Netflix‘s action movies are about to get a late-month shakeup with the arrival of San Andreas.
This 2015 action/disaster thriller stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a man desperate to reunite his family while the state of California is rocked by devastating earthquakes.
San Andreas was a box office hit when it came out, grossing $474 million worldwide, and it’s easy to see why it was so popular.
To mark the film’s 10th anniversary and its streaming return, Watch With Us is sharing three reasons why you should watch San Andreas on Netflix.
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The Disaster Special Effects Are Outstanding
In almost every other movie, Dwayne Johnson would be the star attraction. But in San Andreas, the special effects are the star, and this flick pulls off wide-scale devastation on a scale that the ’70s disaster movies could never hope to match. The closest comparison between this flick and anything else would probably be Independence Day and other movies directed by Roland Emmerich.
Director Brad Peyton has a real eye for California’s landmarks, and the film gleefully knocks them down with some impressive CGI. No one ever wants to see something like this happen in reality. But in the context of the film, it’s thrilling to watch.
Dwayne Johnson Gives a Compelling Performance
Johnson may not be the biggest star in his own movie, but he is the actor who holds San Andreas together. Ray Gaines isn’t an over-the-top hero like many of Johnson’s previous roles. Instead, he’s a family man who is in the process of losing his family when disaster strikes.
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Ray’s flying skills as a rescue helicopter pilot give him a way to make a difference in the wake of this tragedy, even though his primary focus is on finding the people he loves in the middle of this carnage. More importantly, this journey gives Johnson a chance to show Ray’s emotional vulnerability and bravery. He’s a lot like the classic disaster movie heroes, and that’s a formula that still works.
The Family Dynamic Makes the Movie Complete
As good as Johnson is in this movie, Carla Gugino is even better. This film was the third time that Johnson and Gugino worked together after Race to Witch Mountain and Faster, and their chemistry feels real even as her character, Emma Gaines, is estranged from Ray and on the verge of divorcing him.
It’s clear from the start that there’s still some love between Ray and Emma, and Johnson projects big daddy energy when Ray and Emma team up to find their daughter, Blake Gaines (Alexandra Daddario). This trio of performers is kept separated for most of the movie, but they’re convincing as a family unit and easy to root for. Even Emma’s current boyfriend, Daniel Riddick (Ioan Gruffudd), works well in the story as the interloper in Ray’s family. There’s never any real doubt about who Emma belongs with, but Gruffudd gives his character exactly what he needs to make sure no one feels sorry for him.
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If there’s a drawback among the cast, it’s that the film wastes Paul Giamatti and Archie Panjabi in minor roles that don’t get to contribute to the primary story of Ray and his family. That means the film never really gives the audience anyone to care about other than the three primary characters. But by the time the credits roll, most people won’t even notice that.
San Andreas is now streaming on Netflix.
