The film drew from the 1986 arcade game of the same name, where players controlled one of three classic monsters: a giant ape, a giant lizard, and a giant werewolf. The game's core objective was simple destruction, a focus that the movie seemingly aimed to recapture. While the game lacked the narrative depth of later video games, its straightforward, destructive gameplay is suggested to have aligned with Johnson's ambitions in the mid-2010s.

By the time of Rampage, Johnson had reportedly moved away from the diverse performances of his early career. While he had success in action films like The Rundown and The Scorpion King, he also took on roles in more unconventional projects such as Richard Kelly's Southland Tales and family films that played ironically with his tough-guy persona. By the mid-2010s, his image reportedly settled into a likable and moralistic tough guy, a persona that Rampage both utilized and, according to some analysis, led to a creative dead end for his blockbusters.

The film itself offered a streamlined take on the game's premise. Instead of the game's characters transforming due to hubris, the movie introduced a plot involving an evil gene-manipulating corporation. Johnson played Davis Okoye, an animal trainer and primatologist, a role reportedly reminiscent of those played by action stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone during their peak careers. Okoye was portrayed as intelligent, compassionate, and a former Special Forces soldier.

The narrative reportedly focused on Okoye's relationship with George, a gorilla with whom he communicates via sign language, and his advocacy against poaching. While the emotional beats were described as conventional, the film's heart was suggested to lie with the animal-centric scenes. The plot involving the corporation Energyne and its gene-mutating conspiracies was characterized as generic, a common trope in Hollywood blockbusters.

Ultimately, Rampage is seen by some as a showcase for Johnson's ability to elevate even absurd premises with his charisma. However, it is also viewed as having highlighted the limitations of the highly produced, action-heavy blockbusters that had become a staple of his career, suggesting a potential crossroads in his film choices.

Featured names

• Forgotten Video
• Game Adaptation
• Bigger Story
• The Scorpion King
• Richard Kelly
• Southland Tales
• The Story Front
• Dwayne Johnson
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Sylvester Stallone
• Special Forces
• Jurassic World
• Gareth Edwards
• Chicago River