Author: Patrick Shanley / Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Dwayne Johnson is fighting to save Chicago from disaster in Rampage, but is his charm and star-power enough to make it a hit with critics?
Reviews are in for the movie, which pits him against a trio of super-sized beasts running amok in the Windy City, and opinions are mixed.
The film currently sits at just 45 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but multiple critics noted Johnson’s charisma and the pic’s action set-pieces.The Hollywood Reporter‘s Justin Lowe notes that “there’s no denying Johnson’s abundant charisma and brawny brand of self-deprecating humor,” which buoys the “fairly mindless popcorn entertainment.”
While director Brad Peyton delivers “a succession of staggering set pieces,” it’s Johnson and his ape pal George’s (Jason Liles) relationship that “remains the principal narrative dynamic.”
“Johnson pulls this relationship off with grace and humor,” writes Lowe. “The downside of his performance, however, may be that he appears to be just too capable. Whether it’s interspecies communication, helicopter piloting or weapons handling, Davis (Johnson) doesn’t leave much space for anyone else to shine.”
Overall, Lowe found the film, based on a video game of the same name, likely to spark a sequel, writing, “The likelihood that the Rampage movie will be reverse-engineered to produce a videogame is probably already a foregone conclusion, so the only question is whether it will arrive before the likely sequel that’s set up in the final scene.”
The New York Times‘ Glenn Kenny was much less positive about the pic, calling it a “turgid, logy blockbuster.
” While Kenny notes that Johnson is a “generally reliable performer,” he notes that…The post ‘Rampage’: What the Critics Are Saying appeared first on FeedBox.