Rampage: Review

Last month's Tomb Raider significantly raised the previously shocking standard of the video game movie genre. That said, whilst it wasn't revolutionary it was most certainly a step in the right direction, but can Rampage follow in its footsteps? Dwayne Johnson stars as primatologist Davis Okoye who buddies with geneticist Dr. Kate Caldwell - Namoi Harris - to save Chicago from being destroyed by three animals who become infected with a dangerous pathogen. 

King Kong meets the King of Guilty Pleasure in the ridiculously stupid but nonetheless exceptionally fun Rampage. Considering the storyline of the classic 80's arcade game revolves purely around playing a ginormous monster trying to smash up the city - Rampage indeed improves on its source material. It's pure, dumb fun - if you were expecting any more from a movie that sees a gorilla flip off, fist bump and use a fingering gesture towards Dwayne Johnson you're most definitely in the wrong screen.  In fact, this movie begs you to just sit back, relax and shove as much popcorn in your face as possible - it's as if you can feel Dwayne Johnson's cheeky smile commanding you to have fun.

First San Andreas then last year's Baywatch and now Rampage - Johnson proves once again that the odd guilty pleasure movie goes a long way. Does he play the same smouldering, ex-army character as always? of course! but he just does it so damn well. When it comes to his acting roster it's a simple case of if it ain't broke don't fix it. Cheeky and charismatic as always, Johnson continues to dominate the silver screen as the lovable man of action.

Although the goal is to ultimately deliver that action packed third act, Rampage is engaging all along the way. Straight from the explosive opening scene you instantly get the feeling that you're about to spend one-hundred and seven minutes of your day not being bored. Taking just about every cliché from the playbook - an evil science corporation, trigger happy military men, bumbling sidekicks, sex jokes and exuberantly cheesy dialog - Rampage embraces the silly clichéd formula to deliver a film that is far more enjoyable than it has any right to be. 

Johnson joyfully and effortlessly carries this entire popcorn disaster movie, and I fear Rampage wouldn't have turned out so well without him. Rampage is a ridiculous, extremely cringeworthy monster movie that is incredibly enjoyable but doesn't take itself at all seriously. By this point in Johnson's extensive career you know just about what you're going to get. It succeeds as it doesn't try to be anything more complicated than it already is - if you're up for an energetic popcorn smash up featuring a giant gorilla, thirty foot flying wolf and sky scraping killer croc - then you'll love Rampage for the irresistible, laugh out loud guilty pleasure it is. 

Rampage:

Good