vs giant animals were a big Hollywood trend of the 1970's, with films like Night Of The Lepus, Food Of The Gods and the '76 King Kong remake all released during the decade, films which featured quite ridiculous concepts and rather shoddy effects. 

Rampage takes its plot from a video game, and though there is an improvement on visual effects, the story is still as ludicrous as the films of the '70's.

When a genetic experiment on an orbiting space station goes wrong, debris rains down across America and affects a trio of animals, one of which is a albino gorilla under the care of San Diego primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson).

The company behind the genetic experiment have their own nefarious purposes, and summon the three animals (the others being a huge flying wolf and a giant crocodile) to Chicago, where they unleash carnage.

It's another brainless action vehicle which Dwayne Johnson has built his entire film career on, and, despite the ridiculousness of the plot, is reasonably entertaining for the duration. The script is cheesy, the performances unconvincing and even Jeffrey Dean Morgan pops up, playing the exact same character he does in TV's The Walking Dead.

The giant ape effects are quite spectacular, but the other two animals are quite poorly rendered. It's obvious where the budget went.

4/10


Rampage
Rampage