Monster Team-up Reflection: I saw Rampage...

There was once a time (late '40s to be exact) when buzz was high for a space adventure entitled "Destination Moon", enough so that another group of filmmakers became inspired to beat George Pal's big-budget production to theaters with a low-budget effort called "Rocketship X-M". 

One could argue that, whether by accident or plan, history has repeated itself. The big-budget, WB/Legendary Films' "Godzilla vs Kong" (a thematic rehash in its own right) is announced, and a production of similar concept (ironically, offered through the WB-linked New Line Cinema, and in this instance, loosely based on a popular, Midway video game) enters cinemas before it.

The film is "Rampage" and features a mutant gorilla, crocodile and wolf. "Rampage", like "Rocketship X-M", sports a stellar cast, though in the latter case, the participants were yet to hit stardom. In "Rampage", the actors already contain marketable fame, but the formula for fun is spun from an equally humble heart. Whether considered original or derivative, "Rampage", like "Rocketship X-M", blasts off at full throttle and gains its enduring strength per unpretentious escapism. 

Directed by Brad "San Andreas" Peyton, and written by Ryan Engle; Carlton Cuse; Ryan J. Condal; and Adam Sztykiel, "Rampage" should also be considered a full-blown disaster film, on a par with "Deluge", "Earthquake"..."When Worlds Collide", but what makes its domino-effect destruction so raucously engaging is its character foreplay: a technique that ensures its success.

The story's prime protagonist, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Professor Davis Okoye, is a caring primatologist, who holds a special bond with an albino silverback named George (Jason Liles), Okoye rescued George from poachers many years prior and keeps the simian safe in a lush sanctuary, but George eventually meets a different type of dire fate, tipped by a tried-and-true, science-fiction twist.  

George, as well Lizzie, the crocodile and Ralph, the wolf, have become tainted by growth-chemical experimentation, thanks to Dr. Claire Wyden (Malin "Watchmen" Akerman), which in the tradition of giant-monster flicks of the '50s, goes big-time awry. Heck, Ralph even gains the ability to fly. In their enraged, deformed states (and via Wyden's magnetic signal), the deviants trek beyond their habitats and into urban territory. 

Okoye leaps in to intervene, not only to stop the widening destruction, but to prevent his friend from being killed by military strike. To ensure his success, Okoye teams with compassionate and wrongly discredited geneticist, Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris). The duo realizes that if George can quell his anger (a simultaneous symptom of his growth), he can help halt the other beasts. 

There are, however, those destined to complicate the scientists' quest, such as the tenacious mercenary Burke (Joe "Pee-wee's Big Holiday" Manganiello) and crafty but ultimately supportive, government agent Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Akerman's "Watchmen" co-star and of course, "Walking Dead'"s most recent villain supreme). Wyden's edgy brother, Brett (Jake Lacy) and the obstinate Col. Blake (Demetrius Grosse) complement the mayhem.

A touching, though tension-bound buddy tale rises from the circumstances, with enough heroics springing from human and ape to make any superhero fan cheer. At the same time, though we expect the protagonists to triumph, the daunting deterrents make their goal precarious, while the exaggerated, cement-crunching circumstances help liven (and distinguish) the melodrama from its counterparts, even though it shares most of their turbulent traits.

Its predictable aspects are beneficial, however, placing the adventure on a Toho/Daiei path, with a good monster risking his life to save humankind. To abet this, the relationship between George and Okoye captures the warmth of "Son of Kong" and "Mighty Joe Young" (either version), but never becomes so sappy as to force the pair's exploits into something childish. In other words, fans who favor kiddie kaiju, like "Godzilla's Revenge" and "Destroy All Planets", may be disenchanted, but appreciators of "Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster" and "King Kong Escapes" should be pleased to a chest-thumping tee. 

Whether "Rampage'"s advance ascent will diminish the presumed cultural impact of "Godzilla/Kong'" (or the next-up "Godzilla 2") is anybody's guess. However, "Rocketship X-M" only fueled interest in "Destination Moon", which became the first shot-in-color, science-fiction blockbuster. My prediction is that "Rampage" will follow suit. Besides, there appears ample room in the current, cinematic climate for all kinds of contentious, titanic team-ups.  I say, bring 'em on, one and all!!!   

I saw the Great Wall...

I have conflicting feelings for Zhang Yimou's "The Great Wall": a U.S./China co-production with Matt Damon in the lead. I like the basic monster-movie concept, but at times the construction feels pretentious: created, perhaps, to teach us something, but falling flat, due to its perplexing padding. 

Damon's character, William, is a youngish looking chap (mainly because that's Damon's guise, even when he sports a beard at the story's start), who also happens to be a 12th Century adventurer, in search of a destructive, black powder for the reckless European scene. He travels with a group of other enterprising gents, including a good-buddy Spaniard named Tovar (Pedro "Game of Thrones" Pascal), ever farther into the East to gain this precious commodity, but in the process, cuts into China at a time when ferocious behemoths feast. 

Per Carlo Bernard, Tony Giroy and Doug Miro's script, that's why the Great Wall was built, you see, to keep these creatures out, the rise of which occurs every sixty years or so, when their hibernation periods cease. 

The monsters are called the Tao Tei: most of which look dragon-like (though wingless and shadowed throughout) and could have been presented (with a wee sum of modification) no-more-or-less as such. Well, if they are, in fact, supposed to be dragons, at least we have a new angle as to how they came to roam the land. Like dragons of tradition, they growl, snap and claw, but never croak flames. The Chinese, on the other hand, spring a fiery defense in prevention and retaliation of attack. 

Willem Dafoe also takes part as a guy named Ballard: like William and Tovar, a visitor to China, who's more enigmatic than gallant. For what it's worth, he and Tovar eventually consider getting the hell out of the mess, while the mighty William remains steadfast. He's the hero, after all. 

His presence demonstrates that one can change from a lethal-powder seeker to one who appreciates the culture and plight of his hosts. Oddly enough, the Chinese featured can't achieve the task at hand, even though they've been preparing for it their entire lives. Hell, they built a damn wall to flank their foes, but so much for that. This makes "Great Wall" a story more of acceptance and assimilation than of logic, but it's real hard to shake why it takes a kiddish Westerner to show these tenacious warriors the way. (It's odd, too, that with all the flack "Gods of Egypt" received for its alleged, racial slant, this one gets off scot-free.)

The script at least avoids romance, though in doing so, leaves its leading lady, Lin Mae (Jing Tian), the head of the spear-geared Nameless Order, to act as mere window dressing. She's tough enough to be the film's stand-out feminist, but in all honesty, if she wasn't involved, the story would have flowed just as well. 

In the end, William devises an explosive means to halt the Toa Tei. The execution may be a tad silly, but it does help wrap things up with adequate zest, as does Yimou's directorial style: fast and dizzying as it charges toward its impetuous climax, which looks great in IMAX 3D.

Alas, "Great Wall" would have worked better rendered in a more straight-forward style; even at roughly ninety minutes, it's awfully bloated with all its superfluous, motivational bridges. (Toho, no doubt, would have done it leaner and cleaner.) Still, this one's worth a shot if one fancies giant, period-piece monsters, and fans of such will probably find it worth collecting when the time of purchase comes.