Rampage (2018) Movie Review: A Monster-Sized Adventure

 

Rampage (2018): Dumb Fun Done Exactly Right

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Look, I'm going to level with you right from the start - if you go into Rampage expecting anything more than giant monsters destroying cities while Dwayne Johnson flexes his way through cheesy one-liners, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. But here's the thing: this movie knows exactly what it is, and it delivers on that promise with the kind of gleeful stupidity that's become increasingly rare in our overly serious blockbuster landscape.

I walked into this movie with zero expectations. Video game adaptations have a legendary track record of being absolute garbage, and let's be honest, the original Rampage arcade game had about as much plot as a bag of peanuts. But sometimes the best surprises come from the lowest expectations, and Rampage manages to be the rare video game movie that actually understands its source material.

The Plot (And Why It Doesn't Matter)

The story is refreshingly straightforward: a genetic experiment goes wrong (shocking, I know), and three animals - a gorilla, a wolf, and a crocodile - get infected with a pathogen that makes them grow to massive size and become incredibly aggressive. Primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) has to team up with a disgraced genetic engineer (Naomie Harris) and a government agent (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to stop these creatures from destroying major American cities.

That's it. That's the whole plot. No complicated mythology, no universe-building nonsense, no subplot about the protagonist's troubled past that takes up half the runtime. Just: animals get big, animals get mad, animals destroy stuff, people try to stop them. It's beautiful in its simplicity.

The movie clocks in at a brisk 107 minutes, which means it doesn't overstay its welcome. Every scene either advances the plot, develops character relationships, or shows us giant monsters wrecking things. There's no fat on this thing, which is exactly what a movie like this needs.

The Rock Being The Rock

Dwayne Johnson is doing his usual charismatic action hero thing, and honestly, I'm not tired of it yet. Davis Okoye is basically just The Rock in a different shirt, but Johnson brings enough genuine warmth and humor to make it work.

The best part of his performance is his relationship with George, the albino gorilla he's raised since infancy. Johnson actually sells the emotional connection between these characters, which is crucial because the entire movie hinges on us caring about their bond. When George is suffering or in danger, Johnson's concern feels real, not manufactured.

Johnson also handles the movie's frequent shifts between action and comedy well. He can deliver a heartfelt moment with George, then immediately pivot to making jokes about government bureaucracy without it feeling jarring. That's harder than it looks, and it's one of the reasons he's become such a reliable movie star.

His action sequences are solid, though nothing groundbreaking. Johnson isn't asked to do anything particularly demanding physically, but he brings his usual intensity and physicality to the role. The man knows how to make running away from giant monsters look heroic.

Supporting Cast That Actually Supports

Naomie Harris as Dr. Kate Caldwell could have been a thankless exposition-delivery role, but she brings enough intelligence and determination to make the character feel like a real scientist rather than just "the smart lady who explains things." Her backstory about working for the evil corporation is thin, but Harris sells her guilt and desire for redemption.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan is clearly having a blast as Harvey Russell, the cowboy-hat-wearing government agent who shows up to handle the crisis. He's playing the character with just enough swagger and humor to make him memorable without becoming a cartoon. His verbal sparring with Johnson provides some of the movie's best comedy moments.

Malin Åkerman and Jake Lacy as the villainous Wyden siblings are appropriately over-the-top corporate bad guys. They're not particularly complex or interesting, but they serve their purpose as people we want to see get their comeuppance. Åkerman in particular seems to be enjoying playing someone this ruthlessly evil.

Joe Manganiello shows up briefly as a military leader, and while his role is small, he brings enough authority to make the military response feel credible rather than incompetent.

The Real Stars: Giant Angry Animals

Let's be honest - we're not here for the human drama. We're here to see a giant gorilla, wolf, and crocodile tear apart major American cities, and the movie delivers on this front in spectacular fashion.

George the Gorilla is the clear standout. The motion capture work brings real personality to the character, and his relationship with Davis provides the emotional core of the film. Even when he's in full rage mode, there are glimpses of the gentle creature he used to be.

Ralph the Wolf is pure nightmare fuel. The creature design makes him look like something that escaped from a horror movie, with his pack-hunting intelligence making him arguably more dangerous than the other two monsters. His scenes stalking through the city are genuinely tense.

Lizzie the Crocodile is the most destructive of the three, and her rampage through downtown Chicago is the movie's visual highlight. The way she moves through the city, using buildings as cover and weapons, shows real thought went into choreographing these destruction sequences.

Destruction Porn Done Right

This is where Rampage really shines. The destruction sequences are spectacular, creative, and most importantly, fun to watch. Unlike some disaster movies that make city-wide destruction feel depressing or traumatic, this movie keeps things light and entertaining.

The Chicago sequence is particularly impressive. The monsters each have different fighting styles and methods of destruction, which keeps the chaos from becoming monotonous. George uses his intelligence and agility, Ralph hunts from the shadows, and Lizzie is just pure destructive force.

The visual effects team clearly had fun designing these sequences. Buildings don't just collapse - they get creatively demolished in ways that feel both realistic and entertaining. The attention to detail in how these creatures would actually move through an urban environment is impressive.

Brad Peyton's direction keeps the action clear and comprehensible. Despite all the chaos happening on screen, you can always follow what's happening and understand the spatial relationships between the monsters and the humans trying to stop them.

Humor That Actually Works

One of Rampage's biggest strengths is its sense of humor. The movie is consistently funny without resorting to the kind of forced quips that plague so many modern blockbusters. The comedy comes from character interactions and situational humor rather than characters making jokes during life-or-death moments.

Johnson and Morgan have particularly good chemistry, with their banter feeling natural rather than scripted. The movie also isn't afraid to poke fun at its own absurdity, acknowledging how ridiculous the premise is without winking at the audience.

The best comedy moments come from George's sign language conversations with Davis. The gorilla's sarcastic responses and crude gestures provide some genuine laugh-out-loud moments that feel organic to their relationship.

Technical Craftsmanship

The visual effects are genuinely impressive. The three monsters feel like they have real weight and presence in the environments they're destroying. The motion capture work on George is particularly strong, bringing real emotion and personality to the character.

Andrew Lockington's score hits all the right notes without being particularly memorable. It enhances the action and emotional moments without calling attention to itself, which is exactly what this kind of movie needs.

The sound design deserves special recognition. The roars, crashes, and destruction all have real impact, making the monsters feel genuinely threatening and the destruction feel consequential.

What It Gets Right About Video Game Movies

Rampage succeeds as a video game adaptation because it understands that the original game was about the simple pleasure of destruction. There's no attempt to create complex lore or explain why the monsters look exactly like they do in the game. It just gives us updated versions of the characters and lets them loose.

The movie captures the arcade game's sense of escalating chaos perfectly. Just like in the game, the monsters start small and get progressively more powerful and destructive. The pacing mirrors the experience of playing through increasingly difficult levels.

Most importantly, it never takes itself too seriously. The original game was goofy fun, and the movie maintains that spirit while adding just enough character development and plot to sustain a feature-length runtime.

Minor Complaints

The movie's biggest weakness is probably its villains. While Åkerman and Lacy are entertaining enough, their motivations are pretty thin, and their plan doesn't really make much sense if you think about it for more than five seconds. But honestly, in a movie about giant monsters destroying cities, complex villain motivations aren't really necessary.

Some of the military response sequences feel a bit generic. We've seen these "helicopters shooting at giant monsters" scenes a thousand times before, and Rampage doesn't bring anything particularly new to them.

The movie also plays things pretty safe in terms of consequences. Despite all the destruction, the human casualties are kept mostly off-screen, which maintains the light tone but occasionally makes the stakes feel less immediate.

Nostalgic Appeal

For those of us who remember pumping quarters into the Rampage arcade machine, this movie hits all the right nostalgic notes. The monsters look and behave like updated versions of their pixelated ancestors, and the city destruction has that same satisfying feel as clearing a level in the original game.

The movie doesn't rely exclusively on nostalgia, though. It works as a standalone monster movie for people who have never heard of the game, which is crucial for reaching a broader audience.

Cultural Context

Rampage arrives at an interesting time for both video game movies and monster films. After years of terrible adaptations, we're finally starting to see filmmakers who understand that these properties need to be fun rather than serious. The movie's success helped pave the way for other lighter video game adaptations.

The film also benefits from our current fascination with giant monster movies. Coming after successful films like Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island, audiences were primed for this kind of spectacle.

Final Verdict

Rampage is the definition of a "turn your brain off and enjoy" movie, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It delivers exactly what it promises: giant monsters, spectacular destruction, and Dwayne Johnson being charismatic. Sometimes that's all you need.

The movie succeeds because it commits fully to its ridiculous premise without apologizing for it. It's not trying to be deep or meaningful - it just wants to entertain you for 107 minutes, and it absolutely succeeds in that goal.

This is the kind of movie that's perfect for a Saturday afternoon when you want something fun and uncomplicated. It's not going to change your life or make you think deeply about anything, but it will put a smile on your face and maybe make you nostalgic for simpler times when movies could just be fun without needing to set up seventeen sequels.

Bottom Line: Rampage is dumb, loud, and completely ridiculous - and that's exactly what makes it work. It's the rare modern blockbuster that remembers movies can just be fun.

Perfect For: Fans of the original arcade game, people who enjoy monster movies, anyone looking for uncomplicated action entertainment, and Dwayne Johnson fans.

Skip If: You need complex plots and deep character development, you're sensitive to city-wide destruction sequences, or you generally dislike "turn your brain off" action movies.

Best Viewing Experience: See it on the biggest screen possible with great sound. This is pure popcorn entertainment that benefits from theatrical presentation. Perfect for a group viewing where everyone can laugh and cheer together.