When a senator’s daughter is kidnapped for ransom, Samantha O’Hara (Megan Fox) and her team of mercenaries brave the African grasslands, and all of its predators, to find her and bring her home. Rogue is the action/animal-attack thriller that began as a pet project and morphed into a big screen flick.

While Rogue could have been a vehicle to relaunch Megan Fox as a serious action lead, the dialogue and character development falls flat. Right from the start of the rescue the team and the kidnap victim doubt Fox’s ability to run the crew and rather than using that as a set up to display a strong female lead, Fox lives down to their expectations. She does not have the grit or weight of character to carry her own backstory. Though there are some interesting action sequences, it feels as though you are always left waiting for something more to happen.

As Fox’s team enters a wild game farm, the story goes from a military-eques action flick to a animal-attack film of the likes of Predator – but not quite that either. A blood thirsty lioness hunts the team at the same time the kidnappers are searching for their rescued cash-cow. One would expect a tense climax as a three-way show-down ensues but in the end, stuff happens, people die and yet it all feels like a let down.

Written by former wildlife presenter, MJ Basset and her daughter, Isabel, Rogue showcases the terrain, beauty and complexities of Eastern Africa. While the desire to highlight the grandeur of Africa is evident the execution, especially through CGI, is lacking. The fearsome creature that stalks the crew is almost comical and resembles the graphics of a 2010 video game more than something conjured by a big-budget action film.

It’s a decent film with some moments of interest and intrigue but all in, there are stronger female lead action films out there. Rogue is more of a middle of the road action movie than a block buster in the making.