Review of San Andreas (2015) by Mark M — 27 Apr 2016

This actually surprised me. Yes, it's a disaster movie with only the shakiest grasp on how science works. (A 9.7 earthquake happens in San Francisco and for some reason a tsunami heads TOWARD San Fran.

) So what did I like? It was actually the interpersonal relationships. The Rock's character, Ray, finds out at the beginning of the movie that his wife is serving him with divorce papers. You find out early in the movie (so no spoilers) that the two used to have two daughters, but one died.

And honestly, their relationship is the frickin realest thing I've seen in a disaster movie. The way they relate to each other, the conversations they have that don't actually happen when one of them is about to die but, like, when they're waiting for a plane to fuel.

Also! Their surviving daughter, Blake, is such a cool character. I think she's heading off to college? Maybe? But she's been raised by this rescue guy (that's what The Rock does for a job) so she's pretty capable in the face of disaster when she isn't pinned by beams, and she basically leads these two rando British brothers to safety through the crumbling streets of the city.

And what's more, THEY LISTEN TO HER. The older brother tries to wander off because he thinks he might know better, and the little brother is basically yelling "ARE YOU MENTAL SHE'S ALREADY SAVED OUR BUTTS THREE TIMES.

" The older brother sheepishly agrees and follows her down the road. It's amazing. I wish more disaster movies spent this much time developing their characters.