Onto the movie, as briefly mentioned, Rampage stars Dwayne Johnson as primatologist (didn’t know this was a thing to be honest…primatologist? Huh…) Davis Okoye, a man who keeps people at a distance, shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth.

A rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals. As these newly created alpha predators tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.

Cast – Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Joe Manganiello, Jake Lacy, Marley Shelton & Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Director – Brad Peyton

Genre – Fantasy/Science fiction

Running Time – 1h 55m

Directed and produced by Brad Peyton (Ted, Frontier, San Andreas and more behind his impressive credits), Rampage is based on a video game and is an all-out action movie that reminded me of a King Kong or Planet of the Apes with some silliness in parts. If you’ve read most of my reviews, you’ll know that in addition to many things, I like movies that have a mixture of cool elements and if there’s comedy included then I’m completely sold. Rampage has this and more, it was the perfect movie to screen in an outdoor setting and if you missed out on that experience then, well, too bad, sorry…

Worthy of blockbuster status, Rampage is an easy, silly and fun action movie that most will enjoy. In his latest lead role in a movie, this maybe one of Dwayne’s best movies to date. No doubt this is his type of setting, his role in the movie fits him like a glove with his onscreen “bromance” with George (the gorilla) being one of the highlights of the movie. In addition, and coming through with a cool demeanour, as always in most of his roles, I also enjoyed Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s portrayal of government agent, Harvey Russell.

A solid movie and worthy of holding its own until the next blockbuster enters the circuit, Rampage is definitely a worthy watch especially in an IMAX, 3D or D-Box setting. I kept an open mind and was ready for a good movie and that’s exactly what I got, that’s why this one gets a rock (see what I did there?) solid 7.5 out of 10 rating from me. Make a date with your mates, better half or fam to see this one, you’ll have a good time trust in that.

Classy as always, all my thanks go to the cool kids at Ster for the fantastic outdoor screening experience, proper way to watch any movie…this should be a regular thing I reckon!

At times, interesting – at times, a bit long and at times, neutral. That’s the best way to describe the movie in focus today, Desierto. It’s hard to draw a conclusion and even be able to give an opinion on it mainly because it’s not the best nor is it the worst movie to watch. With a straight-forward plot, a small cast and every scene shot from one location – Desierto can at times be intriguing but also a bit long and pointless a other times. I can see what the thinking was originally but certainly there could have be more done with it.

So, what’s it all about exactly?

As mentioned earlier, the movie is set in a desert with the focus being largely on a migrant named Moses who leads 13 other migrants on a trek through the harsh (maybe even worse) terrain along the U.S-Mexico border. This all happens when their truck suddenly breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Inconvenience soon turns into horror as the sounds of gunfire shatter the tranquil desert landscape. Desperate and on the run, the survivors find themselves in a fight for their lives against a psychotic sniper and his vicious hunting dog. Moises must now use his wits and instincts to kill the relentless predator before he claims more victims.

It’s also interesting to note that the film was shown in the Special Presentations section of the ‘2015 Toronto International Film Festival’, where it won the Prize of the ‘International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for Special Presentations’. It was selected as the Mexican entry for the ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ at the 89th Academy Awards.

So, judging from the above you wouldn’t be incorrect in thinking that there’s something to it. It does include interesting scenes in parts but there’s only a few of those in the whole offering. Personally, I like movies that have a good backstory with everything linking together to make the whole thing make sense and be a good watch. That’s not the case though with Desierto and that’s one of my biggest criticisms. The characters as well as the story itself don’t have a proper backstory – you get the feeling that it starts in the middle, continues in the same vain and the ending also leaves one with a whole host of questions.

Cast – Gael García Bernal, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Alondra Hidalgo & Diego Cataño

Director – Jonás Cuarón

Genre – Drama/Thriller

Running Time – 94 minutes

Desierto is far from perfect and isn’t the best movie I’ve watched however it is intriguing and does grab your attention in parts. It feels rushed and has several holes, with all that though it’s still a good watch and does the job. Desierto just manages to get a 3 out of 5 from me.

As always, I don’t like going into much detail to avoid spoliers and the like so should you feel the need to find out more about this and more movies, which we’ll definitely be reviewing soon, then visit Ster Kinekor on Facebook or follow them on Twitter at @SterEnt.