4 out of 5

Director: Uwe Boll

Rampage hides nothing about where it’s going, and it’s not really a character journey, as the decisions are made before the viewer finds their way to the events that occur. This context is important, then, for what’s shown: a normal, competent teen who decides to “make a difference” by going on a random killing spree in his neighborhood. He has caring parents, a job, and a friend. His actions are planned but not over-meticulous (simply thorough, again keeping us from distancing ourselves if he were displayed as a more obsessive personality). And… there is not some massive twist at the end or anything, but obviously this scenario can only end a few ways – death for the protagonist, he survives, or he gets caught. Part of how you feel about what’s represented will rely on your feelings regarding the ending. Now some nitpicking. Boll has really been making some interesting films lately that pick at some ugly scabs of reality. There’s rarely joy in them, and this one does not deviate from that, despite a couple lighter moments. However, as part of his attempts to keep things, perhaps, “earthy,” the dialogue is mostly improvised, and while lead Brendan Fletcher does this perfectly, the other actors falter annoyingly in many places. Boll also lets some scenes linger for too long, perhaps to convey meaning, but it threatens to cheapen some scenes. “Rampage” is not as violent as you would think – another plus. It is as tasteful as could be done without being cowardly. And there are some very human moments that keep it grounded, and give one further room to consider what’s happening on screen. So this is not perfect, but it’s another encouraging step for Uwe. Once he’s gotten the bleakness out of his system, perhaps he’ll make a balanced film that’ll shush some of his haters.