We are in a bit of a movie drought at the theaters right now. The past couple of weeks have seen the release of several mediocre films. I have been debating which of these films I would see at the theater. I like Dwayne Johnson, so I figured Rampage might be okay, although my expectations were pretty low for the film. Generally speaking, video games that have become films have not appealed to me. Although Tomb Raider was decent. But for every Tomb Raider, there are a dozen like Rampage.
Davis Okoye (Johnson) is a primatologist. He is a former special ops guy who would rather spend time with primates than people. While he has a general dislike for human interaction, his work includes teaching students about primates. Inside their habitat. The alpha in this habitat is an albino gorilla named George, who communicates effectively with Davis using sign language. When a genetic experiment in space goes awry, capsules with the genetic material fall to earth, genetically modifying three animals. A wolf in Wyoming, an alligator in Florida and our beloved, gentle George. The illegal genetic experiments cause all three animals to grow exponentially larger while creating mutations in the process. They also heal incredibly fast.
The company conducting the research is run by two young siblings, Claire (Malin Akerman) and Brett Wyden (Jake Lacy). The pair attempt to cover their tracks by drawing the creatures to Chicago by use of a special beacon. The creatures wreak havoc as they quickly traverse America leaving death and destruction in their wake. Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) used to work for the Wydens. She discovered that they were weaponizing her research and attempted to destroy it. Dr. Caldwell teams up with Davis in an attempt to stop the rampage. They run into a snag when another operator, Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), enters the picture. They form an awkward alliance to save Chicago. If they can gain control of the situation before the Air Force drops a MOAB bomb on the city.
The premise of Rampage is utterly ridiculous. The characters are cartoon-dimensional. While the writers attempted to add some dimension with the Harvey Russell character, there just isn't enough meat on the bones here. The premise is weak enough. Combined with weak characters, the only thing that modestly saved this film was a decent cast and a bit of humor tossed in. It is almost as if Rampage doesn't take itself seriously. Everything is done over the top with any semblance of reality tossed to the wind. An over-sized primate with a sense of humor was an odd way to infuse a bit of life into this film, but that rare bit of quality was about the only value I found here.
Truth be told, I wasn't expecting to like Rampage. I was hoping I would like it. Films like this have surprised me in the past. Although it is rare. I liked some of the cast. Harvey was just Negan with a different apocalyptic role. Dwayne Johnson was just the likable tough guy he plays in every film. Naomie Harris was solid. Akerman and Lacy were both horrible. Their characters and performances. The rest of the bit roles were just flat throw away roles with little for the actors to work with. Nothing stood out. Good or bad. As a whole, the cast was a mixed bag. It could have been better, with a better script, but getting anyone worthwhile to do this film was probably the greatest challenge.
Rampage has a one hour, 47 minute run time, which is generally a good spot to be in. The editing of this film was effective, as the film didn't lag. The transitions were easy enough to follow and the backstory was rendered effectively. For a film that wasn't necessarily slow, it was certainly forgettable. The film received a PG-13 rating in spite of some graphic CGI violence. I was honestly surprised to see it slipped under the R rating, which I'm sure they needed to do to hit their target teen audience. There are a couple of one-finger salutes in the film, crude language, death and violence. It is cartoonish and not excessively gory. PG-13 is probably dead on. Depending on your children. Kids prone to nightmares should probably take a pass on this one.
The video game Rampage was released shortly after my teen "gaming" years. I recall seeing the game, but never actually played it. I seem to recall it was just a game about doing as much destruction to a city as possible. A fairly simple concept. It's not a game I would necessarily expect a film to be based on. That lack of substance shows in the film. It is a linear story that attempts to create some depth, but just doesn't have enough to work with. The characters are flat, the story is unimaginative and the plot is ridiculous. The CGI was well done and I laughed a couple of times. Hardly enough to make a recommendation. 4.5/10.
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