Rampage
Film
Review by Kam Williams
Mutant
Monsters Decimate the Windy City in Old-Fashioned Horror Flick
Hey,
sci-fi fans, did you find it hard to stomach the sight of a human
mating with another species in The Shape of Water, too? If so, have I
got a movie that'll wash the bad taste right out of your mouth.
Call
me shallow, but I much prefer this old-fashioned monster flick.
Loosely based on the video game of the same name, Rampage is
reminiscent of campy Japanese classics like Godzilla (1954), King
Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) and Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964).
But instead of decimating Tokyo, the gargantuan creatures here have
their sights set on the Windy City. Another significant difference is
that Rampage is a big-budget spectacular that relies heavily on CGI
and state-of-the-art special f/x.
Otherwise,
you know the drill. Some ordinary animals morph into mammoth,
man-eating beasts in the wake of a scientific experiment gone
terribly wrong. In this case, we have a wolf, a crocodile and an
albino gorilla mutating into alpha predators.
The anthropomorphic primate actually has a name, George (Jason
Liles). That's because he was raised in captivity by Davis Okoye
(Dwayne Johnson), an ape-whisperer stationed in Rwanda where he heads
an anti-poaching unit dedicated to the preservation of endangered
species.
However,
he makes a beeline to Chicago as soon as he receives word that the
enormous animals have begun wreaking havoc. There, he joins forces
with Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris), a disgraced geneticist in
need of redemption with access to an antidote. But before the cure
can be administered, brace yourself for generous helpings of horror
fare, ranging from the scaling of skyscrapers, to mass hysteria in
mob scenes, to my favorite, helicopters swallowed whole.
Rampage
marks the third time director Brad Peyton has collaborated with
Dwayne Johnson following the equally-bombastic Journey 2 (2012) and
San Andreas (2015). The capable supporting cast includes Naomie
Harris, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman and Joe Manganiello.
For
all the visually-captivating action sequences, what I enjoyed most
about Rampage was the comic relief coming courtesy of the hero, and
invariably in the middle of major mayhem, as if to remind everybody
that we're just watching a movie. After a sightseeing boat filled
with tourists flips over, Davis says, "Well, that sucks."
Then, when an iconic building is flattened, it's, "I need a
drink." And as a menacing creature unexpectedly takes flight, he
matter-of-factly moans, "Of course, the wolf flies."
Not
only breathtaking stunts but perfect comedic timing from a beefy
action star at the top of his game!
Excellent
(4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for
violence, mass destruction, brief profanity and obscene gestures
Running time: 107
minutes
Production Studios:
Wrigley Pictures / Twisted Media / Flynn Picture Company
Distributor: New Line
Cinema
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