deconstructing trailers: SAN ANDREAS

Finally, an action hero that makes sense within these ridiculous disaster movie scenarios.

Rather than a limo driver like the Roland Emmerich directed 2012, our hero in SAN ANDREAS is a rescue worker. And to make even more sense, our action hero is THE ROCK (Dwayne Johnson).

This film will not be confined to the ground, and the relief efforts on the streets. To ramp up the intensity our hero, Johnson, portrays a helicopter rescue worker.

Good, because after this earthquake I have a feeling those roads are gonna be closed.

So with SAN ANDREAS we have a great character to focus the story on. His motives are relatable, he’s easy to root for, and we can imagine ourselves in the same scenario.

The Rock just wants to rescue his family – his wife (CARLA GUGINO) and his smoking hot college student daughter (ALEXANDRA DADDARIO).

The disaster sequences look, um… disaster-rific. The scale of these moments is purely epic. We are already guaranteed a giant wave dwarving the Golden Gate Bridge, and an earthquake ginormous enough that the East Coast will feel the effects.

Sign me up. This will be one crazy escape after another with high stakes and tons of urgency. SAN ANDREAS is basically a chase film filled with obstacles.

Sure, it’s a simple formula, but if its executed well this could be a great surprise blockbuster this summer.

The trailer also gives me hope for style. And I’m not just talking about the camera-work and special effects. I’m talking about the haunting and hypnotic rendition of CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ by Robot Koch & Delhia de France.

This song totally sets the perfect mood. I love atmosphere, and this song was mesmerizing. Part of the power draws from juxtaposition. A serene song coating the images of disaster and destruction. There’s also that whole irony thing working for it too, right.

I’m not a fan of a lot of those other disaster movies, mainly because I didn’t care about the characters, or the story just got too ridiculous. I think if you’re along for the ride you can accept anything Hollywood throws on the screen. I’m thinking of stuff like MARVEL movies.

I hope this adventure borrows more from Spielberg, and less from Emmerich.

I like that we have a family relationship fueling the action and adventure. Daddario has an intense sequence with her father (Johnson). It looks like they are caught in rubble – which is quickly flooding.

This is a familiar scene, but there is a reason for this particular cliché. It works. I think we will enjoy one heart-pumping action set-piece after the other.

I just hope the set-up carries enough weight to bring gravity to this family dynamic.

The surprise highlight of this new trailer was with Gugino. She ascends the stairs during the initial earhtquake. The camera stays behind her. She approaches the roof exit door. The camera stays behind, SEARCHERS style. Then she opens the door, blinded by light, what she sees would terrify even The Duke, John Wayne. Skyscrapers shake from shockwaves. Waves build in the rooftop pool.

This should be an exciting scene when her hubby (The Rock) comes to the rescue.

The scene is perfectly staged. The camera does not go all PETER JACKSON and float through the air just because it can (with all the CGI). This sort of atmospheric staging makes me feel like the audience is in good hands.

SAN ANDREAS promises destruction on the grandest scale. We have clear cut goals, high stakes, urgency, and an easy to relate to protagonist in The Rock. 

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What do you think… Leave a comment below….

You might remember ALEXANDRA DADDARIO from her appearance on TRUE DETECTIVE… Or now you do 😉

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