Rampage (2018) Review
3:28 PM
Big Meets Bigger
As expected, Rampage is a very dumb film. Some may say it is the lowest common denominator of entertainment, it appears as if the four writers used absolutely zero logic when creating the screenplay for this film. However, Rampage is also one of those rare films where it can get away with being so stupid because it is a tonne of fun! This film is so ridiculous but anyone who can switch their brain off for 110 minutes should enjoy it. Dwayne Johnson continues to appear in films like this but I think Rampage is the trashiest he can go before he crosses into straight-up rubbish territory. Everything about Rampage could be better, but it is popcorn entertainment at its silliest and also its most fun.
Cinephiles are going to hate this film. It embodies everything about the modern Hollywood blockbuster that people dislike: a crazy but unexplained plot, hardly any character development, dodgy CGI and serviceable performances. Rampage does the bare minimum. For example, there is one scene of Davis (Johnson) and George interacting before George is exposed to the pathogen. In this one scene, Davis calls George his friend enough times for the writers to feel satisfied that the audience will believe their close connection. As this is a brainless film I went with it but any other film would be condemned for such lazy plot and character development. Davis and Kate (Harris) are one-dimensional characters. The script informs us that Davis used to be a part of the armed forces and that Kate worked for Energyne and was imprisoned for trying to expose the company. This information is delivered to the audience via the most obvious way of exposition. A (touching and sweet) flashback also shows how Davis and George first met. It is almost as if the writers felt like they did not have to bother explaining everything. Able to switch off your brain? See Rampage for a fun time at the cinema. Otherwise, proceed with caution as this film is lazily written and is never logical. Rampage is dumb.
It may be stupid but Rampage is one of the most entertaining films that has been released this year. The film is constantly exciting. Director Brad Peyton teases each of the monsters well. First, there is George the albino gorilla who the audience gets to develop a (slight) connection with. Then, there is Ralph the wolf. Ralph is first teased when the pathogen lands near a wolf-pack; later on, we revisit this area and see that the wolf-pack has been slaughtered. This was a good way of showing how dangerous Ralph can be. Finally, a pathogen lands near the Everglades; the crocodile is not revealed to the audience until the final act but it is wonderfully teased throughout the film. The thought of animals becoming deadly monsters is a scary yet exhilarating concept. The humour was a little too crude for my liking; prepare to see George the gorilla make some rude gestures with his hands. Rampage is also a surprisingly violent film; most characters are killed off shortly after their introduction, some of which die in pretty brutal ways (when George eats a notable character and when the wolf claims one of its first human victims were two of the most memorable moments). Rampage is fun.
Dwayne Johnson is one of the most prolific actors working today. The only problem I have with Johnson is that he continues to play similar characters in films with similar tones. I worry that one-day audiences (including myself) will become tired of Johnson and that he will become the next Adam Sandler. Despite playing essentially the same character he plays in all of his films, Johnson still manages to lose himself in his role; I did not consciously feel like I was watching Dwayne Johnson, but instead I was watching Davis Okoye. This definitely is one of Johnson's more forgettable roles as it is so interchangeable with everything else he has done. Naomie Harris is fine; her American accent is very wobbly at the start but she soon becomes more consistent. There is not much to her role and I do not blame Harris for doing little with the character. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is never likable (in the best way possible); even though he is not an antagonist, there is something about his performance that makes you unsure about his character's motivations. Unfortunately, Malin Akerman is not so great as the film's villain. Akerman's performance is as one-dimensional and wooden as the way the character is written. Akerman does nothing with the role (I think she could have done a much better job) and she sticks out as the film's weakest link.
Rampage is occasionally visually impressive but too often, the visual effects look unrealistic and more animated than lifelike. Any film that features a CGI monkey is going to be forever compared to the recent Planet of the Apes films which have set the bar for CGI monkeys. George looks good, but there are moments where the gorilla does look like a computer creation rather than an actual animal. The same can be said for both the wolf and crocodile. The way the wolf has been realised was my favourite; Ralph looks terrifying, has a cool flying skill and moves ferociously (the shots of Ralph attacking any object were the film's strongest). Aside from the CGI creatures, the visual effects overall are not always consistently impressive. The use of green screen is often obvious and the POV/close-up shots of the characters, while they were parachuting, were weird and the opposite of aesthetically pleasing.
Everything about Rampage is mixed. Some moviegoers will be able to see past the film's faults and appreciate it for the fun and enjoyable popcorn flick that it was intended to be. However, others will notice the lazy writing and not be able to see past the film's ridiculousness. Dwayne Johnson is as likable as ever and thankfully makes up for the supporting cast who fail to make much of an impression. The visual effects are solid but I have seen better and with a $120 million budget, they should have been better. Rampage may be dumb, silly, stupid, ridiculous, mind-numbing, absurd and brainless but all of this can be overlooked because it is a fun and harmless film. Rampage is the best kind of trash.
It may be stupid but Rampage is one of the most entertaining films that has been released this year. The film is constantly exciting. Director Brad Peyton teases each of the monsters well. First, there is George the albino gorilla who the audience gets to develop a (slight) connection with. Then, there is Ralph the wolf. Ralph is first teased when the pathogen lands near a wolf-pack; later on, we revisit this area and see that the wolf-pack has been slaughtered. This was a good way of showing how dangerous Ralph can be. Finally, a pathogen lands near the Everglades; the crocodile is not revealed to the audience until the final act but it is wonderfully teased throughout the film. The thought of animals becoming deadly monsters is a scary yet exhilarating concept. The humour was a little too crude for my liking; prepare to see George the gorilla make some rude gestures with his hands. Rampage is also a surprisingly violent film; most characters are killed off shortly after their introduction, some of which die in pretty brutal ways (when George eats a notable character and when the wolf claims one of its first human victims were two of the most memorable moments). Rampage is fun.
Dwayne Johnson is one of the most prolific actors working today. The only problem I have with Johnson is that he continues to play similar characters in films with similar tones. I worry that one-day audiences (including myself) will become tired of Johnson and that he will become the next Adam Sandler. Despite playing essentially the same character he plays in all of his films, Johnson still manages to lose himself in his role; I did not consciously feel like I was watching Dwayne Johnson, but instead I was watching Davis Okoye. This definitely is one of Johnson's more forgettable roles as it is so interchangeable with everything else he has done. Naomie Harris is fine; her American accent is very wobbly at the start but she soon becomes more consistent. There is not much to her role and I do not blame Harris for doing little with the character. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is never likable (in the best way possible); even though he is not an antagonist, there is something about his performance that makes you unsure about his character's motivations. Unfortunately, Malin Akerman is not so great as the film's villain. Akerman's performance is as one-dimensional and wooden as the way the character is written. Akerman does nothing with the role (I think she could have done a much better job) and she sticks out as the film's weakest link.
Rampage is occasionally visually impressive but too often, the visual effects look unrealistic and more animated than lifelike. Any film that features a CGI monkey is going to be forever compared to the recent Planet of the Apes films which have set the bar for CGI monkeys. George looks good, but there are moments where the gorilla does look like a computer creation rather than an actual animal. The same can be said for both the wolf and crocodile. The way the wolf has been realised was my favourite; Ralph looks terrifying, has a cool flying skill and moves ferociously (the shots of Ralph attacking any object were the film's strongest). Aside from the CGI creatures, the visual effects overall are not always consistently impressive. The use of green screen is often obvious and the POV/close-up shots of the characters, while they were parachuting, were weird and the opposite of aesthetically pleasing.
Everything about Rampage is mixed. Some moviegoers will be able to see past the film's faults and appreciate it for the fun and enjoyable popcorn flick that it was intended to be. However, others will notice the lazy writing and not be able to see past the film's ridiculousness. Dwayne Johnson is as likable as ever and thankfully makes up for the supporting cast who fail to make much of an impression. The visual effects are solid but I have seen better and with a $120 million budget, they should have been better. Rampage may be dumb, silly, stupid, ridiculous, mind-numbing, absurd and brainless but all of this can be overlooked because it is a fun and harmless film. Rampage is the best kind of trash.
58
/100
What did you think of RAMPAGE? Did you find it more dumb or more fun? - COMMENT BELOW
2 comments
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There was a moment toward the end where the green screen effects did show slightly fake, this might have been an editing error, but all in all this film wasn't that bad.
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