This is the last issue of The Weather Vane for this year, which makes this my last film review. While I was hoping that my last contribution to the Review page would be about a great film, I was seemingly destined for disappointment. Two equally dumb concepts bumbled their way into the box office: “Truth or Dare” and “Rampage.” I was not thrilled about my choices, but luckily, I have a rule about dumb concepts for films: when faced with two or more, always go with the one that stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. So, “Rampage” it is.
The plot is simple, bland, and nonsensical at points. A sinister company develops a pathogen that modifies the DNA of whatever is exposed to it, for reasons. The company accidentally infects three animals with the pathogen: George, a gorilla in the San Diego Zoo; a wolf in Wyoming; and a crocodile in the Everglades. The Rock’s character, Davis, is a primatologist at the zoo who likes animals more than people, for reasons. When George gets infected, the government captures him and puts him in a plane, for reasons. Then the company activates a radio tower that calls the animals to downtown Chicago, for reasons. The rest of the plot happens, for reasons.
Dumb concept and bland plot aside, “Rampage” turned out better than I expected. Of course, my expectations were low, so that was not a high bar to leap. Most of what I liked centers around Davis and his relationship with George. Their interactions are light and funny, filled with the levity that I wish the rest of the film provided. The whole thing is just a bit too serious for the concept. If a clown put on a suit and tie and showed up to a United Nations Security Council meeting still wearing his bright red nose, it still would not be as mismatched as the tone and concept of this film.
Overall, “Rampage” is average. The plot is bad. The characters are shallow. The special effects and the action are great, but that is not difficult to do when you have a $120 million budget. Every big-budget movie has good action.
I enjoyed the film, but it took itself too seriously and tried to cram in more technobabble to explain the DNA modifications than an average episode of “Star Trek.” With a different approach, “Rampage” could have been a good film. But it seems we are all destined for disappointment. Just add “Rampage” to a long list of ho-hum films in a ho-hum cinematic era. Go see it or do not. You will not gain or miss much.
