A behemoth that only hits airplanes cannot conquer the audience

Elda 2021-12-31 08:01:40

Hollywood's hottest darling "Big Rock" Johnson is here again.

Last year, he starred in "Game of the Brave: Battle of the Jungle" resolutely "risk the world" against the same-schedule "Star Wars 8". "New Brave Game", which was not optimistic, forced a strong trend to beat the Star Wars, and won the North American box office championship for three consecutive weeks.

This time, director Brad Payton and Johnson joined hands with Johnson to bring his new work "Raging Behemoth" . This is the third collaboration between the two after "Doomsday Collapse" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth 2". Because of this, the director was laughed at and said, "Any major production must rely on Johnson."

"Raging Behemoth" is adapted from the American arcade action game "Rampage" in the 1980s, and the domestic translation is "Gorilla Demolition".

In the game, players can choose a character from gorilla, giant lizard, and giant wolf to destroy as many city buildings as possible within a limited time. The resident NPC of the building will resist with pistols, firecrackers, and throwing debris. Players can get blood back and forth by eating panicked passers-by.

The rough game graphics of arcade games in the 1980s must not be seen now.

Subsequent works of the game have also landed on console platforms such as red and white consoles, Sony PS, Nintendo N64, etc. The original 8-bit pixel game screen has been qualitatively improved.

The game screen of "Ape Demolition 2" on Sony ps2, Sony Dafa is good!

In the movie, the plot becomes the human being represented by Dashi Johnson to prevent the monster from invading. The three monsters also changed their identities, such as the monitor lizard being replaced by a giant crocodile.

"Raging Behemoth" is a game-adapted movie in name, but it only applies the background setting of "three monsters invading the city". In fact, it is naturally different from traditional game-adapted movies.

Like "Tomb Raider", "Resident Evil" and "Warcraft", the story of the game has an important influence on the movie, and it influences the creation of the movie to a certain extent; moreover, the main perspective of the game and the main perspective of the movie are often the same, and the audience will inevitably experience the game. Measure movies. Therefore, game adaptations of movies have rarely been successful so far. "Ape Demolition" is just a simple arcade game, it can't be called a plot, coupled with the ancient times, the perspective changes, making "Raging Behemoth" as a "game-adapted movie", there is no such traditional common The problem. Can determine the reputation of this movie, I am afraid that only Dashi Johnson and the monster can bring freshness.

However, the dull and cute translation of the game name "Ape Demolition" seems to foreshadow something...

===== Spoiler alert=====

The movie tells the story of the Gene Energy Company secretly researching long-banned gene editing technology on the outer space station. Due to the space station accident, three potions fell on the earth, turning a wild wolf, a wild crocodile, and an albino orangutan George into Huge and violent. In order to stop the monsters from destroying the city wantonly, Johnson fought with them...

When Johnson picked up the gun and walked onto the battlefield, did he feel "stable"?

"Raging Behemoth" is undoubtedly a standard commercial popcorn movie. For Payton, who has directed "Doomsday Collapse", the big scenes of urban disasters can be described as familiar. On this basis, we invited the five-time Oscar-winning Weta digital visual effects company to be used by James Cameron to be responsible for the special effects of the film. The company once created the "Lord of the Rings" series and "Avatar" and "King Kong". The visual effects of movies such as "Raging Behemoth" also gave enough confidence and capital to "Raging Behemoth".

So we saw a monster movie in broad daylight.

Monsters and beasts movies have always been fond of rainy days and nights, or rainy nights, naturally to create a terrifying and gloomy atmosphere; secondly, such special effects processing methods are more cost-effective.

For special effects that cost more per minute than direct cash burn, the use of night scene vision means that there is no need to describe the details of the monster's skin, hair, shell, etc., and no need to take continuous close-ups of the monster. Even faint light effects can be particularly prominent in dark conditions, supplemented by the surrounding empty mirrors, coupled with a large number of panic close-up shots of actors, the audience can already buy it-one can imagine how much money can be saved for the crew.

Look at the monster movies in the past 10 years:

Previously, the 2008 "Clover Archives" used the pseudo-documentary method of shaking DV. The monster attack in New York took place at night, and the monster's clear face was hardly seen in the whole film, only a vague figure. However, this was also widely accepted by the audience, who considered it to be an innovation.

Later, everyone is more familiar with the "Pacific Rim" by Gilmour del Toro in 2013. Several battles with monsters were either night rain battles or underwater shots. The monsters had too many panoramic vistas, vigorous, and lacked details.

The new version of "Godzilla" in 2014 is particularly serious, with night scenes + fog + sand + gunpowder smoke + gray filter, it is not too much to say that you are watching a black and white movie?

"Raging Behemoth" is not the same . "The day is bright and the universe is bright." The three monsters entered the city of Chicago, with plenty of light and bright vision. Every move can be seen clearly and clearly.

At the same time, the film tried to reduce the duration of the fighting scene in the dark, during which there was a scene in which the US military blocked the advance of a monster at night, which was also taken away. The combination of the two clarifies the intention of the producer to maximize the advantages of special effects.

However, "Raging Behemoth" is not a good monster movie.

First of all, the three monsters in the film actually do not match the title of "Raging Behemoth". They cannot be said to be "giant", let alone "rage".

Let me talk about the size of the monster first.

The official figures for George are 12 meters tall and 9 tons weight, which is much larger than the 7.5-meter, 3.6-ton distant relative in the well-known 2005 Peter Jackson version of "King Kong."

The complete "orangutan" in "Raging Behemoth".

However, please be careful, don’t be fooled by the orangutan George on the poster or stills. It seems huge. The actual height in the movie is only as high as two stories. The official figures seem to be just in response to the film’s shouting. The slogan "Compared with Godzilla" is full of moisture. The same is true for giant wolves, the only thing that can be seen is giant crocodiles. Three animals were infected at the same time, and only the crocodile will step into the barrier of entry for giant beasts and grow into a monster that is 18.5 meters tall, 68.5 meters long, and weighs 150 tons. If the giant crocodile is regarded as the Tyrannosaurus in "Jurassic World", then George and the giant wolf are at best velociraptors.

Netizens made comparisons of monster sizes, including George the orangutan (bottom left), "Jurassic World" Tyrannosaurus (top), skeleton lizard (middle), giant crocodile (bottom), and King Kong (right) from "King Kong: Skull Island" .

Look at the oppressive and destructive power of monsters.

The earliest play of the three monsters was an elite force that went to capture the mutated wild wolf, hoping to recover it. This is the first confrontation between human armed forces and giant beasts. It should have been a good portrayal of the oppressive force of beasts and set the tone for the whole film. However, the film has neither proved how strong this elite force is, and the capture process has been hastily. It does not reflect the deterrence of the giant beast at all, and it is not convincing at all.

The leader of the elite mercenary has a fierce look on his face.

These three monsters invaded Chicago, and it was really unbearable-breaking through the blockade of the US army, destroying some planes and bicycles, and finally only destroyed one building, and then affected some buildings around the building.

Not to mention the Ultraman and Godzilla series, the combined results of the three monsters can only be compared with the 2005 version of King Kong. The business ability is low, and it almost loses the face of the monster industry, making "Raging Behemoth" completely qualified. The most devastating behemoth in the history of the competition screen. Reminiscent of the original game of "Raging Behemoth", the clearance required the destruction of as many city buildings as possible, and I couldn't help laughing.

Secondly, the fatal flaw of "Raging Behemoth" is that it can hardly bring freshness to the audience.

The core of the film-the gene editing technology that makes the three animals mutate. To put it bluntly, it is to integrate the strengths of various animals. The infinite growth ability of the great white shark helps them grow rapidly; the cell regeneration ability of the African spiny mouse , To help their wounds recover quickly; the bat’s sound wave positioning ability allows the operator to gather them...

Is the setting of fusion of genes and abilities of different species very familiar?

In the well-known X-Men series "Wolverine Prequel", where Deadpool made its first screen show, General Stryker's body was transformed, combining the various superpowers of his former teammates, Wolverine's self-healing ability , The instant movement of ghosts, and even laser eyes...

The Deadpool (left) in "Wolverine Prequel" is also played by Ryan Reynolds.

In Japanese comics "Dragon Ball", the same situation is the same: Dr. Gro has collected almost all the warriors’ cells and made the robot Sharu, who has the ability to greatly increase the fighting power after the Saiyan recovers from the near-death state. The ability of a family to survive in a vacuum and oxygen-free environment, and the ability to regenerate the torso of the Namekians. He will also use all the warriors' tricks at the same time.

Sharu, the second-generation big boss after Frieza in "Dragon Ball Z", the ultimate cyborg.

In addition, the protagonist of the animation "Sheriff Bresta" introduced to China in the early years also has similar abilities. "A long, long time ago, on the planet of New Texas, there was a witty, smart and brave sheriff. Star has the eyes of an eagle, the ears of a wolf, the speed of a leopard, and the power of a bear, making him extraordinary and superhuman. In order to maintain peace and tranquility, he is fighting unremittingly against evil."

Does this opening remark remind you of your childhood?

It can be seen that the monster's ability setting in "Raging Behemoth" has been used a long time ago.

Moreover, whether it is monsters VS humans or monsters VS monsters, the movies are extremely mediocre.

The most common scenes of monsters against humans are flying planes , all kinds of flying planes, and fancy flying planes, which are really "hitting planes" in a full sense. However, it is nothing new for monsters to hit planes. Every version of King Kong has a deep knowledge of planes. From Skull Island to the Empire State Building, they have left their own traces.

In "Raging Behemoth", flying planes has even become the main plot. From helicopters to fighter jets to transport planes, no one is spared. Throughout the film, the giant gorilla, the wolf, the giant crocodile have contributed, and it is impossible to imagine the director's obsession with the plane. .

The 05 version of King Kong flying in the Empire State Building can be regarded as a screen classic.

Monsters vs. Monsters are even more boring. In the final BOSS battle, there were people fighting monsters and monsters fighting monsters, but the process was thin and boring. Except for the second when the wolf flew up, there was no lens that could make people's eyes shine.

Johnson routinely showed off his physique and muscles, nothing more. The whole process, only three or four minutes, is very short.

King Kong smashed the jaws of Tyrannosaurus rex with a dozen and three, an epic duel between Tyrannosaurus Rex + Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Mosasaur's water swallowed. Every excellent monster movie should have fresh scenes that will let the audience remember.

In comparison, "Raging Behemoth" can only be said to be mediocre and boring. Only children who have never watched monster movies feel hilarious.

In this comparison, the size gap is more obvious.

Of course, the film has many other shortcomings.

For example, the development of the plot relies too much on coincidence-the three infectious agents that flowed from the space station to the earth smashed into the zoo, the wolves and the swamp, but only these three animals were infected; in the final battle, George was beaten by a giant crocodile. Unable to move, Johnson eagerly wanted to help. He looked around and found that there was a falling fighter jet right next to it. It happened to be able to be used normally, and the muzzle of the machine gun was facing the giant crocodile... Is there such a coincidence?

In addition, the movie "drive high and walk low" is also more prominent. The early stage of the film quickly entered the rhythm, without tedious foreshadowing, it is worthy of praise; the villain, that is, the top of the Gene Energy company, behaved very vigorously in the early stage, and everything has a late move, like a ruthless character. However, in the middle and late stages, the situation turned sharply, and the weight of the literary drama increased greatly, and the villain lost control of the three monsters, and suddenly messed up like a headless fly, behaved naively, and instantly went offline and completely reduced to a functional role. ......

The villain's two siblings, but the elder sister controls the overall situation, and the younger brother acts like a mentally handicapped.

However, these ills do not affect the perception as much as the aforementioned "unqualified as a monster film".

If you come to the monster, look forward to seeing the evenly matched bloodline battles of Ultraman vs. Monsters, Godzilla vs. Muto, and King Kong vs. Tyrannosaurus Skeleton Lizard——

Sorry, there is no, it does not exist.

If it’s just to pass the time, the popcorn attribute of "Raging Behemoth" should satisfy you, especially the quality of a few American jokes in the movie. "Behemoth" is also published by Warner):

The protagonist and the protagonist question which agency the mysterious detective played by the actor Dean Morgan of "The Walking Dead" "Negan" belongs to, "CIA? FBI? Or JL (Justice League)?"

Morgan played the role of "The Laughing Craftsman" in the 2009 DC comic book "Watchmen"; and in 2016 "Batman v Superman: Justice League", he played Batman's father Thomas Wayne. He himself made it clear that he hoped to play the role of Thomas Wayne again in the movie "The Flash: Flashpoint", because in the original comic book "Flashpoint", the Flash changed the timeline and Thomas Wayne replaced his son as After Batman, Morgan said that “putting on a bat suit may become the most exciting thing in my life”.

Actors of Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne are both actors on the "Supernatural" crew.

In this film, the detective played by Morgan changed his villainous character and helped Johnson get out of trouble many times.

Coincidentally, Johnson has also confirmed his role as the villain Black Adam in the DC superhero movie "Shazam". And these two characters in "Raging Behemoth" are not acquainted with each other, and they cooperate with each other, as the saying goes, "Isn't a family, don't enter a family"?

For the rendering of the Johnson version of "Black Adam", DC confirmed that it will shoot the independent movie of the villain for Black Adam. This is also DC's second villain movie after "Suicide Squad".

But Johnson himself should reflect on himself. In this film, he was originally a primatologist, but in the middle of his family background, he was born in the Marine Corps again (are you surprised? I am not). For him, it can be said that there is no breakthrough. . Since Johnson retired from WWE and entered Hollywood, the roles he has played are all tough guys in special forces who save the world, or stupid big guys who pretend to be crazy and sell stupidly, with narrow play paths and obvious limitations. When to transform? How to break this shackle? This should be his top priority at this stage.

Of course, this bald giant is indeed loved by the audience, this is undeniable.

This article was first published in the public account: Overhead (ID: jiakong2017), focusing on the four major areas of science fiction, fantasy, suspense, and thriller. Welcome to pay attention.

View more about Rampage reviews

Extended Reading

Rampage quotes

  • Davis Okoye: [getting into half a helicopter] We just need to get enough lift to stay on top of the building as it falls. You know, just like riding an avalanche.

    Dr. Kate Caldwell: No, I don't know!

  • [last lines]

    Davis Okoye: How about we all help these people out, and then find George here a new home.

    Dr. Kate Caldwell: Where are we gonna put him?

    Davis Okoye: I can tell you right now, we're not gonna put him on a plane.