top of page
Eddie Williams

Rampage (2018) - Written Movie Review


Tonight I'm reviewing the film adaptation of the classic arcade game, Rampage, directed by Brad Peyton and stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Naomie Harris. Okoye (Dwayne Johnson), a primatologist shares a bond with George, an extraordinary, intelligent, incredibly rare albino silverback gorilla who has been in his care ever since he was rescued from poachers. When a rogue genetic experiment gone haywire mutates George, as well as a few other creatures, havoc tears across North America destroying everything in their path. Okoye teams up with ex-geneticist Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) to retrieve an antidote before the giant creatures destroy everything else that's left. I remember playing the video games back when I was younger and I remember enjoying them. Although, it's been about 20 years since I've played the game. When I heard that this video game was going to have a film adaptation, I thought it was pretty cool idea, but I was still a bit skeptical because we all know that video games adaptations haven't done well in the past. This was one of the few occasions due to personal reasons where I ended up missing this film when it was in theaters. I've also heard a lot of heavily mixed reviews on this as well, which makes me beg the question, why? After finally seeing it, I thought this film was fantastic! This is probably one of the best video game adaptations we've had in a long time. Starting with my pros, I thought the cast was great for the most part, except for the lady "villain " partner who I found somewhat annoying. I thought this was Dwayne Johnson's best movie of the year. He definitely was way better in this film than Skyscraper. I like that they finally showed vulnerability in him for once instead of being a guy that has no cuts or bruises on him at the end of a film. I really loved Johnson's chemistry with George. It was really heartwarming. I really enjoyed Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character. A side of him acting like Negan at times, I thought he brought some comic relief to the film that wasn't overdone and blends well with the story without making it feel like a straight up comedy. The cinematography was also fantastic. The CGI was rendered very well in this film, except for a scene or two. What caught me by surprise was the brutality in this film. I personally thought it was gonna be one of those watered down action flicks that's for children, which kids can still watch, but wow, it has a lot of blood and decapitation that don't shy away off-screen. I thought the fight sequences between the three creatures were pretty damn cool. If I had any complaints, one would be me questioning why the other two creatures were a blend of other species of animals, but George was just George, even when he got exposed to the same chemicals. Another minor complaint I have was the girl villain and her partner. Other than their company being the ones that made the chemical , I don't understand her purpose in wanting the creatures to destroy cities just to get to her building to destroy a mechanism component that drives them crazy. I thought that was a little bit unexplained but for the most part, but it didn't matter because this film was extremely fun from beginning to end. Again, I don't understand the hate for this film, I enjoyed it quite a lot and I highly recommend it.

Final Grade:

What are your thoughts on this film? Leave me a comment below and I'll see you in the next review.


Contact us at:

Links:

  • Pinterest Social Icon
  • Facebook Social Icon
  • YouTube Social  Icon
  • Twitter Social Icon
  • SoundCloud Social Icon
Comments

Share Your ThoughtsBe the first to write a comment.
bottom of page