Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Primatologist Davis Okoye shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals. As these newly created alpha predators tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.
Rampage is a serviceable but formulaic creature feature based on the classic arcade game. The plot is thin and predictable, hitting every expected beat of the 'giant monster destroys city' genre with little surprise. Dwayne Johnson's charisma carries the acting more than the script deserves, but the supporting cast is largely wasted or cartoonishly villainous. Cinematography is competent for a blockbuster — the monster sequences are reasonably well-staged and Chicago's destruction is visually coherent. Novelty is low; despite the video game IP, the film recycles kaiju and creature-feature tropes wholesale without a distinctive voice or creative spin. The ending resolves conveniently and sentimentally, leaning on the gorilla-friendship angle to generate emotion the narrative hasn't fully earned.