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One of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s biggest hits has found new life on Amazon Prime Video nearly seven years after it originally hit theaters. Based on the arcade video game classic of the same name, 2018’s “Rampage” is currently sitting firmly in the top ten on the streamer’s most-watched movie charts. It seems like people love watching Johnson fight big monsters.
As of this writing, director Brad Peyton’s “Rampage” is sitting at number nine on Prime Video’s charts, according to FlixPatrol. Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon’s new comedy “You’re Cordially Invited” is still firmly sitting in the number one spot, but the fact that a movie that came out years ago and has no obvious reason to be performing better than any other action fare currently available to subscribers is noteworthy. Then again, we regularly see movies that were hits in theaters doing well on streaming. The top performers on the streamer right now also includes the likes of “The Equalizer,” “Jurassic World,” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
For those who may need a refresher, “Rampage” centers on a primatologist named Davis (Johnson) who shares an unshakable bond with George, an intelligent silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. When a greedy corporation’s genetic experiment goes south, George and several other animals across the U.S. are mutated into aggressive, much larger versions of themselves. Davis must try to find an antidote to not only halt destruction that follows, but to save his friend as well.
The film came at a time when Johnson could seemingly do no wrong. Coming after the monster hit that was “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and as the “Fast & Furious” movies were at the height of their popularity, this was the right movie at the right time with the right star. It also re-teamed Johnson with Peyton, with the two previously collaborating on the disaster flick “San Andreas.”
Rampage helped turn the tide for video game movies
At one time, Johnson had earned the nickname “Franchise Viagra,” because his presence would lift a franchise’s profits merely by being part of it. Though “Rampage” had not been a movie franchise before 2018, it was a pre-existing property. It was also coming at a time when video game movies weren’t exactly a sure thing. At that time, the poorly regarded “Warcraft” was the highest-grossing video game adaptation up to that point with $438.8 million worldwide, most of which came from outside of the U.S.
It was a different era, and the odds were sort of stacked against this project. “Rampage,” the video game, essentially had no story to speak of. It was just monsters attacking a city. That allowed Peyton and the various screenwriters to craft their own story around the very basic concept provided by the game. Though not exactly a critical darling, the end result resonated with audiences, turning the adaptation into a sizable hit.
“Rampage” made $428 million worldwide and remains one of the biggest live-action video game movies ever. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” ($463 million and counting) is currently the biggest, with the animated “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($1.3 billion) the biggest overall. But those movies are far more recent. As silly as it may sound, this film played an important part in turning the tide for big screen video game adaptations in Hollywood. Evidently, going on a decade later, people still have a soft spot for it.
You can also grab “Rampage” on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD from Amazon.