What is it with troubled marriages and disaster films? Every time the earth is about to be struck by a giant tidal wave, sundry aliens, earthquakes, tsunamis or a radioactive lizard, there is a squabbling couple who realise the other’s worth in the face of certain death. Wonder whether the opposite holds true — if you are a harmonious family, does that river of molten magma swerve away or does it fry you up for all your righteousness?
So here you have a Los Angeles Fire Department rescue-helicopter pilot, Ray Gaines, who has done time in Bagram, Afghanistan all set to take his daughter Blake to San Francisco when disaster strikes. Oh did I mention that his ex-wife just served divorce papers and has moved in with her smarmy boyfriend? There is scientist who looks horrified at the earth doing a tandav and a television reporter whose hair and clothes seem painted on.
All the players are in place, let the play begin! The earth heaves and haws and all manner of destruction is unleashed along the San Andreas fault. The special effects are jaw dropping, mind blowing and everything in between. Starting from the introduction of Ray Gaines and the Hoover Dam collapse to the tremors in Los Angeles and San Francisco to tsunami in the end, they are quite creative and eyeball grabbing.
There have been criticisms about character development—it is a disaster movie for heaven’s sake! It doesn’t matter that Carla Gugino as Gaines’ ex-wife keeps repeating 'Oh My God ' and not much else. Alexandra Daddario as Blake finds many reasons to wear itsy-bitsy teeny weeny bikinis or take off her shirt — well Athena’s daughter (she was Annabeth in the Percy Jackson movies) also has to eat I suppose. Dwayne Johnson as Gaines growls gamely through the fire, dust and thunder. Ioan Gruffudd is the horrid boyfriend Riddick who gets his comeuppance. Kylie Minogue is there in a blink-and-you-will-miss-it appearance as Riddick’s sister. Archie Panjabi is the reporter with Brit accent — maybe she moved to the States after her wedding in Bend it Like Beckham. The nerd quotient is supplied by Paul Giamatti — not Jeff Goldblum. Sigh!
Genre: Action
Director: Brad Peyton
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Paul Giamatti
Story: A rescue-helicopter pilot has to find his daughter after an earthquake hits California
Bottomline: Mind-blowing SFX and comforting clichés
