The Corner Penthouse

Rampage (2018) is a film adaptation of the classic 1980s arcade video game (which is also available in the Lego Dimensions Midway Arcade Level Pack). We all know how video game movies tend to be, but will this be an exception to the rule? Read on to find out...


Rampage stars Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye, a former elite military man, who has since become a primatologist for the San Diego Zoo. He befriends an albino ape named George who, along with a wolf and a crocodile, come into contact with a chemical that mutates the trio of animals. All three quickly grow to epic size and become nearly indestructible. Claire Wyden (Malin Akerman), CEO of the company behind the chemical, activates a homing beacon atop the company headquarters in Chicago. Soon enough, all three creatures head "home", causing mass destruction to everything in their path. It's up to Davis, and genetic engineer Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris), to put an end to the rampaging mutated creatures before they obliterate Chicago.


Look for Jeffrey Dean Morgan as mysterious government agent Harvey Russell, played as "Negan lite". He started off as a bad guy, then did a face turn, and I fully expected for him to turn heel again; or for there to be more to him, but nothing. It's always nice to see JDM and his Negan swagger, and he had a few nice moments, but by and large, his talents were wasted. The same for Joe Manganiello as mercenary Burke .


The story is inspired by the video game, but does not follow it exactly. Not that there was much story in the game, anyway. The major difference is that in the game, humans mutated into the creatures. Here, it's regular animals that were mutated into "super animals", sort of speak. Honestly, the story won't win any awards, and is simply there to justify the action. Oh, and what action there is! Once the creatures get to Chicago, that's when the movie kicks into high gear and becomes all out, balls to the wall, fun. I think the movie pushes the PG-13 rating because it seemed close to R-rated violence. Much kudos to the special effects artists at Weta. They helped bring life to George and the other creatures, and made everything look real.


At a runtime of 1:47:16, Rampage is presented in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio with an 1080p transfer. Picture is crisp and clear with no issues that I noticed. On the audio side, there are three English tracks - Dolby Atmos True HD, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, and 5.1 Descriptive - which are loud and clear; along with French, Spanish, and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. The film includes English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles. The first print run includes a beautiful slipsleeve.


The bonus features that can be found on the disc are all in HD.

• Not Just A Game Anymore (6:15) - Various cast and crew discuss the original video game that inspired the movie.
• Deleted Scenes (10:12) - Several scenes back-to-back with no identifying markers. Alexandra Daddario appears in the last two scenes.
• Gag Reel (2:43).
• Rampage: Actors in Action (10:45) - A look at how several scenes come together through sets, performances, and effects.
• Trio of Destruction (10:08) - Discussing the three monsters and the effects that brought them to life.
• Attack on Chicago (10:23) - The role the city plays in the film.
• Bringing George To Life (11:53) - The motion capture training and performance of the lead ape.

Also included in the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack is a second DVD disc, which only contains the movie (no bonus features). The movie on the DVD is presented in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio with an anamorphic widescreen transfer. On the audio side, there are 5.1 Dolby Digital audio tracks for English, English Descriptive, French, and Spanish. The film includes English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles.

A Movies Anywhere/Ultraviolet digital copy code voucher is also included in the standard two-disc Blu-ray case.


I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, which is available on Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack, 4K/Blu-Ray Combo Pack, and 3D/Blu-Ray Combo Pack. It's fun, pure and simple. A true "popcorn flick", and that's not a bad thing in the least. Overall, the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack provides a fair amount of bonus materials, though the lack of context for the deleted scenes is the biggest issue. Why didn't they provide any names for the scenes? That would have explained the difference in the last two pairs of scenes, which seemed to be the same as each other. I was disappointed to find no trailers, TV spots, still galleries, or even a commentary.


Final Verdict: Rampage is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to all fans of monster movies, video games, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.


All images were provided by Warner Brothers. The Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site. More images can be found on Warner's Flickr gallery, where you can find over 40 high-resolution images that you can download. Those images have also been uploaded to The Corner Penthouse Facebook page, though they are smaller and have been recompressed.