Rampage

When I was but a wee lad in the mid-1980’s, I have fond memories of going to various arcades and popping quarters into the Bally Midway classic, Rampage. You’d think a film based off this game franchise would’ve been made sooner, as it has everything you need for an action packed, giant-monster flick reminiscent of Godzilla.

This one lives up to the saying “better late than never” as Rampage comes home again, but in a fun 4K film adaptation this time around. Featuring plenty of sweet special effects and Dwayne Johnson being awesome as always, you’ll want to let this release go ape in your collection.

Seeing that director Brad Peyton and Dwayne Johnson have worked together before on Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and San Andreas, it only made sense to team up yet again for another action hit. I’m not the only one to have enjoyed this movie, as you can check out Travis Seppala’s review of when it ran in theaters for all the plot details and his take as I share mine on this 4K release. While the story, the so-so pacing, and especially the “villains” could’ve used some work, I did find myself enjoying the overall film thanks to the humor, touchy moments, and of course the action and special effects.

Let’s be honest, those points are the only reasons people are going to flock to this. I knew I was in for a fun but cheese-filled ride when the villains talk and act like something from an 80’s Saturday morning cartoon. While you can easily tell they took liberties with the characters from the game, some of them are actually pretty cool, such as “Ralph” the wolf having the ability to glide through the air and fling projectiles, and having George the gorilla using sign language to communicate and be the hero of the movie along with Dwayne Johnson.

Thanks to a sweet 4K UHD transfer with HDR, all of the action comes in crisp, clear, and colorful. The audio is no slouch either, as the Dolby Atmos sound keeps the film and your sound system rocking with all of the bass-filled effects packed throughout this experience.

There’s a nice set of special features to check out as well, such as “Not A Game Anymore” where the cast and crew discuss the classic arcade game, some of the fun easter eggs in the film, and more. “Rampage: Actors in Action” goes into some of the action parts and how the actors prepare for them, “Trio of Destruction” shows how the three monsters are brought to life with some awesome visual effects, “Attack on Chicago” gives viewers an inside look of the filming in Chicago, “Bringing to George to Life” shows off the motion capturing that went into making George.

Rounding out the extras are two of my favorite kind, a “Gag Reel” that shows off flubbed lines, mistakes, and plenty of laughs, and lastly some “Deleted Scenes” that showcase seven scenes cut from the film that didn’t really add or take away anything.

Those looking for a nice action flick to check out in 4K where you can leave your brain at the door and scoop up some snacks while you watch, then Rampage is where it’s at. It’s a cheese-filled, fun ride packed with plenty of sweet special effects and has enough extras to keep you rampaging through this release for quite some time.