Review: 'San Andreas' Not Exactly Earthshaking
By Justin Lowe
Mother Nature always gets the last word, but don’t tell that to the filmmakers of San Andreas, who envision California bravely persevering after a series of earthquakes of unprecedented severity erupts along the titular fault line. West-coasters are known for their frequently nonchalant attitude toward disasters, but Warner Bros.’ third big-budget release of May is far too upbeat in the face of catastrophe to spur any tectonic shift in perspective.
Whether the “Big One” will play out anything like the movie imagines may be debatable, but San Andreas will clearly inject some fresh PG-13 action into theaters, and while it may not exactly tip the Richter scale, it could still resonate with crowds gearing up for summer vacation.
Any feature inclined toward a realistic depiction of a monster earthquake would be wise to stick with first-responders, so San Andreas gives us Ray (Dwayne Johnson), an LA Fire Department search and rescue helicopter pilot. Ray’s expertise aloft isn’t matched by his interpersonal skill though, as he’s reminded when his estranged wife Emma (Carla Gugino) serves him with divorce papers and announces she’s moving into her wealthy boyfriend Daniel’s (Ioan Gruffudd) fancy mansion, along with their daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario). Ray’s plans for spending a final weekend with Blake before she begins university in the San Francisco area are dashed when a major earthquake hits Nevada and his squad mobilizes to respond, so Daniel offers to fly Blake up north on his private jet.
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The LAFD isn’t aware, however, that the Nevada quake is part of a “swarm” of temblors headed toward LA, as predicted by Lawrence Hayes (Paul Giamatti), a seismology professor at CalTech. Before Hayes can get word out to the public, however, the first big one hits downtown, where Emma is lunching in a highrise restaurant as the building begins crumbling around her. Already airborne and flying solo, Ray plucks her from the roof in his chopper and they impulsively zip off to retrieve their daughter.
Blake has already reached San Francisco when another quake hits and she’s trapped in an underground garage. After managing to reach Ray by cell phone with her location, she’s rescued by handsome Brit engineer Ben (Hugo Johnstone-Burt) and his younger brother Ollie (Art Parkinson). The three quickly flee into the marginally safer streets of San Francisco and start developing a plan to rendezvous with Ray and Emma.
Although the geological principals that underlie the plot are fairly solid, the film predictably exaggerates them to an unlikely degree, as earthquakes split California apart with a zipper-like effect. Those particulars may be of little concern to audiences, but some may wonder why an active-duty LAFD pilot would ignore orders and go AWOL on a personal mission with one of the department’s helicopters. No matter, the extended trip north gives Ray and Emma a chance to try and sort out their failing marriage as they make a beeline for Blake.
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Unpacking all of that personal baggage makes for an uneasy fit with the action-adventure scenario and the movie is at its strongest when it integrates family dynamics into the plot rather than indulging in extreme couples therapy. Johnson is totally up for it, however, remaining one of the few contemporary action stars who can reassuringly embrace emotional situations at the height of catastrophe. Otherwise, he gives the type of heroic alpha-male performance we’ve come to reliably expect, along with the occasional twinkle of characteristic humor. Gugino and Daddario are no slouches either, barreling full-bore through physically intense scenes that are no less demanding for all their liberally deployed special effects.
Together with cinematographer Steve Yedlin and VFX supervisor Colin Strause, director Brad Peyton achieves a persuasive blending of practical shots and superior CG techniques for the most complex sequences, which may even have some viewers holding onto their seats for stability (the movie will be released in 3D in select theaters.) The scale of the spectacle is often disproportionate to the destruction depicted, however, with few scenes of the inevitable death and trauma that follow a major earthquake.
So if San Andreas eventually emerges as a feel-good disaster movie, it probably just reflects our aspirations for maintaining order in the inevitable chaos of a catastrophic quake. Wishful thinking, indeed.
Watch the trailer:
Production companies: New Line Cinema, Village Roadshow Pictures, Ratpac-Dune Entertainment, FPC Productions
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Paul Giamatti, Ioan Gruffudd, Archie Panjabi, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Art Parkinson, Kylie Minogue, Will Yun Lee
Director: Brad Peyton
Screenwriter: Carlton Cuse
Producers: Beau Flynn
Executive producers: Richard Brener, Samuel J. Brown, Michael Disco, Toby Emmerich, Steven Mnuchin, Rob Cowan, Tripp Vinson, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Steve Yedlin
Visual effects supervisor: Colin Strause
Production designer: Barry Chusid
Costume designer: Wendy Chuck
Editor: Bob Ducsay
Music: Andrew Lockington
Casting directors: Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood
