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Lately, daily news reports have been loaded with images of natural disasters—from floods to tornadoes to earthquakes. It’s serious business—but maybe that’s why people enjoy escaping with over-the-top disaster movies like San Andreas. Because, for once, the damage and destruction aren’t real—and there’s absolutely nothing serious about it.
San Andreas stars Dwayne Johnson as Ray Gaines, a helicopter pilot for Los Angeles Fire and Rescue. After a massive earthquake hits the Hoover Dam, Ray is called in to help with the rescue operation. Just as he’s leaving town, though, another earthquake hits along the San Andreas Fault. And as scientists at Caltech predict that there’s more to come, Ray is forced to rescue his estranged wife, Emma (Carla Gugino), from a burning building before heading to San Francisco, where their daughter, Blake (Alexandria Daddario), is trapped in the heart of the chaos.
If there’s one lesson to be learned from San Andreas, it’s this: if you ever find yourself facing some kind of catastrophe, it’s good to have Dwayne Johnson on your side. This guy will do whatever it takes to get everyone in his care to safety—whether that means flying a helicopter sideways into dangerously tight spaces or hotwiring a truck while warding off looters. And he’ll do it all with a gleaming grin and a corny quip.
And that’s what makes San Andreas a big, noisy guilty pleasure. The writing is absolutely ridiculous—overstuffed with cheap one-liners, unnecessary melodrama, and one far-fetched scenario after another. But in the midst of all of this cataclysmic destruction, there’s a muscle-bound hero with a big, goofy grin who’s guaranteed to save the day. Sure, he sometimes gets a little too caught up in family drama—and there are times when he should probably get back to saving lives instead of sitting around and talking about his feelings. But no matter how bad things may get, it’s never too much for him to handle. He faces it all like it’s just some kind of American Gladiator challenge in the middle of a collapsing city.
Of course, the extreme action and effects only add to the fun. The crumbling buildings and flying debris may be shocking, but everything about the film is so completely over-the-top (and sometimes even comical) that there’s no mistaking it for gruesome reality. It’s just pure brainless summer entertainment.
San Andreas definitely isn’t a smart, serious blockbuster—but you probably didn’t need me to tell you that. It’s everything that you’d expect from a disaster movie starring Dwayne Johnson: it’s undeniably cheesy and often absurdly overdone. But the hold-your-breath action and impressive effects make this popcorn flick an entertaining escape from the doom and gloom of the daily news.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
