"San Andreas" Review

What's the harm in a simple story? It seems like "simple" is a dirty word, the politically correct way to call out a lazy screenwriter. We want our plots contorted, revamped, blended; that's where the genius comes from. However, I don't think simple is the issue. According to Christopher Booker, all of storytelling stems from only seven basic plots.We regard stories like The Odyssey and Beowulf as classics, though their plots are easy to comprehend. The problem, I think, doesn't lie in simplicity, but rather execution.

There's something to be said about the rarity of well-executed simple films. Often times, it feels like in an attempt to throw in twists and unconventional plot structures, screenwriters try to hook their audience in with a big idea and let the details settle themselves. Tomorrowland, for example, possesses intriguing ideas about the future, the technology and attitudes towards it. However, where Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof missed the mark was in fleshing the ideas out, keeping the plot and characters focused. Is Tomorrowland an ambitious film? Yes, but ambition only gets you so far.

This is where San Andreas pleasantly surprises me. Director Brad Peyton understands the tropes of a disaster movie; he relishes in them (an early scene with a teen driving her convertible possesses a refreshingly wry self-awareness). Buildings crumble, dams burst, cars are swept by a tsunami like a kid hosing down ants, all while our heroes narrowly ('by the skin of their gums' is more like it) escape death. Armageddon, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012 gave us similar destruction, but what separates San Andreas is the stuff in between. From the acting to direction, cinematography to effects, screenwriting to editing, the movie wraps me up in the story, not just the mayhem.

Dwayne Johnson plays Ray Gaines, a rescue pilot for the Los Angeles Fire Department. After a catastrophic earthquake hits along the San Andreas Fault, Ray rushes to ensure the safety of his ex-wife Emma (Carla Gugino) and daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario). All the while, a Caltech seismology professor (Paul Giamatti) and students have successfully developed a theory for predicting earthquakes. When they discover more quakes on the way, they scramble to warn the public.

Johnson has the natural charisma of a great action star; he is my generation's Schwarzenegger. His characters are one-liner spewing bad-asses with a mischievous, often childlike grin, and this likable nature allows us to follow Ray along for the ride as he pilots all manner of vehicles through all manner of disaster zones. When other actors go against spectacle, they get shut down, the focus turning toward the effects. When Johnson does so, his charisma supersedes spectacle. I root for him, and hope he triumphs over the impossible (and improbable).

It's refreshing to see a resurgence of women this summer with Mad Max, Pitch Perfect 2, and Tomorrowland. The market's been recently flooded with well-written female characters, and it's a trend that's steadfastly sticking around. Alexandra Daddario's Blake is stellar. When the earthquake hits, she guides a pair of brothers, Ben and Ollie, (Hugo Johnstone-Burt and Art Parkinson) through the city towards higher ground. Throughout the film, she's using her survival skills and knowledge of emergency procedures to survive. She keeps a cool head and thinks quick on her feet; it's a blast to see her mind at work.

In recent years, movies like Man of Steel, 2012, and the Transformers series have numbed me to the shock of urban demolition. They treat explosions and rubble so trivially, destruction doesn't faze me. Again, execution is what sets San Andreas apart. My suspension of disbelief is stretched by how these scenes progress, but in a movie about deadly earthquakes leveling the Hollywood sign, am I really pushing for scientific accuracy? Not only do the likable characters keep us invested in their troubles, the spectacle comes at us in a variety of layers, both in scope and style. The CGI, when it comes to falling buildings and tsunamis, is well done (I can't say as much for some tighter shots, where one can almost see the green screen). For the larger moments, I was drawn in by how they were paced; they built tension and threw a couple monkey wrenches in the right places that legitimately shocked me.

San Andreas, unlike other disaster movies, is smart enough to keep itself contained to the city. It keeps the story under two hours, using its time effectively to balance characters, plot, and destruction. It's a prime example of how efficient film-making should look like, bringing home a well-executed complete package. If you're looking for an exciting, heartfelt, and jaw-dropping disaster flick, this one is well, well worth your time.