DWAYNE Johnson is one of Hollywood’s last remaining stars who can sell a film on name alone.

He isn’t the finest actor, but his like-ability and charisma is irresistible and over the years has turned mediocre action flicks into something more memorable.

Without him who knows where the Fast & Furious franchise would be? He breathed new life to series back in Fast Five and also rejuvenated sequels to G.I Joe and Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Let’s not forget he even made Kevin Hart films bearable in Central Intelligence and the surprise hit of 2017, the Jumanji reboot.

He really knows how to deliver strong action sequences but also keep the character stuff entertaining and relatable, due to his strong screen presence. And this has never been clearer than his latest blockbuster, the movie adaptation of the video game Rampage.

When three different animals (a gorilla, alligator and wolf) become infected with a dangerous pathogen, Primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) and Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) team up to stop them from destroying Chicago.

What could’ve been a Michael Bay-like action extravaganza actually has hidden layers, with characters we care and root for. You’ll even get emotionally invested with a Gorilla.

But that’s not to say there isn’t enough action. This movie is jam packed with jaw dropping action sequences, especially during the third act when all hell breaks loose in Chicago.

It’s ludicrous and absurd with some inexcusable flaws but I have to admit, I was entertained the entire way. The scale of this film is off the charts, opening with an enticing sequence in space and features plenty of insane city destruction set-pieces.

Dwayne Johnson continues to show why he is this century’s action superstar. In similar vein to Schwarzenegger in the 90s, Johnson has the great one liners and stars in the craziest of action flicks but can do something Arnie never could, actually act.

Whilst he sadly turns un-killable towards the end as the film reaches all new levels of dumb, Johnson plays it straight faced throughout with a genuine chemistry with the films main animal, a Gorilla named George.

Naomie Harris is sadly wasted in a small yet pivotal role but Jeffrey Dean Morgan is hilariously over-the-top in his supporting turn. Whilst everyone involved mostly plays it serious, Morgan is having a field day in a campy turn as Harvey Russell, an operative assigned to taking down the animals. There is also a superb scene with Joe Manganiello which does not disappoint.

The only characters to truly disappoint are the one-note and frankly irritating villains played by Malin Akerman and Jake Lacy. Every scene with them is painful as they portray these siblings who plot for world domination. Both the performances and the writing in their scenes were awful and really took me out of the film.

What really surprised me though, was just how strong and ambitious the directing was. Brad Peyton (who helmed Johnson in San Andreas and Journey 2) has a strong hold on all the action using long takes and great wides, with a clear picture of what is taking place on screen. The visual effects work on the monsters are also mightily impressive, making this is easily the best work of his young career.

This isn’t going to please everyone. Some humour feels incredibly out of place (a fake death late on just felt wrong) and the writing struggles to find a balance between silly and serious but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to having an incredibly good time. This is mindless entertainment and pure popcorn-inducing cinema fun.

I’d maybe even go as far as to say this is the best video game movie yet. Who would’ve thought that?

Verdict: Ridiculous but so entertaining, Rampage is a ton of fun with plenty of epic moments solidifying Johnson as this centuries go to action hero.

Best Moment: George picks up a tank and throws it at a helicopter. Say no more.

Rating: 7.5/10