San Andreas

Late to the punch again on this one, and regretfully so. San Andreas certainly packs a blockbusting punch. Released during Memorial Day weekend earlier this summer, (Likely why I missed it, as I was enjoying the great outdoors that Maine has to offer) it premiered as the first major disaster movie in some time and as the natural movie one would go see after seeing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson play a superhuman federal agent in Furious 7 the previous month.

Announced in 2011 by New Line Cinema, the movie has a plethora of writing credits from Jeremy Passmore and Andre Fabrizio, to Allan Loeb, who was brought in to polish the script, to Carlton Cuse (Lost) who re-wrote the script. One might assume that with all these writing designations and re-writes that this script was doomed from jump street, but I'm not sure if it was Cuse's re-write or somewhere prior but the final product is an often humorous script, that's paced well, includes obligatory emotional dialogue between the main players, but is also intelligent and witty.

Starring alongside Mr. Johnson are Carla Gugino and Alexandra Daddario, with the latter occupying more onscreen time, but the prior definitely showing that she is still able to hold her own. Daddario who plays the teenage daughter of Johnson and Gugino's characters, steals many a scene with her stunning expressions of shock and fear that light up in her eyes, which in turn light up the screen. Daddario certainly makes a case for being Hollywood's next femme fatale a la Angelina Jolie, as she utilizes adept survival skills scurrying for her life through earthquake ravaged San Francisco. Hugo Johnstone-Burt and Art Parkinson play a pair of British brothers, who's savvy casting adds a welcome dynamic to the movie.

The movie was shot in Australia, at Village Roadshow Studios, as well as in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Bakersfield, CA. The result is very inclusive movie that leans effectively on the differences of these locales in making them pseudo-characters in the movie. Toss in some rather stunning CGI and the imagination and gall it takes to depict the destruction of popular, major metropolitan areas like LA and SF and you get a blockbuster that is more than worthy of seeing.

Jurassic World

Being that it has been nearly two years since my last post, I thought this blog could use a current movie review.. And why not review a summer blockbuster the week that fall just officially begun!?

I may be late to the party on one of the most successful movies of the summer, but the reason is because I was waiting for a particular friend to watch it with.. Low and behold she didn't wait for me though! 

Jurassic World, Universal Studios behemoth tent-pole of a movie, plays out on the screen similar to how you would expect a movie of it's background and budget to play out. There's of course the exotic locations, massive exterior cinematographic shots with hundreds of extras, and the nostalgic nods to the film's predecessors. But, the film is essentially a reboot of the franchise started in 1993 by Steven Spielberg and Co. 

Gone are familiar faces like Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, and others who joined the franchise after the success of the first installment. The reboot is in capable acting hands though with Chris Pratt (Community, Guardians of the Galaxy) and Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help), in the leading roles. They exchange pleasantries and reminisce on not so fond dating memories in a well-written, adeptly acted scene where Howard's character enlists the help of Pratt's character. 

The charm of Jurassic Park, at least for me watching as an adolescent, was experiencing the world that the film created through the eyes of its young stars. I'm sure many from my generation can attest to having nightmares from the infamous scene in the kitchen with the velociraptors. But, that novel charm is missing from this movie, instead the producer's and director, Colin Trevorrow, did what many (with deep film financing pockets) tend to do, they decided to spend voraciously on computer generated images that they believed would shock and wow audiences causing them to forget about what it is that made them love that Michael Crichton-adapted movie from the 90's. At time's this worked well enough for me, and others it did not, but ultimately it was a fun two hour ride.