Dwayne Johnson’s $428 Million Video Game Blockbuster Hits HBO Max Today

If you’ ve got a soft spot for massive gorillas smashing up city blocks (and, let’ s be honest, who doesn’ t every now and then), HBO Max has just added something right up your street—Dwayne Johnson’ s 2018 beast-fest Rampage, now available to stream. This is the one where The Rock swaps out his usual humans vs humans for enormous animals going absolutely feral.

Never Underestimate a Gorilla With Issues

Rampage is what happens when you give an 80s arcade cabinet a Hollywood budget and Dwayne Johnson’ s biceps. He plays Davis Okoye—a primatologist and, because why not, also an ex-special forces soldier—who’ s built this close friendship with a silverback gorilla named George. Not your everyday bond, granted, but things get even wilder after a dodgy genetic experiment sends George (and, crucially, not just George: cue also a psychotic mega-wolf and a lizard-thing) on a skyscraper-flattening rampage. Humanity’ s last hope? Johnson, some rogue military types, and a shamed geneticist running against the clock for a cure.

'Primatologist Davis Okoye shares an unshakable bond with George, an extraordinarily intelligent silverback gorilla that' s been in his care since birth. When a rogue genetic experiment goes wrong, it causes George, a wolf and a reptile, to grow to a monstrous size. As the mutated beasts embark on a path of destruction, Okoye teams up with a discredited genetic engineer and the military to secure an antidote and prevent a global catastrophe.'

Box Office Bludgeon, Mixed Bag With Critics

Here’ s a surprise: despite the plot sounding like something you’ d pitch at 2am in a pub, the film made an eye-watering $428 million in cinemas. That’ s one of Johnson’ s biggest box office takes when he’ s front and centre. Audiences were clearly into it, though critics were, let’ s say, split down the middle—Rotten Tomatoes has it stuck at 51% from the reviewers, but the much friendlier crowd score sits at 71%. If you’ re expecting high art, calm yourself, but as popcorn spectacle, it’ s hard to argue with a giant wolf swatting helicopters.

Who’ s in the Mayhem?

• Dwayne Johnson as Davis Okoye (the muscly hero, obviously)
• Naomie Harris as Kate Caldwell (the useful genetic engineer)
• Malin Akerman as Claire Wyden (evil corporate person, naturally)
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Harvey Russell (cowboy government agent, yes, actually)
• Joe Manganiello as Burke
• Jack Quaid as Connor
• Jake Lacy as Brett Wyden

Brad Peyton (who previously put Johnson through a fake earthquake in San Andreas) directs. The quartet of writers—Ryan Engle, Carlton Cuse, Ryan J. Condal, Adam Sztykiel—cobble together what’ s technically an adaptation of the old Rampage video games, though don’ t go in expecting much in the way of faithful narrative. Or any narrative; it’ s mostly monsters eating helicopters and smushing landmarks.