From Tomb Raider to Super Mario Bros. to Mortal Kombat, video games have been making their way onto the big screen for decades. As we speak, there’s a massive transformation in movie theaters worldwide. Rampage, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Naomie Harris, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, is an intense, action-packed film blended with clever humor and dramatic fight sequences.

As a geeky parent with two young children (ages five and three), this is not the film for them; it has been appropriately given a PG-13 rating. Let’s take a look at the rating and then go into the reasons it’s rated as such – and why this movie racks up a ton of damage points, and in video game terms, that’s a good thing.

PG-13 Rating, via Motion Picture Association of America: “Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13 – Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.”

Yes, there is vulgar language in Rampage, but who wouldn’t scream, curse, or run terrified at the sight of an enormous gorilla, wolf, or crocodile chasing after them. There is also some crude humor, yet, this movie counters this by letting the albino gorilla sometimes be the creator of these jokes, giving a sense of levity to tense moments. Taking some notes from the 1980s arcade game, Rampage, parents and their teens will see gigantic monsters destroying buildings and parts of whatever city they roam through. If you go into this movie expecting to see something similar to the King Kong, Godzilla, or Pacific Rim franchises, with absurdly large and deadly creatures, then Rampage will satisfy that wow factor. There’s also a villain, played by Malin Akerman, who isn’t afraid to “liquidate” her enemies – and Johnson’s emotional bond with the gorilla, George, establishes a clear relationship worth rooting for throughout the entire movie.

Rampage opens with an incredibly suspenseful scene, letting families get pulled into the film, while immediately learning about the movie’s premise and the evildoers behind it. Rampage is a science experiment gone wrong, has violently explosive scenes of those trying to escape or attack transformed animals, and altogether translates to one of the best, if not the best, video game movies this geeky parent has seen.

There’s a pretty large selection of video game movies that you and your teens can explore. Perhaps after seeing Rampage, you can dive into these other flicks, if you haven’t already. To give you an idea of where those movies stand up against what’s been said about Rampage already, let’s take a look at their scores on Rotten Tomatoes, which will include stand alone films, franchises, and reboots.

Rampage (2018)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 50%
Audience Score: 81%

****

Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 14%
Audience Score: 28%

Mortal Kombat (1995)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 34%
Audience Score: 58%

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 20%
Audience Score: 47%

Resident Evil (2002)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 34%
Audience Score: 67%

Doom (2005)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score (19%)
Audience Score: 34%

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 36%
Audience Score: 58%

Warcraft (2016)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 27%
Audience Score: 77%

Assassin’s Creed (2016)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 18%
Audience Score: 43%

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 36%
Audience Score: 49%

Tomb Raider (2018)
Tomatometer Critics’ Score: 49%
Audience Score: 63%

In addition to this extended list, there have also been cinematic shorts created from popular video game franchises. One in particular, if you don’t mind a dark, twisted version of the fun adventure that is the Super Mario franchise – Super Mario: Underworld – from creator and YouTuber Nukazooka – is not for the faint of heart, or little kiddos, as you’ll find a demented, carnivorous Luigi feeding on something that’s definitely not a mushroom. Parents and their teens can see how fans build their own worlds from the things they love, and the vision can be equally dark and entertaining.

One of my personal favorites is an adaptation, Metroid: The Sky Calls, from Rainfall Films, director Sam Balcomb, and featuring “Jessica Chobot (Nerdist) for live action, and America Young (Monster High, Halo 5) for motion capture and stuntwork.” This live-action short is a perfect example of what I’d love to see more of on the big screen. The story presents intrigue, suspenseful moments, and vantage points from within the suit, much like the great scenes from a favorite MCU character, Iron Man, which proves this type of full-scale movie could work in theaters.

What video games would you or your kids love to see adapted to the big screen? Has your favorite video game been made into a movie already, and did you or your kids enjoy it?

If anything comes from viewing any of these video game movies, it should be a desire to go back through your favorite games you or your kids have enjoyed playing. This is a perfect opportunity to talk about the things you loved playing, and maybe create a list to then find out what movies you’d like to see in the future. Perhaps, if you’ve got the time, Rampage will make it onto your family’s itinerary – and in this geeky parent’s opinion, it’s definitely worth the trip.

Now, I wonder if they can find a way to turn Kid Icarus into a movie.

Until next time, happy parenting and happy geeking.