Rampage: Four reasons it changes video game movies

Rampage hit theaters this weekend and while some critics find the movie without brains, the film has enough heart to maybe change the conversation about video game films!

This weekend we sat down with Jason Liles— who plays George the Gorilla in Rampage– and in that conversation we discussed why video game movies just seem to fail. One thing we discussed is the fact most studios get too fixated on adapting so many hours of material instead of focusing on the central elements that make a game engaging.

Rampage is a game which is so basic in nature it’s almost too easy to adapt. This said director Brad Peyton might be onto something. Maybe filmmakers should be focusing on more simplistic material to create a world around instead of adapting worlds that are already executed perfectly.

This film actually might be the turning point for the video game movie. Rampage is far from being the video game adaptation we needed, but it is the first one that you can make a strong argument for actually being good.

Here are a few reasons why. Caution: There are spoilers!

#1 Rampage knows how ridiculous it is.

When this movie gets stupid, it gets really stupid. That being said, everyone involved knows exactly what movie they signed up for.

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For example, in one sequence in this movie, Dwayne Johnson flies a helicopter, with no tail, off a falling skyscraper with three monsters, followed by crashing the chopper inside building debris. His co-star, Naomie Harris gets out of the wrecked chopper and says, “I cannot believe we survived that.”

Neither can we, Naomie. Neither can we.

Which perfectly sums up the experience of Rampage. It’s Indiana Jones surviving a nuclear blast inside a refrigerator for two hours straight. Usually, this would make me frustrated, but here it’s executed with charm.

#2 Strong action-packed finale

The advertising early on teased a team-up between George the gorilla and Dwayne Johnson at the end of this film. I kept thinking how on Earth are they going to make Dwayne Johnson a factoring threat among creatures this massive? The writing answers this question extremely well and you legitimately feel like The Rock can take down a giant crocodile. At the same time, you also feel the stakes of him and George losing this massive battle. The orchestration of these action scenes combined with the visual effects are impressive and feel like a less drunk Michael Bay. Mainly because of how the action is framed as well as cut together.

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#3 It makes you remember why you loved the games

Most video game adaptations have trouble recreating the joy the game provided. Some films like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and even the latest Tomb Raider struck on that chord a little. There’s an argument to be made that even Mortal Kombat accomplished it in the 90s without the heavy over-the-top violence.

All that aside, video game adaptations typically fail at capturing the essence of the source material. Rampage is one of the few adaptations that might make the viewer want to go back and play the game. That in itself is a success by everyone involved in the production of this movie.

#4 This movie has a heart

Rampage might be big, loud, and dumb, but it packs a major emotional punch within its central characters– Davis and George. The chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Jason Liles is strong, with moments that will have you laughing with them, as well as hurting for them. Jason Liles executes a very strong performance for his first time doing motion capture, showing the vulnerability of an ape going through changes he doesn’t fully understand. By the time George is cured of his aggression, you can see the regret in his eyes as well as his need to have his friend Davis calm him down. When the film enters its final climax the stakes are fully present because you truly care about whether George lives or dies.

Complaints

The film is certainly not without its flaws and has moments that will have some viewers rolling their eyes. Malin Ackerman might be the worst villain seen in years. She has done some decent performances in the past but she really left her talent at home for this one.

The movie also becomes a slog at times by succumbing to exposition in places that did not require it. No one cares about how the chemical was made that caused the creatures to become big. No one cares about the evil corporation who did this. Moreover, most of the explanations behind their evil motivations make absolutely no sense at all. If the film focused more on the relationship between George and Davis, instead of getting bogged down by secondary details and villains in the middle, then it possibly could’ve been a great film.

Next: Will Rampage get a sequel?

Final Thoughts

Overall, Rampage might lack the brains but the film has an emotional backbone to make up for it. If the film were a person, it would be a friendly giant with a big heart. It’s one of the few video game adaptations that might make the audience desire to play the video games again. The film has a messy middle section that explains itself probably a little too much, but despite all this, the chemistry between its central leads is enough to overcome these missteps. It’s not a home run but it’s a promising step in the right direction for video game movies.

Rampage is in theaters everywhere.