Rampage Parent Guide
For those who’ve already seen enough Kong-esque movies, this one’s just more of the same monkey business.
Parent Movie Review
Park your brains at the door, grab a big popcorn and be prepared to suspend belief with this monster mayhem movie. With not one, but three, genetically modified beasts destroying downtown Chicago, it’s assumed violence will be the biggest issue for kids wanting to see Dwayne Johnson tame a 20 foot tall gorilla. Blood and some gory moments accompany lots and lots of shooting, most aimed at the gigantic creatures, using a slew of military weapons. Toss in a generous supply of scatological slang and other profanities, an ongoing finger gesture joke, and you have the makings of a PG-13 actioner. It’s intended to please those who are forgiving of a dumb story and sad acting – although Johnson does a fairly good job of squeezing lemonade from this sour script.
Johnson’s character, Davis Okoye, is a primatologist at the San Diego Zoo. His primary passion is caring for George, a rare albino gorilla with a sign-language vocabulary and sense of humor that mimics a child who’s watched too many late night cartoons. (The creators of this script are particularly intrigued by George’s ability to raise his middle digit.)
The party begins when things go wrong with a science experiment orbiting the earth. One of the test samples crash-lands in George’s habitat, causing the gorilla’s appetite, temper and frame to grow faster than the national debt. Meanwhile, the audience also knows George isn’t alone. A wolf in Colorado and an alligator in Florida have also sniffed the DNA-modifying grow-gas and are waging their own threats.
The bad guy turns out to be Claire Wyden (Malin Akerman) who, along with her brother Brett (Jake Lacy), runs Energyne, a genetics company with a really messed up business plan. (The duo may also be two of the worst antagonists on movie screens this year… but it is only April.) Fortunately there is a ray of hope in this dark situation, and her name is Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris). A former employee of the research agency, she developed the biological agent. However, Kate jumped ship when she realized it could be used for diabolical purposes. Now she claims there’s an antidote locked in a cryogenic fridge on the top floor of the Willis Tower in Chicago. I see a King Kong moment coming.
Very loosely based on an arcade video game from the days when gorilla’s looked like Donkey Kong, Rampage badly wants to be fun. Yet it gets bogged down in trying to convince viewers that the world really is in danger. Perhaps the greater threat is the notion of another Rampage, because the film makes an obvious play for a sequel. Teens who are new to this formula may be entertained. For those who’ve already seen enough Kong-esque movies, this one’s just more of the same monkey business.
Directed by Brad Peyton. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman. Running time: 108 minutes. Theatrical release April 13, 2018. Updated July 17, 2018About author
Rampage
Rating & Content Info
Why is Rampage rated PG-13? Rampage is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sequences of violence, action and destruction, brief language, and crude gestures.
Violence: Giant creatures viciously attack people, animals and each other. Deaths are shown and implied. Characters are bitten, eaten, swallowed and ripped apart. Bloody corpses and carcasses, along with gory dismembered body parts, are seen. People are also killed and injured by monsters when they are stepped on, tossed, thrown, and crushed. The beasts destroy property and the environment when they burst through cities, the wilderness and waterways. Buildings are smashed and knocked down. Fistfights, choke holds, decapitation, impaling and explosions are depicted. Vehicles are picked up and thrown. A bus full of tourists is ripped open and the occupants consumed. Airplanes and helicopters are caught and crushed. An airplane and a space station are destroyed from within, jeopardizing the lives of people on board. Pieces of airborne vehicles fall to Earth, causing deaths and small fires. Restraining cages are ripped apart. A man-made pathogen is used irresponsibly/maliciously and causes dangerous side effects. People are in peril, and many are seen screaming and running for their lives. Weapons (guns, bombs, missiles) are used against the monsters. People and animals face gun threats, from bullets and tranquilizer darts. Stealing, blackmail and extortion are shown. A character is shot at pointblank range. Bloody injuries are depicted. Characters tell lies. Animal cruelty and poaching are discussed. An angry man breaks things with a bat. Characters discuss the death of a family member. Contract killing is alluded to.
Sexual Content: The script includes sexual innuendo and crude references. A woman is seen getting dressed (no nudity shown). A woman flirts with a man.
Profanity: Three sexual finger gestures are shown, along with a crude hand gesture denoting intercourse. Frequent use of mild and moderate profanity, scatological slang and terms of deity. Infrequent use of crude slang words and slurs.
Alcohol / Drug Use: An animal is shot with tranquillizer darts, and is later given an IV sedative. Other medical and experimental drugs are discussed.
Page last updated July 17, 2018
Rampage Parents' Guide
The monster movie genre has been around almost since the beginning of film making. Why do you think the idea is so popular and enduring? How does it allow for spectacular heroes? How often does the main character have sympathy for the destructive creature? Does this 2018 variation on the theme offer anything new to the classic formula?
How believable are the monsters in this movie? Are there things about the premise that makes the monsters plausible? Are there things that are just ridiculous? What things are borrowed from other monster movies? What stereotypes are included in the portrayals of the heroes, the villains, the citizens and the military?
News About "Rampage"
This movie is based on the 1980s Rampage arcade video game where primates and other monsters set out to destroy cities and citizens.
Home Video
The most recent home video release of Rampage movie is July 17, 2018. Here are some details…
Home Video Notes: Rampage
Release Date: 17 July 2018
Rampage release to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy or Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) with the following estras:
- Not A Game Anymore - From arcade sensation to movie monster epic, we explore how the Midway video game inspired the filmmakers to create the ultimate disaster film.
Exclusive HD Content
- Gag Reel - Hilarious outtakes and mishaps captured during production.
- Deleted Scenes - Deleted scenes that barely missed the final theatrical cut.
-Rampage - Actors in Action: Strap in for a wild ride as Dwayne Johnson, Joe Manganiello and the cast prepare for the film’s demanding stunts and explosive set pieces.
- Trio of Destruction - Follow the innovative design team and the artists at Weta Digital as they bring to life the biggest and baddest monsters for the film’s climactic battle royal.
- Attack on Chicago - Director Brad Peyton reveals the challenges of filming on-location in Chicago and turning digital destruction into a cinematic reality.
- Bringing George to Life - Discover the wonder of what it’s like to be a gorilla, as movement coordinator Terry Notary teaches actor Jason Liles how to move, behave and become “George.”