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San Andreas
It could have been called “2012 –
2.0” showing what happened to the people on the ground of Los Angeles after
the mega earthquake struck. Whereas in “2012” the destruction is mostly seen
from the air as the characters fly away stupendously, “San Andreas” focuses on
the people on the ground, trapped in the crumbling cities and trying to escape.
Released last year, a bit too soon
after 2012, but I guess audiences wanted to see more of their favourite
Californian destinations being ravaged by a shift in the tectonic plate under
the San Andreas Fault which actually could happen one day.
Starring Dwayne “Not Credited As The Rock Anymore But He Will Always Be Known
As The Rock” Johnson – pause for breath – this film is your typical,
straightforward blockbuster about Armageddon, but it’s not the end of the
world, but it could be because the disaster inflicted here could have
repercussions for the rest of the world, so maybe there we will be a “San
Andreas 2: After Shocks” and then somehow tie in with “2012” for a crossover
film and then actually be called “Grand Tectonic Auto-Destruct: San Andreas 2.0
– The Rebuild”. No? Okay, enough with the title mash ups; now I’ll move on with
The Rock. Oh sorry, Dwayne Johnson.
Things are rocky from the beginning,
excuse the pun. As our main character finds himself caught between a rock and a
hard place. Shit, I did it again. Sorry. As the San Andreas Fault shifts
like scientists predicted it always would, the state ofCalifornia will
rumble as rocks (last time I promise) will fall and buildings will collapse.
Dwayne Johnson plays an ace helicopter pilot for the Los Angeles Fire Service,
while looking like a total Rock Star (no seriously, that was the last time)
with shades and muscles that rip through his shirt. After the Hoover Dam is
ravaged by a quake measuring 9.1 on the Richter Scale, a scientist no one ever
listened to finally gets listened to, as his data and research techniques can
now predict earth quakes before they happen. And things go from bad to worse.
From the dam, to Los Angeles and
along the fault line to San Francisco, the sunny state of California will
inflict so much damage that it becomes unrecognisable. But instead of getting
out of the city and the centre of danger, our characters walk right into the
middle of it. However, that’s apparently the safest place to be as every other
escape route, including The Golden Gate Bridge, is a target for disaster.
Starring many of the same special
effects you saw in 2012, San Andreas is not ground breaking in anyway… oh,
HaHa, I just realised what I wrote there… but it’s not a total bust either.
Damn I’m on fire here. Proving he’s not a bad actor but not a really good one
either, Dwayne Johnson does a fine job as a brave fireman and devoted father,
trying to reach his daughter, marooned in the ruins of San Fran. Along for the
ride is his ex-wife, who he still gets along well with. Together, they will
scour the cracked streets and fallen buildings for their daughter, who is
actually quite resourceful and will do everything her father would, which means
it doesn’t take much for them to find each other.
But along the way they will have one
narrow escape after another, as the city literally falls apart around them.
There’s some light humour thrown in to balance out the mayhem, but you won’t
crack up laughing. Okay seriously, I am not doing this intentionally. With a
blockbuster as clichéd as this, the tongue in check jokes come flying thick and
fast. And it was great to see our very own Kylie Minouge have a brief cameo,
playing totally against type in an early scene. How she landed this role is a
mystery, but that’s show biz for you.
Ummm…. What else can I say? It’s good I
guess. Entertaining enough. Not overcomplicated. Somewhat believable and
focusing on characters that are a little more developed than your usual
blockbuster boneheads. It’s about family reunification amidst a large scale
natural disaster. You won’t be bored as you watch it, but you won’t exactly
remember it forever once it’s over. Just an entertaining 100 minutes or so.
Checkout the trailer below. Rock 'n' Roll ;-)
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