Lesson 109: Rampage – Big Ambitions (Spoilers)

The Filmlosophers, Eddie Villanueva, Chad Riley and Spencer Williams, are taking it to the streets of Chicago with this week’s review of Rampage (2018). Directed by Brad Peyton, the film marks his third collaboration with megastar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, after Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) and San Andreas (2015). Based loosely off the 1986 video game series of the same name, Rampage marks the second film this year to be adapted from a video game after March’s Tomb Raider adaptation.

Johnson stars as primatologist Davis Okoye, a man who keeps people at a distance and shares an unshakable bond with George, an extraordinarily intelligent, incredibly rare albino silverback gorilla. When a rogue genetic experiment causes George to mutate into a raging creature of enormous size, Okoye teams with discredited geneticist Kate Caldwell (played by Naomie Harris) to secure an antidote. Together, they fight their way through an ever-changing battlefield to halt a global catastrophe and save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.