Review of San Andreas (2015) by Filmgob — 28 May 2015

In the aftermath of a massive San Francisco earthquake, a rescue pilot makes a dangerous journey across the state in order to save his family.

Dwayne Johnson is charming and manly as always, playing the pilot who saves his estranged wife Carla Gugino from a crumbling tower and together set out to find their daughter, delivering cheesy one liners along the way. Their daughter, played by Alexandra Daddario, is on a journey of survival as she befriends Hugo Johnstone-Burt and his younger brother. Meanwhile Paul Giamatti, along with Archie Punjabi's news team, try to understand the earthquake's movements and warn the city in order to save lives, with cliche dialogue that is now expected from these kind of films. San Andreas keeps a focus on these characters, with some time for Ioan Gruffudd and his strange sudden shift from likeable step-dad to a cowardly survivor who meets a timely death. Kylie Minogue makes a cameo... but to zero affect.

The silly but exhilarating action sequences are worth the price of admission, especially the boat race over the tsunami and destruction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Overall It's nothing we haven't seen before from modern disaster films, with a family drama played out alongside stunning but repetitive special effect sequences.