Rampage is one of the more entertaining video game to movie adaptations, with the demise of Malin Akerman’s villain being a total homage to the game. The history of video game movie adaptations is a bleak one, kicking off with 1993’s Super Mario Bros. This infamously troubled production went through multiple directors and script issues and turned out to be a real mess, though it does have a cult following. The Mortal Kombat movie was a rare bright spot during the 1990s, where most game adaptations turned out awful.
While the genre has yet to become a critical favorite - or produce a genuine classic - there have been some solid movies, including 2006’s Silent Hill and Detective Pikachu. Dwayne Johnson’s first foray into the genre was 2005’s Doom, a big-budget Universal movie. Despite a great POV action sequence and practical monsters, the movie suffered from a bad script and a baffling lack of action in the first hour; Johnson himself has since labeled the movie a ‘stinker.’ Needless to say, he didn’t return for 2019 STV reboot Doom: Annihilation.
Johnson fared much better with his second attempt at a video game movie with 2018’s Rampage. This was based off the classic 1980’s arcade title that allowed players to select from three giant monsters - a gorilla, wolf or crocodile - and smash through cities. Some home ports of the game also included a special giant rat monster. Since the game didn’t have much of a plot to start with, Rampage did a decent job translating it to the big screen with Dwayne Johnson’s charisma holding it together amidst the CGI destruction.
Rampage’s human villain Claire Wyden was played by Malin Akerman (Watchmen), who was clearly having a good time hamming it up. Since a pistol is Claire’s only weapon, she was never going to be much use against a giant, angry gorilla called George. This is proven in her final moments, when George picks her up, tosses her in the air and eats her whole. Thankfully, he also ate her handbag, which contained a serum that returned him to normal. Fans of the arcade game may have picked up on this easter egg, where the monsters can eat a woman in a red dress for additional points and health.
It’s a pretty subtle reference, but it’s a nice callback to the original Rampage game. The entire final act where the three monsters - plus Dwayne Johnson with a grenade launcher - smash through Chicago is essentially the game brought to life. Rampage ultimately isn’t a kaiju movie with much to say, but its a fun monster mash regardless.
Next: Does Rampage Have An End-Credits Scene?
