Sometimes the silliest movies (or the stupidest, or the raunchiest, or the weirdest) offer more fun their more traditional counterparts, and that is certainly true for Rampage.  I had a blast watching this science-run-amok monsterfest, which is, essentially, an updated King Kong / Godzilla film with state-of-the-art special effects.  It is fast-paced fun, designed to thrill the kids in all of us that like to see model cities smashed to bits and mean ol’ monsters beat each other up.

Brad Peyton’s film is loosely based on the “Rampage” video game which originated in the 1980s, and of which I know very little.  Evidently in the game, people are transformed into monstrous beasts; here regular beasts are transformed into monstrous beasts, by an evil corporation trying to genetically create the perfect weapon.  Circumstances lead to three animals — an albino ape named George, a large wolf and a large crocodile — undergoing the transformation; only the ape has a chance to be saved by his human friend (Dwayne Johnson).

The script slings around some scientific mumbo-jumbo about the causes of the phenomenal growth rate and the addition of aggression and attributes of other species, just like the old monster movies.  But the plot takes a back seat to the action, especially as these monsters race toward Chicago, from which they are being lured by a radio signal.  I’m from the Chicago area, so it was great fun for me to see the monsters stomp, romp and swim through the city.

I’ll never call this a great movie.  Afterward I was questioning several points, and several filmmaking decisions.  But I had a good time while the projector was running, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  Sometimes that’s all you should ask for, and be happy when it occurs.  It’s a lot more vulgar than it needs to be; I’m glad I never saw King Kong flipping people off like George does.  Even so, I recommend Rampage as a fun destruction, uh, I mean distraction.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  26 April 2018.