Rampage (2018)

Elevator Pitch: When space based research into animal genetics goes wrong and the station is destroyed, canisters containing pathogens are scattered across the United States, turning a wolf in Wyoming, a crocodile in Florida and a domesticated gorilla in San Diego, into monsters. The owners of the genetics research company put out a signal drawing the animals to Chicago and an attempt by special forces to dispatch the wolf does not go well. Hence the trainer of the gorilla, Davis Okoye and a geneticist Dr Kate Caldwell, must join forces and get the giant gorilla on their side, in order to save the city from total destruction.

Content:  There is no sex or nudity, but the gorilla makes a particularly graphic sign of what Davis and Kate might get up to. The space station disintegrates as an opening scene. We meet the gorilla, George, at the wild life sanctuary when he is normal size. Later, growing, he is being transported in a  cargo plane when he escapes and the plane crashes, the main players parachuting to safety. The military are mobilised but do not make much headway, causing the general in charge to authorise the use of a stealth bomber with a big bomb on board. Unless our heroes can sort things out before it arrives Chicago will be toast.

A View: The critics were divided about this outing, and it was never going to get big approval, Business Insider’s headline read, “Critics are tearing apart The Rock’s new movie ‘Rampage’, calling it bland and ludicrous trash”. I’m afraid I am a bit of a technology geek, so I loved the dark and sinister stealth bomber. Anyway, it made a lot of money and there is a sequel in a pipeline somewhere. I have seen a lot of dreary stuff recently and so I give this outing an upvote. If you like the Rock and can tolerate monsters, pay the cost of the download. It is fun.

Additional Info: Apparently in its origins Rampage was an arcade game, the wolf being called “Ralph” and the crocodile “Lizzie”.