Rampage starring Dwayne Johnson is less a sci-fi disaster film, it's more just a disaster [Review]
Even Dwayne Johnson couldn't secure a higher rating for this film.Rampage is a science-fiction film featuring Dwayne Johnson, massive explosions, destruction, and giant monsters.
In the film, samples of a deadly genetic experiment from a satellite in space come crashing down to Earth, infecting animals and turning them into gigantic, aggressive beasts.
One of the samples crashes into a wildlife reserve and infects George, a gorilla rescued from poachers by David Okoye (Dwayne Johnson).
Okoye is a primatologist, and has developed a method of communicating with George using sign-language. Over the years they have become best friends. But once infected, George grows to become a giant killing machine. He ignores Okoye and heads straight for the city of Chicago. Now it's up to Okoye and genetic engineer Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) to stop the monsters and find a cure.
There’s widespread destruction and killing in the film, as the monsters wreak havoc in Chicago, destroying buildings, cars and mauling people. But we never really get to see who these people are, and this makes it hard to feel the true impact of their deaths.
Destruction on this scale also means the view lacks a real sense of what’s at stake for the main characters, and in the end it doesn’t seem they have anything to lose.
There isn’t really any tension, surprises or any particular drama ... which just makes it boring to watch.
The dialogue in this film is really annoying at times, providing clunky exposition and sometimes silly exclamations that add nothing to the film.
There are also several pointless characters, such as the government agent Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who cages George after he escapes from the wildlife sanctuary. After watching the film, it is still unclear what purpose his character serves other than as a lazy tool to progress the plot of the film.
Overall, Rampage doesn’t bring anything new or exciting to the table in the crowded arena of films about giant monsters destroying cities. The film is quite unintelligent, and sometimes a drag to watch, but fans of Dwayne Johnson and those in the mood for watching mindless destruction might be able to find something to enjoy.