San Andreas Movie Review
by Will Hopkins
The San Andreas fault is a Faultline that runs through California. When its two tectonic plates shift, which is bound to happen eventually, it will register one of the strongest earthquakes ever. This was the inspiration behind the release of San Andreas in 2015, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Carla Gugino, Paul Giamatti, and more. As a scientist in the film, Giamatti, playing Dr. Lawrence Hayes, further explains the science of San Andreas, which is extremely interesting. He makes the complex understandable, contributing to the viewer’s understanding of this realistic, yet fictional movie.
Although the plot is realistic, the star actor, The Rock, playing Ray, does at times cross the line of possibility, but his fans should come to expect this at this point. Most of his action movies are remarkable to the extent that his stunts may lose their integrity. Even given this, his athletic feats and their combination with the editing to make all of his moves look real are classic Dwayne Johnson. With The Rock leading the way, this movie has viewers on the edge of their seats.
Amazing CGI has the audience feeling like this earthquake is truly happening and just waiting to see how the people of California will handle it. CGI’s pairing with The Rock makes scenes in this incredible natural disaster truly breathtaking, whether it be in the sky in a chopper or on the water in a boat. Many of the shots in this film were in the city of San Francisco but nowhere close to the form that it is in today because of the destruction from the quake in the movie. For those reasons, the CGI and editing had to be amazing, and they definitely were.
Lastly, Alexandra Daddario, as Blake, Ray’s daughter, gives the movie its necessary loving, sweet, and personable character. With so much hard-core action, her complex, dynamic relationships with many other cast members truly soften the film. Her amazing performance provides balance to the movie that would be much less enjoyable without it. She and The Rock make a magnificent tag team in this otherworldly movie. The question remains: When will the real San Andreas actually happen?
