San Andreas: A Retrospective Look
Despite being ensnared in the notorious “development hell,” plans for a sequel to San Andreas linger, while the original 2015 film receives a glowing retrospective from the visual effects experts at Corridor Crew. The movie, featuring Dwayne Johnson as Ray Gaines, an LAFD rescue helicopter pilot, follows his desperate journey from Los Angeles to San Francisco. His mission? To rescue his daughter amidst catastrophic fallout from a massive earthquake along the infamous fault line wreaking havoc on California’s coast. The film, also starring Carla Gugino and Alexandra Daddario, garnered mixed reviews but triumphed at the box office, raking in over $474 million against a $110 million production budget.
Analyzing the Visual Effects
Nine years post-release, San Andreas becomes the focal point in Corridor Crew’s latest “VFX Artists React” episode. The crew opens with light-hearted remarks on the movie’s tsunami sequence, noting the comedic elements as boats race through San Francisco Bay to ascend the wave. Jordan Allen humorously likens the scene to Fast and the Furious with its over-the-top action, while also admiring the “beautiful” rendering of the boats’ wakes.
The discussion then shifts to their reaction to the tsunami’s destruction of the Golden Gate Bridge. As cars and people are swept away, and the bridge’s cables warp under the water’s force, Allen exclaims in delight over the detail, while Sam Gorski declares the scene a part of “the CGI hall of fame.” Wren Weichman praises Scanline VFX for their mastery in water simulation. However, Weichman does critique the tsunami scene for its lack of realism, explaining:
Corridor Crew’s Take on San Andreas
The Balance of Implausibility and Realism
Corridor Crew’s critique of the San Andreas tsunami scene wasn’t their only analysis of disaster films in this episode. They also evaluated Deep Impact and The Day After Tomorrow. Despite the years since these films’ releases, the crew’s views remained positive, aligning with the mixed critical reception of San Andreas. The film holds a 49% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audience ratings slightly higher at 52%.
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Criticism of San Andreas largely centers on the unrealistic portrayal of geological events. Organizations like The American Geosciences Institute criticized the film for “perpetuating geologic absurdities.” Besides the absurd disaster scenarios, critiques also targeted the film’s weak characters and dialogue. Nevertheless, San Andreas is acknowledged as an entertaining blockbuster, with its CGI receiving praise that mirrors Corridor Crew’s sentiments.
Reflecting on Corridor Crew’s Observations
Entertainment Over Scientific Accuracy
San Andreas is not alone in facing criticism from both critics and scientific experts for its depiction of natural disasters. Michael Bay’s Armageddon was famously criticized by Neil deGrasse Tyson for its numerous physics violations, a record later broken by Roland Emmerich’s Moonfall. Emmerich’s films often face scrutiny over scientific accuracy, though The Day After Tomorrow received some praise for addressing climate change.
Recently, The Day After Tomorrow gained popularity on Netflix, reaching No. 6 in viewership for the week of September 9-15, with 11.6 million hours viewed and 5.6 million total views.
While scientific accuracy can enhance certain genres, San Andreas exemplifies how implausible storytelling can still captivate audiences. As a fan of disaster films, I appreciated the visceral experience of the 2015 movie and its effective blend of humor and intense action. Though a sequel may never materialize, Corridor Crew’s analysis underscores the enduring appeal of the original film nearly a decade later.
Source: Corridor Crew
San Andreas
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Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as helicopter-rescue pilot Ray Gaines, the 2015 disaster movie San Andreas explores the catastrophic effects of a series of earthquakes caused by a shift in the real-life San Andreas Fault. Set in San Francisco, the film's cast also includes Carla Gugino as Ray's ex-wife Emma, Alexandra Daddario as their daughter Blake, Ioan Gruffudd as Emma's boyfriend Daniel Riddick, and Paul Giamatti as seismologist Dr. Lawrence Hayes.
