One of the things that made The Rock ‘the most electrifying man in sports entertainment’ when he was in the WWE is his on-screen charisma, something that has also aided him as actor Dwayne Johnson. That charisma is on display in his latest film, San Andreas, which explores the devastation that can be caused by earthquakes.
As a summer blockbuster, the film entertains, especially the 3D version, as Johnson stars as Ray Gaines, who operates a rescue helicopter for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Ray is supposed to drive his college daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario) to school, but when disaster strikes nearby in Nevada, duty calls, and his soon-to-be former wife Emma (Carla Gugino) is happy to let her new real estate mogul boyfriend drop Blake off at college instead.
Meanwhile, Paul Giamatti stars in the role of Lawrence, a professor at California Institute of Technology who discovers technology that allowed him to predict the earthquake in Nevada. What’s worse? As the film title indicates, Lawrence learns that there is a catastrophic earthquake about to hit Los Angeles.
From a visual standpoint, the film is very entertaining and will keep your attention. The script certainly won’t be an Academy Award winner, with numerous one-liners that fall flat, but that adds what appears to be unintended humor to the film.
As a New Yorker who experienced September 11, 2001, falling buildings in a big city brought back memories of that day, and I would imagine if you live anywhere near the San Andreas Fault, this film could potentially make you feel uneasy. There are also scenes in the film that made me think of Hurricane Katrina. Despite any real world memories the film may trigger, it gets the job done as a summer blockbuster, and I recommend the 3D version for maximum enjoyment.
Let’s get social! Follow Derrel Jazz Johnson on YouTube Twitter and Instagram.
