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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Rampage (2018) in Movies

Jun 19, 2019  
Rampage (2018)
Rampage (2018)
2018 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
8
7.4 (116 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
I have long written about the troubled history of bringing video game movies to the screen. For every success such as “Resident Evil” there are failures such as “Super Mario Bros”, “Wing Commander”, “DOOM”, and countless others. In recent years studios have taken more control of films based on their titles and we have seen some better success at least from a financial point. I was on set and very briefly in “Postal” and “Far Cry” and between scenes it was explained to me that with many video game films, you can use names and a basic premise from the game, but visuals, scenarios and such are usually forbidden as they cannot follow past stories or impede on any possible new projects. What is left is usually something with the name of the game and a very loose association.

“Tomb Raider” and “Assassin’s Creed” recently had a solid box office and while “Warcraft” fizzled domestically it did well overseas but not enough to trigger a sequel but showed an upward trend of star power and bigger budgets for game related films.

All of which brings us to “Rampage”; which is based on a classic arcade game which spawned version on multiple gaming platforms and sequels over the years.

The movie stars Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye; a former military operative who joined an anti-poaching task force and now resides in San Diego caring for Primates. His associates note that he has a better relationship with the animals in his care than he does the people around him and Davis is more than fine with this.

His favorite animal is an Albino Gorilla named George and Davis has even managed to teach him and other members of the group to speak to him via sign language.

All seems well until debris from a satellite crashes into George’s enclosure one night as well as various locales around the country.

George begins to grow at an alarming rate and shows increased aggression which is troubling to Davis and draws the attention of a genetics company who are involved in a rogue genetics experiment and a disgraced scientist named Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) who strive to help George and get control of the situation. Naturally the people behind the experiment are not going to let this happen and involve Government Agent Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), to transport them all to a secure locale.

Naturally things do not go as planned and with multiple creatures now on the loose and heading to Chicago, and the military powerless to stop the carnage, it is up to Davis to save George and save the day.

The film uses some lavish visuals to depict the creatures and the action scenes are very entertaining. For a game with a very basic premise, it was nice to see the attempt made to flesh out the backstory and characters and not make the film just an extended FX reel.

There are some scenes and lines that would not be appropriate for younger viewers as a couple at our screener seemed to have some issues with the intensity at times. That being said, “Rampage” delivers an over the top, campy, and fully entertaining mix of video games and classic monster movies. The strong cast and great effects make for an enjoyable action film as long as you accept things with a wink and a smile. I hope this is a success as I would love to see a future film in the series and Johnson, Morgan, and Harris were a very winning combination.

http://sknr.net/2018/04/11/rampage/
  
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JT (287 KP) rated A Lonely Place to Die (2011) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
A Lonely Place to Die (2011)
A Lonely Place to Die (2011)
2011 | Action, Mystery
6
6.3 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Set against the sweeping landscape of the Scottish Highlands it would seem like a perfect place as any to stage a cat mouse style thriller – and that is exactly what we get. When a group of climbers out on excursion discover a young girl buried alive with only a tube for air they take the decision to rescue her, which just became their biggest mistake.

It’s a fast paced edge of the seat ride which never stops for a second to catch its breath. George puts in a worthy performance, gripped by fear she runs on adrenalin in order to try and outwit her villainous opponents.

There is something truly unnerving about setting a thriller in such a picaresque backdrop, it worked for The Decent and certainly for Deliverance. Here Gilby does more than enough to raise the tension, from an opening that will surely shake the viewer up it only takes a strangle hold on them further.

The acting is if I’m honest below par from a majority of the party, George shines there is no question of that, but it’s the inclusion of protagonist Sean Harris as Mr. Kidd that really gives the film a chilling edge.

He’s a dead pan actor, that has the look of a complete bastard, cold callous and methodical. When he recalls a past tale during the climax of the film its a reminder that he takes his business very seriously.

George puts in a worthy performance, gripped by fear she runs on adrenalin in order to try and outwit her villainous opponents

For the last act the film moves from the heights of the forest to a small Scottish town deep in a local festival and while you may feel that some of the tension might be lost, think again.

The inclusion of a few bounty hunters adds to the action and elaborates on the plot further, and it races to a pulsating finish. It’s a commendable effort from Gilbey whose last outing Rise of the Footsoldier was also met with great acclaim.

While it may be consigned to the group labelled B-Moives, this has enough to keep even the seasoned film fan strapped to their chairs.