Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Sure.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Definitely.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 114 minutes (~2 hours)
“San Andreas” is a disaster movie that takes place in Los Angeles. When the long awaited earthquake finally hits the city and the surrounding region, a helicopter rescue pilot finds all his skills put to the test as he rescues his family members from terrible disaster. It stars Dwayne Johnson (Ray Gaines), Carla Gugino (Emma Gaines), Alexandra Daddario (Blake Gaines), Ioan Gruffudd (Daniel Riddick), Archie Panjabi (Serena Johnson), Paul Giamatti (Dr. Lawrence Hayes), Hugo Johnston-Burt (Ben Taylor), and Art Parkinson (Ollie Taylor). It is rated PG-13.
“San Andreas” is a fun action film that shows us the real life consequences of what happens when you hit the “Earthquake” button in a Sim City game. It’s filled with all the destruction sequences that you’d expect, as well as numerous inventive, well thought out rescue scenes. Even though there’s the stereotypical ignored-till-it’s-too-late professor in the movie, there’s nary a sign of environmental lecturing or high-handed message that you’d expect. Best of all, it actually incorporate a very relatable, very human story within the disaster — that of a father trying desperately to hold on to his fracturing family. That human element is what ties the entire movie together, and gives it the emotional gravitas that makes it a treat both for the eyes and the heart.
Highlights
Thrilling rescue sequences
Since the protagonist is a helicopter rescue pilot, it makes sense that most of the action scenes would revolve around rescuing hapless victims from from the most precarious of situations. The opening rescue sequence already establishes the search-and-rescue prowess of Ray, and the movie just ups the ante with each new perilous situation that the protagonists find themselves in. Fortunately, it gives Ray a chance to showcase his rescue prowess and it’s also believable given his background. They even throw in a bit of slightly inaccessible jargon to make it that much more authentic.
Scenes of disaster and destruction
Admit it – you’re here to see just how much chaos an earthquake can cause, especially in a populated city like Los Angeles. “San Andreas” doesn’t disappoint, levelling buildings like they were made of cardboard, and even throwing in a tidal wave in the finale. Massive explosions, raging fires, burning shrapnel — it comes fast and furious, and it never gets old. The wide shots of a ruined Los Angeles also add to the sheer scale of the destruction caused by the earthquake, giving us that guilty pleasure of seeing manmade structures laid low like they were sandcastles.
The family story of the Gaines
At its emotional core, the story is about Ray’s broken family, and you understand where his search-and-rescue skills come from — a deep, unspoken desire to mend what has been broken, and also a way to fill the gap in his life. The disaster gives him a chance to reconnect with his estranged wife, Emma, and for them to resolve their differences. His eye candy daughter Blake is a plus, and when you see the lengths that he would go to when rescuing Emma and Blake, you understand just how much all this means to him — it’s not just a job, but his love for his family made manifest.
Well paced action and plot
If the movie were just action, this wouldn’t be a justifiable point, but the movie is much more thatn that. There’s a touching story weaved in between the calamitous destruction that the protagonists face, and it’s inserted at opportune breaks between the action. The thrills don’t suffer as a result of this (it would for less quality films), and in fact the thrills increase since the stakes grow higher with the emotional background provided. This means that all 114 minutes of this movie is well spent, with barely a minute feeling out of place.
Letdowns
Hammy dialogue
At a critical juncture in the film, when Dr. Hayes realises that the earthquake is far from over, Serena asks who they should notify. With absolute seriousness and total conviction, he says but one word.
“Everybody.”
It’s completely groan inducing and artificially melodramatic, and a good number of lines in the script fall prey to these cheesy, overblown lines. Of course, you’re not expecting witty verbal acrobatics from the actors, but how about toning down all that ham?
“San Andreas” is an excellent adventure for the whole family, what with it’s imaginative annihilation of Los Angeles and family-centric story at its core. It isn’t just a disaster movie — it’s a film about how one man manages to pull his family back together amidst one of the most catastrophic disasters that mankind has ever had to face.
“San Andreas” opens in cinemas 28 May, 2015 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo.
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