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| Dwayne Johnson plays a macho hero in "San Andreas" keeping his wife, played by Carla Gugino, safe. |
Seen in 4DX (3D glasses and motion seats, with environmental effects)
Earthquake disaster drama San Andreas does not waste a single minute and thrusts you right into the action of climactic, large-scale proportions.
Even disaster movies require a substantial story, but San Andreas is the kind of disaster movie that relentlessly deploys catastrophe every second as if audience nowadays have no more patience for story and dialogue and are only entertained from explosions and extensive destruction.
San Andreas does have a story, but it's a trite one. A search and rescue helicopter pilot, Ray (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), tries to save and get his family back together after the San Andreas fault line activates without warning and their home state California is hit with a 9-point-something earthquake. On the other side of California is a glimpse of a seismologist, played by Paul Giamatti, another hero, who does not know the existence of Ray and Family.
Even disaster movies require a substantial story, but San Andreas is the kind of disaster movie that relentlessly deploys catastrophe every second as if audience nowadays have no more patience for story and dialogue and are only entertained from explosions and extensive destruction.
San Andreas does have a story, but it's a trite one. A search and rescue helicopter pilot, Ray (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), tries to save and get his family back together after the San Andreas fault line activates without warning and their home state California is hit with a 9-point-something earthquake. On the other side of California is a glimpse of a seismologist, played by Paul Giamatti, another hero, who does not know the existence of Ray and Family.
The plot has no build-up to a climactic point (it’s all crisis from the opening), highly predictable and filled with cliché. Alexandria Daddario’s character’s (Ray's daughter) struggle for survival towards the end is definitely something you’ve seen a million times already.
The characters are bland and formulaic, making you wonder if the drama would have been richer if it's focused on the seismologist.
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| Paul Giamatti plays a seismologist, seeking safety under a desk. |
With a screenplay by Carlton Cuse and direction by Brad Peyton, both known for their work in numerous television series, San Andreas seems to have upgraded a mediocre TV drama to a cinematic scale with impressive special effects. What this disaster movie terribly lacked in story obviously compensated on design and visual achievement. With its neat effects, it succeeds in providing us a terrifying look-see of a colossal earthquake and the helplessness of mankind in the midst of a natural disaster of awesome proportions.
With California constantly cracking, splitting, crumbling, and shattering, and the population decreasing, the movie will still keep you fairly absorbed and stressed despite the weak human drama. If you feel like you will be solely entertained from watching the destructive effects of a major earthquake and be impressed by the magic of special effects, then go have fun with San Andreas. No, it’s definitely not a boring movie, it’s just an emotionally dissatisfying one.
2.5 out of 5 stars
Opens May 28, 2015 in Philippine cinemas, in 2D, 3D, and 4DX formats.
4DX EXPERIENCE: If you wish to experience the movie for the story itself, then skip 4DX. But if you want a literal experience of an earthquake—seat shaking, the wind in your face, the sensation of falling, and inhaling some unknown aroma of destruction—then try the 4DX experience.
Your distance from the screen is big a factor, though. The 4DX theater screen is small and it is recommended that you choose the first or second row to help with the immersive experience. Because if you sit farther, where you can see the height and width of the screen, it would feel like you are simply watching on a giant TV with someone vigorously shaking your seat to annoy the hell out of you and keep you from actually watching the movie.
4DX Safety Notice from Bonifacio High Street 4DX Cinema:
For a safe and enjoyable 4D movie experience, please take note of the following reminders:
·Your 4D movie experience combines seat motions with special environmental effects: wind, purified water and bubble, scents, and strobe.
·Hot beverages are strictly NOT allowed for your safety. Please be careful not to spill your beverages as it may cause breakdown of motion chairs.
·As motion chair moves, please be careful about your bags and belongings, especially fragile ones.
·For your children’s safety, baby or booster seats and sharing seats are not allowed.
· Please watch your footrest and avoid moving or walking around during the movie.
·Children are required to use the height indicator located beside the ticket booth in the cinema lobby.
·Our apologies to the following audience members who will be unable to partake due to safety restrictions:
- Children below 3 & 1/2’ (1m) tall are not allowed inside the 4DX theater.
- Pregnant women, disabled seniors, those with heart, back, or neck problems; and those with motion sickness, epilepsy, or other sensitive conditions are not allowed inside the 4DX theater.
- Viewers under age 7 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
4DX ticket price: P450
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