![]() That’s where George lives and hangs out with Davis Okoye (Johnson), a loving primatologist who carries on conversations with the ape (performed in motion capture by Jason Liles) in sign language all day. But when an animal subject rebels, the whole shebang explodes into Earth’s atmosphere, dropping poisonous DNA canisters into a swamp (next to a croc), a prairie (by a wolf), and yes, into the gorilla enclosure at the San Diego Zoo. This vessel belongs to a corporation called Energyne, which has been carrying on the banned research for nefarious purposes. How did the albino gorilla (his name is George) get so big? Well, Rampage opens with a title card laying out the banned scientific practice of “genetic editing” (essentially, the rewriting of DNA), then cuts to a space station being terrorized by a rat the size of a tiger. But if you’re interested in watching some CGI creatures cause chaos while Johnson peppers in comments like, “Well, that’s not good!” then Rampage might do the trick. Once Rampage tries to weave in plot and characterization, the experiment becomes untenable. Perhaps a tonal clash was inevitable in a film with four credited writers, one that’s based on an ’80s arcade cabinet that consisted wholly of animals destroying skyscrapers. Any moment of real danger gets punctuated with gags like a gorilla’s middle finger. The director Brad Peyton (who worked with Johnson on Journey 2 and San Andreas) switches between shots of giant animals gleefully burrowing into the Willis Tower and brave first responders rescuing civilians. It’s a mismatch that only gets worse as things go along. But it’s also trying at all times to maintain a serious, highly macho vibe straight out of an ’80s Schwarzenegger movie, framing Johnson as an invincible hero who alone can save the day. It’s an entirely ridiculous film, churning out piles of CGI city-smashing carnage only for the audience’s enjoyment. Rampage faces the same essential problem so many disaster movies do. I went in looking for some good cheap fun in line with Johnson’s last blockbuster, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle-maybe a mix of expensive-looking action and jokes at the expense of Johnson’s super-sized muscles. It’s certainly the most apt representation of the viewing experience for this Dwayne Johnson–starring creature feature, an epic disaster movie that sees a mutated gorilla, crocodile, and wolf tear apart downtown Chicago. It’s telling that two of Rampage’s big set pieces end with a gigantic albino gorilla laughing and giving the finger straight into the camera.
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