Review of Earthquake (1974) by Jake P — 16 Jan 2011

Six loosened teeth. You're not supposed to do that to a fellow officer.

A series of earthquakes strike Los Angeles causing mass destruction and an anarchy environment. Several pockets of individuals manage the crisis in their own ways. When their paths cross, some people work together to make the situation better and some people decide to fend for themselves. How will Los Angeles as a city regroup from the catastrophe?

"Our whole marriage has been a series of bribes.".

Mark Robson, director of Von Ryan's Express, Limbo, The Prize, Valley of the Dolls, Isle of the Dead, The Ghost Ship (1943), Bedlam, and I Love You delivers Earthquake. The storyline for this picture is okay and falls in line with most catastrophe movies (which is amazingly consistent between movies like this from the 70s and present day films like Independence Day, 2012, etc). The settings were well presented and utilized and the acting is outstanding for this genre of film. The cast includes Charlton Heston, Walter Matthau, Ava Gardner, Lorne Greene, Richard Roundtree, and George Kennedy.

"There's a lot of money in karate, you know.".

Earthquake is a film that grabbed my attention as a kid when I experienced the ride at MGM studios in sixth grade. About five years ago my wife and I also took the ride and I was shocked that I had yet to see this movie. Finally we DVR'd this picture and watched it and I found it entertaining but on par with most catastrophe movies: predictable, rely too much on witty lines, and unrealistic. This film was a little more realistic than most based on the lack of great special effects, but it definitely isn't as dramatic or realistic as the audience may hope. This is worth watching for fans of the action genre but may not be worth adding to your DVD collection.

"There's no such thing as solid concrete.".

Grade: C+.