San Andreas Movie Review
"The Earth will literally crack and you will feel it on the East coast."
-Lawrence Hayes
I wasn't able to catch this movie while it was still in theaters over the summer but I finally got around to it this past week and it wasn't too bad! I love natural disaster movies so I definitely went in with a bias but I can still admit when a movie is crap. Like 2012 for example. I wanted to like it so bad. The global destruction was on par with what I expected but the characters were dismal and I just couldn't get myself to like it. San Andres had an ace up it's sleeve and that was Dwayne Johnson. The Rock isn't getting nominated for best lead actor anytime soon but I'll be damned if I don't say I enjoy almost all of his performances. He is such a great entertainer and even in a serious movie like this he manages to get his witty one-liners in. The film was directed by Brad Peyton and co-stars Carla Gugino as Emma Gaines, Alexandra Daddario as Blake Gaines and Paul Giamatti as Dr. Lawrence Hayes.
The Rock is playing Raymond Gaines an emergency rescue-chopper pilot. He is currently going through a divorce with Emma who lives with their daughter Blake and is planning on spending the weekend with her, when a massive earthquake hits and destroys the Hoover Dam. This is only the beginning of what's to come and the only one who has a clue is Dr. Hayes, but no one is listening to what he has to say. The movie is split between following Raymond and following Blake throughout this tragedy and their attempts to be reunited. It was extremely predictable and I called pretty much every important plot point that was going to happen early on. Even though I'd like to think it was because I'm awesome, it's definitely because the writing wasn't all too original.
San Andreas jumps through all the hoops you'd expect it to. Protagonists try desperately to find each other, countless of background characters die, scum bag character gets his due, and somehow the world literally crumbling below their feet isn't enough to stop them. Now I expected all of this going in so I'm okay with it. What I wasn't okay with was the on-screen chemistry between Emma and Raymond. They just didn't seem to click and I wasn't feeling their relationship. I'll give them credit for trying to add some emotional depth to the Rock's character with his deceased daughter that he failed to save. It made the stakes feel even higher when Blake was in real danger, because you didn't want his character to go through another one of his children's deaths. But we know that wasn't going to really happen!
What really won me over with this film, as should with all natural disaster films, was the actual destruction. Seeing the Earth shift, skyscrapers collapse, and massive tsunamis obliterate the terrain is why I popped this movie in in the first place and that did not disappoint at all, The CGI was on point and it was scary because it looked so real. This is the kind of movie that you watch and ask yourself, "what the hell would I do?". Definitely don't want to live in California after this, that's for sure. Most of the performances in the film ranged from mediocre to good. Nothing great but nothing horrible, I was expecting more from Daddario, but she didn't bring anything special to the table. Her incredibly blue eyes are a marvel to look at though. I could have gone without seeing this film but I don't regret watching it. I enjoyed the unnecessary carnage, and the destruction of California was good eye candy. The Rock made this movie more enjoyable for me and I would have probably not enjoyed this film with another leading man in his place. I give San Andreas a 6.5 out of 10.
The Rock is playing Raymond Gaines an emergency rescue-chopper pilot. He is currently going through a divorce with Emma who lives with their daughter Blake and is planning on spending the weekend with her, when a massive earthquake hits and destroys the Hoover Dam. This is only the beginning of what's to come and the only one who has a clue is Dr. Hayes, but no one is listening to what he has to say. The movie is split between following Raymond and following Blake throughout this tragedy and their attempts to be reunited. It was extremely predictable and I called pretty much every important plot point that was going to happen early on. Even though I'd like to think it was because I'm awesome, it's definitely because the writing wasn't all too original.
San Andreas jumps through all the hoops you'd expect it to. Protagonists try desperately to find each other, countless of background characters die, scum bag character gets his due, and somehow the world literally crumbling below their feet isn't enough to stop them. Now I expected all of this going in so I'm okay with it. What I wasn't okay with was the on-screen chemistry between Emma and Raymond. They just didn't seem to click and I wasn't feeling their relationship. I'll give them credit for trying to add some emotional depth to the Rock's character with his deceased daughter that he failed to save. It made the stakes feel even higher when Blake was in real danger, because you didn't want his character to go through another one of his children's deaths. But we know that wasn't going to really happen!
What really won me over with this film, as should with all natural disaster films, was the actual destruction. Seeing the Earth shift, skyscrapers collapse, and massive tsunamis obliterate the terrain is why I popped this movie in in the first place and that did not disappoint at all, The CGI was on point and it was scary because it looked so real. This is the kind of movie that you watch and ask yourself, "what the hell would I do?". Definitely don't want to live in California after this, that's for sure. Most of the performances in the film ranged from mediocre to good. Nothing great but nothing horrible, I was expecting more from Daddario, but she didn't bring anything special to the table. Her incredibly blue eyes are a marvel to look at though. I could have gone without seeing this film but I don't regret watching it. I enjoyed the unnecessary carnage, and the destruction of California was good eye candy. The Rock made this movie more enjoyable for me and I would have probably not enjoyed this film with another leading man in his place. I give San Andreas a 6.5 out of 10.
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