Apparently this movie is based on a late 80s arcade game. I've never played this game but this is what wikipedia has to say about it: "Players take control of gigantic monsters trying to survive against onslaughts of military forces. Each round is completed when a particular city is completely reduced to rubble. [x]" If destruction of cities is what you're looking for in a movie, Rampage is the movie for you. Based on this description of the game, I definitely think this film is pretty accurate to it's legacy and also probably does a good job of filling in any plot holes/ details that give the story more depth.
I went into the movie very nervous because anything involving animals always makes me cautious. The movie is really good about animal treatment and representation in that the characters are trying to protect the main "monster" from being destroyed by the government (who are just trying to save the city). I really appreciated how the plot emphasized that the "rampage" is not the animals' fault but the scientists who altered them. There are a lot of dimensions to the plot but long story short is that I left the theater feeling fine about the animals and their plot.
Dwayne Johnson is great, as he always is. There was a lot of comedy and he did a great job playing both the tough guy and the sensitive primatologist. I know he's known for playing essentially the same role in every movie but I really did enjoy this scientist character.
Where the plot really shines is with Naomie Harris's character Kate Caldwell. Her backstory is really interesting and well developed. I love a good tragic history as motivation for a character. It just helps the movie be a little bit more than just The Rock against mutated monster animals.
From what I can remember there weren't even any obnoxiously unneeded romantic scenes written in just for the sake of it. I really appreciate that. There was one comment toward the end that was annoying but that was about it. So the movie definitely gets some points from me for avoiding unnecessary romance subplots.
I enjoyed this movie in the way that I enjoy big-budget destruction movies. There's a lot of action and a lot of big fight scenes. It was fun to just sit back and watch all of Chicago be torn apart by three giant animals.
Was it my favorite movie? No, definitely not. It was fun and entertaining but it isn't in my list of top sci-fi movies by a long shot.
Would I recommend this movie? Yes. I saw it in a normal theater in 2D but it would be pretty cool in IMAX if you get the chance.
Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a comment. Let me know what you thought about Rampage.
–– Samantha
