Cinematic adaptations are difficult endeavors, but video games movies in particular have had a particularly hard time in Hollywood. What may be a popular video game to play either by yourself or in the company of others doesn't always translate into a good movie, whether it's because the source material just doesn't work in this kind of medium or because the creative minds didn't have a good grasp on the source material. The Dwayne Johnson-led Rampage is the latest video game movie to head to theaters, and the reviews are finally starting to pour in. Overall, it appears that while Rampage is an exciting and action-packed blockbuster, it isn't without plenty of issues.
Starting off, CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg gave Rampage three out of five stars, saying that the movie is quite silly, but its self-awareness and "weird amount of fun" manages to push it outside of the "not great" to "garbage" spectrum that many video game movies find themselves in.
It's easy to enjoy a big, knowingly dumb blockbuster, and that's exactly how you can categorize Brad Peyton's Rampage.
IGN's Jim Vejvoda also had a similar mixed reaction, giving Rampage a 5.5 out of 10 score. In his mind, the movie's script was "stone cold stupid," but it serves as an effective piece of escapism.
Rampage doesn't really offer much of anything new as a giant monster movie, a video game adaptation, or a Dwayne Johnson vehicle, but it still checks all the boxes expected from it, offering one just enough entertainment value to not make you completely hate it.
Next we have Justin Lowe from The Hollywood Reporter, who commended Dwayne Johnson's David Okoye (particularly his scenes with George the gorilla), and predicted that a sequel and video game adaptation is on the way.
Although their spectacular clashes provide most of the movie's visual thrills, the escalating conflict between George and Davis remains the principal narrative dynamic.
Variety's Peter Debruge was more critical towards Rampage, noting that while it was better than Dwayne Johnson's last video game movie outing, Doom (which isn't saying much), it still felt incredibly cliched and derivative.
Watching it, you can imagine the creative team straining to adequately acknowledge the source material, but they would have been better off starting from scratch.
Kyle Anderson from Nerdist was another critic who had mixed views on Rampage, declaring that the movie "delights in its absurdity in a way most big-budget movies don't."
Rampage is exactly the kind of knowingly ridiculous blockbuster spectacle we were hoping to get. It's not a fantastic movie, but it never tries to be more or less than the premise and players make it, and at well under two hours, it doesn't overstay its welcome like the more bloated, self-serious Michael Bay-ish efforts of the world.
Finally, Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashawaty gave Rampage a C-, as he wasn't wowed by Dwayne Johnson's performance or the rest of the story.
...This is a movie about one haunted gentle giant's bond with another haunted gentle giant. And it never makes up its mind whether it wants to be a what-hath-science-wrought disaster movie like those old John Sayles cheapie classics Piranha and Alligator, or just a big, dumb, and loud tongue-in-cheek action comedy. It's a movie that's afraid to pick a lane.
This is just a small sampling of Rampage reviews that have now hit the web, so feel free to read what other people thought of the movie. That being said, it sounds like if you're looking for a fun, simple blockbuster to enjoy at the theater, this is a decent pick. Just don't expect it to walk away with any major accolades.
You can judge Rampage for yourself when it hits theaters this Friday, April 13. As for the other movies arriving later this year, you can find release date information in our 2018 premiere guide.
