San Andreas Review

When the San Andreas fault triggers a magnitude 9 earthquake, a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) must navigate the destruction from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save his daughter.

San Andreas is a fun summer flick, you know what you will get with this disaster film. While it has it's moments this film suffers from the typical cliché that most disasters film suffer from. Mother nature an unstoppable force check. A man surviving situations that he would clearly be dead or have some broken bones check, a force love story that happens when you save ones life check, finally the most cliché line in all disaster films God be with us check. These clichés didn't kill the movie entirely for me, but watching this film I couldn't help but think about the movie The Day After Tomorrow. This film has the same premise as that one. Mother nature attacks, a man travels miles to save his kid, while dealing with relationship issues with his wife. In the meantime scientists are trying to pinpoint where mother nature will strike again.

My biggest gripe about San Andreas is the first 20 mins had such a great concept. We see Dwayne Johnson's character Ray and his rescue team which includes Colton Haynes from Arrow. The team go on a mission to rescue a woman who car fell down the cliff. She is trap and the car is about to fall to the ground. Ray and his team are on the scene to save the day. The movie sets up the story like the film will be about Ray and his team going on missions to save folks. This would've been a better film, because there is not that many disaster movies where we get to see the full perspective of the men and women who risk their lives to help others. Not to mention the chemistry between the team was great. I wanted to see more of Haynes  and Johnson play off each other. Sadly his appearance is reduce to one scene.

Unfortunately San Andreas misses the chance to give us a good story. This doesn't mean the film is terrible. It's a decent film. Johnson's character Ray is likable and has the charmisa that only The Rock can bring. He takes what is a generic character and makes it his own. The acting in the film is good, but as far as character development goes I didn't care who lived or died besides Dwayne Johnson.

San Andreas does have some good things. The special effects look good in 3D, the score really brings the intensity and the destruction of the quake is massive. If you want that in a film this summer, then check out San Andreas.

Final Grade- 3 stars out of 5.