San Andreas: Movie Review

"San Andreas" does not shake and break any molds from the disaster film genre. It is as clichéd as anyone would have expected it to be with its over-the-top science and even its rather patriotic ending. What it does bring into the table is a fun, entertaining experience albeit overall, a little too outrageous for our taste.

After the infamous San Andreas Fault finally gives and triggering a magnitude 9 earthquake in California, search and rescue helicopter pilot Chief Raymond "Ray" Gaines (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife Emma (Carla Gugino) make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter, Blake (Alexandra Daddario), from certain harm. But their treacherous journey north is only the beginning as scientists predict that further tremors will literally destroy San Francisco to the ground.

Surprisingly, as much as "San Andreas" turns out to be exaggerated, we found ourselves really into it at certain points. It could have been the stunning visuals or the riveting performances from the cast or probably a combination of both that rocked us from time to time. Visually, the film couldn't have done much better. One of our favorite things to watch in a disaster film is how cities get pummeled and destroyed and "San Andreas" satisfied our urges. In fact, we wanted more but the film only concentrated on San Francisco most of the time. It's just amazing how literally breath-taking the destruction scenes were. Acting-wise, the film also felt surprisingly authentic. Dwayne Johnson seems to have improved drastically from film to film and "San Andreas" is no exception. The other cast members were also fun to watch and we felt they were easily relatable to what was going on-screen. The downside for "San Andreas" is more on its realism. The action scenes were quote something else - a volatile mix of "realism" and obvious excessiveness. If "San Andreas" could have been more believable, this could have been a different monster. As it is, it's fun to watch but don't expect anything more than that.

Rating: 3 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- incredible visuals
- acting was superb and surprisingly authentic

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- it doesn't break any molds and as generic as any disaster film out there