San Andreas

Sometimes you just end up connecting with a film that you didn't really expect to and you know what? That's perfectly okay. 

I'll tell all my readers up front: San Andreas is the biggest surprise of the year in my eyes. 

I found it to be intense, well paced, scary, and quite mesmerizing. 

But keep in mind that I ended my declaration with "in my eyes" because San Andreas is also incredibly cliched, doesn't really feature anything you haven't seen before, and a bit corny on several occasions. 

It's a film that I loved and enjoyed nearly every frame of, but I can't exactly pinpoint the why. It's not often that I face this conundrum, but it happens from time to time. I'm not complaining mind you, but just a fair warning to my readers: I enjoyed the hell out of San Andreas -- it was far better than I expected it to be, but my love may not be shared, so take that into consideration while reading my review.

Way to build a gas station right on top of a fault line! Dummies!

Something about the Rock's face in this still...
just makes me laugh

San Andreas is not an adaptation of the Grand Theft Auto videogame of the same name (though I'm sure that would be a great film), but rather a disaster film centered around the San Andreas fault. For those that don't know, the San Andreas fault is located in California and long overdue for a earthquake. Those facts are real and between that pending disaster and the Yellowstone future volcano, the United States might have some terrifying times ahead. Many refer to the building earthquake as "The Big One" and San Andreas is two hours of The Big One occurring. Dwayne Johnson stars as Ray, a highly efficient and capable member of the L.A. county fire department. We're introduced to him as he rescues a girl from a car hanging on a cliff. The CGI is questionable in this scene, but even still (and I honestly couldn't tell you why) I was glued to my seat, watching in awe. 

The thing that amazes me about how much I enjoyed San Andreas is that it is so cliched. Family issues? Check. Disaster helps to mend family issues? Check. Scientists that predict disaster? Check. Mass destruction and mass hysteria? Check and check. Everything seems to go wrong? Check. Tough guy who figures out to solve everything that goes wrong? Check. Kinda-sorta bad guy that eventually gets what's coming to him? Check again. Sincerely, San Andreas is a living, breathing cliche...something that usually aggravates the hell out of me at the theater. So WHY did I love it so much?!

Not sure that hiding under a table is the best
bet during a 9.6 earthquake

For starters, Johnson is an incredibly likable centerpiece (as he is in most films) and he can lead a film with ease at this point. Even during some of the more emotional scenes, he proves just how far he has come as an actor from The Scorpion King days. He is charismatic and has the physical form appropriate to make you believe that he can actually do half of what he does. Furthermore, the film earns points for being based on an event that could/probably-will actually happen. That's not to say it's realistic, although who's to say it's not, but the fear from this actually happening is real. Real enough that I don't really want to travel to California on business anymore! The dramatic beats, centered around this family that has already experienced tragedy, are also effective. They give backstory to the characters and made me care about their outcome, even if the whole process was, again, "cliche". Some additional characters, mainly two British brothers who visited America during the WRONG week, bring some appropriate humor and likability to the event. On top of all of that, you have a pretty moving original score. And we all know that's my weak spot for films. 

In terror of the mass of The Rock's
shoulders headed straight for them!

The big event plays out rather logically, including a tsunami in the San Fransisco bay that is spectacular/terrifying. There was an underlying sense of dread and fear that I had during each segment, maybe because I was subconsciously wondering if this is what The Big One would actually look like, and it didnt help matters that the special effects are often phenomenal. Seeing the ground of L.A. undulating is jaw-dropping, similar to a tidal wave coming across the Golden Gate Bridge, not to mention all the huge skyscrapers falling like poorly made Lego sets. Granted it's all destruction that has been seen before, but the tinge of realism made it hit home that much more with me. The interesting thing about the special effects is that for scenes of the landscape, and wide shots of tons of surface area, they are near perfect, but when the camera is brought in closer it gets pretty poor and obvious to tell what's real, fake, or green screen. To be expected as that's really the case with any film, but there were a few times where it took me out of the moment. This all builds to a well constructed ending that I once more found myself completely involved in and I really thought they were going to go "there". Again, any other movie with this many cliches I would have known, 100%, that the film had no chance of going through with anything super drastic, but San Andreas made me believe they were going to. It's a testament to either just how gullible I am, or how well made the film is. 

Um yeah....terrifying

San Andreas is a film you've seen before. I'd argue it's the better/best version of the film you've "seen before", but I also can't fully justify as to why I liked it so much. Maybe I just got duped by it...a film that tricked me into liking it. 

Or maybe it was the combination of all these well orchestrated disaster-movie checkboxes that the film makes sure to fill out that led to a film that is greater than each of its individual parts. Either way, it's the biggest surprise of the year thus far for me. If you would have told me that a few months ago, it would have been a pretty earth-shaking statement. 

Sorry...had to get one pun in there. Oh come on, it's not my fault(line)!

Seriously, I'll stop now.

CONS:

• It's so cliched it's not even funny
• Really questionable CGI when the camera is closer to characters
• A tad too many things go wrong
• The ending should have just gone "there" and shocked everyone

PROS:

• Despite its cliches, I found it to be well made and incredibly engaging
• The fact that this natural disaster could (and probably will happen) made me that much more terrified
• Some really horrific scenes of destruction that look all too real with the special effects. It looks wonderful on a large screen (I saw it in RPX)
• Johnson is a great lead -- perfect for the role -- and the supporting cast is highly likable
• Effective family drama in the background that never seemed to be overdone
• A rousing original score
• It's far better and more gripping than it has any right to be. Seems like a case where a lot of pieces came together well 

   Rath's Review Score: 8.5/10