Dwayne ‘The Rock’ may have finally met his match in this CGI-heavy video game adaptation.
You know a script or paycheck must be good if it can convince an A-list talent to return to a genre that has never proven to be his friend. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson previously attempted to bring video games into the real world with Doom, but he’s hoping for better results with the upcoming adaptation of Rampage.
Oh yes, I am talking about the same Rampage that just flickered in the back of your mind. The video game about a group of oversized animals who destroy cities using their fists has become a feature-length film that seems to leverage the admittedly silly plot for an allegory about whether or not we have any right playing God through cell/gene manipulation. You can view the first trailer above.
The official plot synopsis for Rampage reads:
Primatologist Davis Okoye (Johnson), a man who keeps people at a distance, shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals. As these newly created alpha predators tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.
As far as movies starring Dwayne Johnson are concerned, Rampage looks better than Baywatch, but just how much better remains to be seen. All the components needed for a classic summer blockbusters are present, from the giant monsters, to the unthinkable levels of destruction. Still, one has to wonder if audiences are still sold on big budget blockbusters like this, especially after the good, but not necessarily jaw-dropping performance of Kong Skull Island earlier this year. What do you think? Comment below and let us know.
Rampage opens in 2018. Expect many (many) more promotional materials to surface in the months ahead.
