Director Uwe Boll is mostly known for his film adaptations of video games like Alone in the Dark, Far Cry, Postal and others. However, few know of his stand alone pictures like Tunnel Rats and Darfur, which take on political issues like genocide and the global military Amercanization of the world. In Boll’s latest featured, entitled Rampage from Phase 4 Films, this German born director takes on several contemporary issues including the scarcity of resources, overpopulation, and the limiting nature of capitalization. These and other plot devices get treatment in Boll’s film. Yet, centrally Boll’s Rampage is a film about frustration and violence as one young man takes on a whole city primarily for Boll to rant about the constraints of a modern world.
The film follows character Bill, played brilliantly and stoically by Brendan Fletcher (Hot Tub Time Machine), as he compiles a long list of armaments and body armour. Occasionally complaining about the constraints of society and the admonishment of personal freedoms, Bill goes on a murderous killing spree in a nearby town without some minor provocation while disguised. Few escape his bloodlust, not even friends.
Boll’s militaristic ancestry (German) makes near senseless violence geared towards innocents a short stretch and for those looking for a deeper meaning in the film you will be mostly disappointed. Dread Central’s Foy Wonder says of the film’s message: “a brief and most unwelcome detour into arthouse existentialism…nearly derails the entire film” (Dread). While the message is not nearly that interruptive the film’s core message is somewhat convoluted and interspersed primarily in the first and final thirds. On the pluses, the sensationalist violence is over the top and the material will either excite, disgust, or make one at least stop and think about the possibilities of such carnage happening close to home. While Vancouver, B.C. substitutes for small town America, guns are readily available to young men throughout the States much like a pre-war Germany (1933-1939). So, is this social commentary, or entertainment?
The film’s confusing message aside, Rampage is simply an exciting yet shocking film which delivers complex plot twists and an open interpretive ending for fans of the genre. No matter how calm you are, seeing average people gunned down in cold-blood will arouse emotions and Boll is not out to appeal to the masses, but to shock. Boll, in fact, knows his target audience and in case you do not Boll’s films are made for young male teenagers and young adults where testosterone fuels a need for something unfamiliar and preferably violent. Boll knows this audience and he knows how to entertain them.
An analysis of the bingo scene is required as part of this review. Wonder from Dread Central says of this scene: “the players [are] either too involved in their own distraction or just too disinterested with the world around them to care that a murderous gunmen is walking amongst” (Dread). This is a very good interpretation and shows humanities’ general lack of care about the bigger world issues around them. The bingo players go about their lives in complete ignorance of their potential demise and to the larger global issues like water shortages, famine etc. much like the average Western citizen. As well, the statement from Bill towards the bingo players “you guys don’t need my help at all,” could offer a second alternative interpretation of a satisfied populace who ignores global issues in favour of social satisfaction. Either way, the scene is very surreal and adds a nice break to thirty plus minutes of bloodshed.
If you are in the target audience mentioned above then you will likely enjoy Rampage for what the film is, a violent solution to modern, sometimes frustrating global issues. If you are not in this age group, or fueled by estrogen then likely you will find the violence tasteless and disturbing (generalization of course). Released June 1st on DVD by Phase 4 Films, those with an interest in the unique, or the violent can pick up the DVD now!
Editing/continuity/pacing: 7 (an unconventional start moves along like a steam train during the middle).
Symbolism/meaning/social message: 6.5 (there is an attempt at a message, but this info’ is simply not clear).
Directing/control/techniques: 7. (the film has no technical flaws and Rampage is a visceral film with exciting visuals including an explosion produced for the price tag of $350,000).
Overall: 7 out of 10 (other elements like Fletcher’s acting, and the unseen ending bring this film’s score to at least a 7).
(Review by Michael Allen – Original Post at www.28dayslateranalysis.com)
hey.
smart to turn off the TOTWK comments. but i figured i could comment on Rampage since I just worked with Brendan and Uwe Boll on Bloodrayne 3 for 7 weeks in Croatia. there's stories on my blog. if you're an Uwe fan (or hater), you'll find it entertaining. Rampage is awesome!
I absolutely loved this movie. In my opinion i think tge main message here is that if you aren’t gonna do anything to help yourself, don’t make us suffer by having to hear you constantly complain or let it effect the way you treat us, don’t be “all talk and no action.” Examples, he treated the unfriendly girl working at the diner better than his friend and mentioned she unhappy and doesnt like it either and she’s the only one he “helps”. The beauty shop he only done what he done becAuse he realized they all seen his face and would spoil his plan, the random mass killing in the streets was for his friends beliefs of overpopulation, etc. And then those who have seen it know the other part of the “help” for his friend since he was all talk and no action. The main character was trying hard to get his life right and constantly put up with other people letting their problems effect the way they treated him, if your gonna be rude and hate your job that bad and dont wanna be friendly and make coffee right, than take action and change it or he will help you.the money was to help himself and his parents instead of complaining about how hard he has it when he is actually trying to help himself but they didn’t get it and he wasn’t gonna complain, just take action. Now I’m no professional but the bingo scene im pretty sure i have it down, and think about it, he goes in and the guy working the counter was nice and didnt seem to hate his life like everyone else working a counter, and even told him to have a nice day and all. Everyone else seemed to be happy and content with their lives, even the woman calling the numbers didn’t seem to hate what she was doing and even called him sir and just wanted the ball where she could continue to do her job, and in my opinion he sees this and this is why they dont need his “help”. Once again this is probably my favorite movie and i definately think there are two main messages, secondary message is the problems with society, overpopulation, etc. This is only sent by bill’s friend though, the main character was only helping his friend with these problems because he was all talk and no action and said he helped him become the martyr he always wanted to be. The main message being delivered and this is Bill’s main motivation to “help” those he saw fit, was that there are people who are struggling to make changes in their lives who have worse problems and dont complain, they take action, yet they and we as society constantly have to hear everyone complain about society and not take any action to change it and try to tell everyone else they should, “Evan”. Then the people who are so unhappy with their lives or their jobs that they wont do what they are choosing to sit there and hate and not do right instead of taking action to make their life better.and this is bills main issue that he is trying to help you with. He was having so many troubles and never complained about anything other than people hating their lives, and society but yet they are not taking any action to fix it. So remeber next time you think about complaining yet not many any effort to create changes or fix the problem, you never know when someone who has it worse who is actually trying to do something about their problems, may just decide to “help” you if you wont help yourself so they won’t have to hear about how bad your life is or see how much you hate your life and “help” you with that. Im pretty sure this is the main message being delivered and the references to society, population, etc. Is only another issue that so many people are constantly complaining about everywhere, and yet these people only try to tell us we should do this or that when they arent doing anything but complaining. This is not meant to offend anyone and is my own opinion, but i think many will agree with what i see as the main message if they pay close attention to the events leading up to the spree. Bill seems annoyed by the radio and his friend constantly complaining about problems that they arent taking any action on, so i think that wasnt his motivation at all, he even mentions feeling sick after he done most of the random shooting spree in the beauty shop because he didnt want to kill innocent people that was just him helping evan and society with what they complained about but not taking action, then mostly after he moves on to targeting helping himself with his financial problems and the people who wouldnt help themselves and let it effect how they went about their day, targeting single people in crowded places and just self preservation killing, cops and such, to complete his whole plan. So all in all, he worked on his problems with no complaints and just decided to help everyone else with their problems that they wouldnt take any action on. Sorry for typos, done this all on my iphone so it took a while, and this is about the 5th website ive posted my opinion on this movie on, and the first was the longest because the review said there was no plot, story, message, point, or “need to exist”, when to me if you pay close attention to Bill up to the spree, it’s clear what the main message is, because he only talks about people being unhappy, and not taking actions to fix what they constantly complain about, but never says anything himself about the overpopulation, resources, etc. and it is a very good one. Don’t complain or just sit there being unhappy, either get over it, dont complain, or take action. Im just a normal guy with a very good understanding of things and pay attention to detail. Like it or hate it, it’s my opinion.