Chaos and Chuckles: Rampage Unleashes Brad Peyton’s Monster Mash

Rampage, released April 13, 2018, by Warner Bros., is a $120 million action-adventure flick that grossed $428 million worldwide, a loose adaptation of the 1986 Midway arcade game. Directed by Brad Peyton and starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Davis Okoye, a primatologist and ex-Special Forces operative, it follows his bond with George, an albino gorilla mutated by a rogue gene-editing serum from Energyne Corp. When a space station crash spreads the pathogen, George, a wolf (Ralph), and a crocodile (Lizzie) grow massive, wreaking havoc. Davis teams with geneticist Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) and rogue agent Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to stop the beasts and Energyne’s CEOs, Claire and Brett Wyden (Malin Åkerman, Jake Lacy), in Chicago. It’s a popcorn chaos fest that landed third at the box office behind A Quiet Place.

Peyton’s magic is in the chaos—buildings crumble, George smashes choppers, and Lizzie’s tail flattens streets, all in a 107-minute sprint. Shot across Atlanta and Chicago, with Weta Digital’s CGI beasts towering up to 40 feet, it’s a visual roar—per The Numbers, it hit $101 million domestically. Chuckles abound—Johnson’s “You’re a big boy now!” to George, Morgan’s cowboy drawl—softening the destruction. Critics were split; Rotten Tomatoes sits at 51% (Certified Fresh), Metacritic at 45/100, with Variety calling it “dumb fun” and NY Times “witless.” X posts from 2018 cheered “The Rock vs. monsters,” though some yawned “seen it.”

The pacing’s a rollercoaster—quiet lab scenes explode into city-leveling brawls, George’s cure a ticking clock. Peyton, reteaming with Johnson post-San Andreas, leans on arcade roots—smash, crash, laugh—delivering a monster mash with heart and hilarity, a chaotic romp that sticks the landing.

The cast is Rampage’s glue, a chaotic crew sparking its charm. Dwayne Johnson’s Davis Okoye is peak Rock—ripped, wry, tossing “I didn’t sign up for this” amid gorilla punches. His rapport with George—motion-captured by Jason Liles—grounds the madness; Empire praised his “winning charisma.” Naomie Harris’s Kate Caldwell brings smarts and grit—her “CRISPR gone wild” exposition doubles as a plea, though Roger Ebert found her “underused.” Their chemistry—banter over gene vials—keeps it human, per Hollywood Reporter’s “solid duo.”

Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Harvey Russell steals scenes—a Stetson-wearing wildcard with “Well, that sucks” as wolves howl, his Walking Dead edge dialed to charm. Malin Åkerman’s Claire Wyden oozes corporate sleaze—her “Unleash the signal” cackle’s pure camp, while Jake Lacy’s Brett bumbles as her dim brother, a chuckle magnet with “We’re rich, right?” Joe Manganiello’s brief merc and Marley Shelton’s scientist crash early, but George—grunting, flipping the bird—stars. Peyton’s ensemble thrives on excess—Johnson’s quips, Morgan’s swagger—fueling chaos with laughs. The Guardian hailed their “goofy appeal,” though NY Times sniped “cardboard.” They’re the pulse of this beastly bash.

Visually and sonically, Rampage is a chaotic spectacle, a CGI-driven roar. Colin Strause’s cinematography turns Chicago into a war zone—Weta’s George scales Willis Tower, Ralph leaps, Lizzie chomps boats, all shot with Atlanta doubling for the Windy City. The chaos peaks—buildings topple in real-time, per AV Club’s “monster movie bliss”—with practical sets (a crashed plane) blending Weta’s digital giants, costing $40 million of the budget, per Box Office Mojo. Slow-mo beast clashes dazzle, though Letterboxd flags “murky” night shots.

Andrew Lockington’s score thumps—brassy stabs and percussion echo San Andreas, less Jaws menace, more Godzilla pomp. Sound design—George’s roars, Ralph’s howls—lands punches; Rolling Stone called it “ear-splitting fun.” Chuckles—like Brett’s “Oh crap” amid rubble—dot the mix, but chaos reigns: jet engines scream, glass shatters, per Soundtrack World. The arcade nod—“Rampage” title font—adds retro glee, though BBC’s Mark Kermode griped “noisy excess.” Flaws? CGI beasts blur in dim light, per X posts, and the score’s generic. Still, it’s a sensory smash—a monster mash that thunders.

Rampage’s strength is its chaotic glee—a no-brainer blockbuster with heart. Johnson’s everyman hero, Harris’s quiet resolve, and Morgan’s twang lift a thin plot—Time dubbed it “cheerfully absurd.” The stakes—save George, stop the Wydens—ride on monster mayhem, per Variety’s “satisfying carnage.” Chuckles abound—George’s middle finger, Russell’s “Biggest mess since my last divorce”—making it a 2018 crowd-pleaser; CinemaScore hit A-. Its $428 million haul dwarfed San Andreas’s $474 million, spawning X memes (“Rock vs. Godzilla when?”), though Collider sighed “mindless.”