(film review) - San Andreas

Can The Rock do any wrong? Ummm, of course he can. He is not immune. I mean, there are actors all over the world and Hollywood who do nonsensical films. Maybe just for a paycheck as they simply 'Mail-It-In', but The Rock has been trying to choose his films wisely. I won't mention the film he did with the Lion on his head, Hercules, (Opps, I just did), although, I never saw it, I heard it didn't do very well. Ahh well, I'm kind of glad I didn't as the trailer didn't do much for me anyway. Anyway, this film, San Andreas, a film a lot of people thought it was a film based on a very popular 2004 video game by Rockstar North for the Playstation 2 called Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, this film is NOT that.

Raymond "Ray J" Gaines (Dwayne Johnson) is a Los Angeles Fire Department Air Rescue Pilot who does just that, rescue people who are in accidents. He has a wife, Emma (Carla Gugino) and a daughter, Blake (Alexandra Daddario), but their relationship has it's complications and is a little strained. When a Seimologist, Lawrence Haynes (Paul Giamatti) discovers a small earthquake which warns of an even bigger and mightier Earthquake yet to come which can potentially be felt on the west coast, Ray J must do all that he can to save the people he loves, his family.

A fairly simple plot and something we have seen probably a bagillian times, but this time it stars, Dwayne Johnson and everybody loves, Dwayne, right? Trying not to go into any spoilers, but it is plain to see that everything goes to sh*t and Dwayne has to save people. No plot twist. Nothing special at all, other than the special effects. From what you can gather in the trailer, all the destruction and falling/crumbling buildings, this film does exactly what 2012 does. It also had a Tsunami. However, with 2012, I really did feel that the film was more of an environmental advert once I left the cinema. With this film, I didn't.
The Rock doesn't do anything too grand here, but he doesn't just 'Mail-It-In'. I like his story and his relationship with his family, but other than his great charisma channeled through into his character, everything else is fairly redundant. None of the other characters have much gravitas or even add much to the story plot. But since the plot is a huge major earthquake whilst one guy tries to save his family, who really cares.

An entertaining popcorn flick with a lot of destruction and actually makes you think, "WOW" especially if you know the area (So I have been told). Have a watch. If you like this type of thing and if you adore The Rock. I mean, who doesn't Love what The Rock is Cooking?

(film review) - 2012

In numerology, they say stuff about stuff about stuff. In mythology, they say stuff about stuff about stuff. And the Bible also says stuff about stuff about stuff.
I remember when 1999 came and when 2000 would hit, it would be the end of the world as we know it. No, that is 2012. Well, so "they" say.
The 2012 phenomenon comprises a range of eschatological beliefs and proposals, which posit that cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on or around December 21 in the year 2012 (Find the rest on Wikipedia). So all this money spend on the 2012 Olympics is just a mockery of our lives.

Unlike 'The Day After Tomorrow' in which was a very watchable movie, but didn't help shift the fact that it came across as a very expensive global warming advert, 2012 is nothing of the sort.
Special effect galore, but then how do you show a world literally falling apart without it? So be aware of this.

This film is basically about the end of the world. It's an event that scientists found out many years ago that would happen, the government try to hide it and when calculations get miscalculated, it's like..."Ermm, Mr. President, we have like two weeks to evacuate and declare a state of emergency opposed to what we thought it was being, 2 years". Well, it's not THAT drastic, but it might as well have been.

However, since the government thought ahead, they asked the Chinese (since they are excellent workers and so good with their imagination and electronics) to make something to preserve life for when the events unfold and if people were to survive, they could rebuild life and start again.

Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) is a writer in Los Angeles who works part-time as a limousine driver for wealthy Russian businessman Yuri Karpov. He is separated from his wife and children and due to spend some quality time with his kids. He takes them camping in Yellowstone National Park only stumble across, The Military, a smouldering lake and a seemly deranged conspiracy theorist (Hippy) Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), living as a hermit and hosting a radio show who keeps going on about the end of the world and having a Map in his possession that details the whereabouts of a "Spaceship" that will save mankind.
From this moment, Jackson Curtis is on a crazy near death "adventure" where he is battling for survival to save himself, his kids, wife and her lover to find this "Spaceship" and survive the catastrophe.

I can't say this was a dull film and I can't say it was spectacular due to the events. If these events are to actually unfold in real life and in 2012, we haven't got much time people...lol. But jokes aside, the film is very entertaining visually and comically. Woody Harrelson's role was too funny as well as the Russian Businessman. There will be parts where you will laugh and parts where you will think "WOW!" and although, there are some corny bits to save face for the special effects, I guess some bits can be touching so you may be a bit sad or even teary, but on average, the film is a very good watch. And not only does it question life and what would happen in such events, but how the rich are as well as the poor and how people can be barbaric and selfish.
The main stars of the film are Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Zlatko Burić & John Cusack. Also stars, Danny Glover & Thandie Newton.

Out now!

Go and watch it!
Trailer: