San Andreas – Blu-Ray Movie Review

Ever since the seventies gave us The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure, we’ve had a fascination with huge disasters depicted on-screen. As cinematic effects have grown in complexity, so too have the events. Now with modern computer-generated graphics, it’s easy to watch a major city crumble to dust right in front of you.

San Andreas is two hours of good fun. The science behind it is definitely fictional and you won’t believe the car and plane crashes people are able to survive. But none of that matters because the film truly is a thrill ride from beginning to end. If you want a break, you’ll have to hit the pause button because the action never lets up. It seems like CGI effects get better with each new film. I’m starting to wonder if there’s a limit.

The characters are a perfect fit for the story written by Lost veteran Carlton Cuse. Dwayne Johnson is more than just a really big dude. His skills as an actor have really blossomed to the point where I’d watch him in just about anything. He might not be the best choice to play Stephen Hawking for example but it’s getting harder to remember he was once a pro-wrestler named “The Rock.” Carla Gugino and Alexandra Daddario as mother and daughter also turn in solid performances. And Ioan Gruffudd who you might remember from the Fantastic Four franchise does a credible job as the self-absorbed rich guy looking only to save himself.

Visually there are no flaws in this superb transfer made from a digitally-shot original using Arri Alexa cameras. It’s so clean and detailed and you truly can’t tell the CGI scenes from the live ones. The color palette runs a tad cool but that’s appropriate to the material. Contrast is broad with rich deep blacks and perfectly delineated highlights. This is the first film to be shown in Dolby Vision, which includes high-dynamic-range (HDR), in select theaters. This Blu-ray is mastered using standard luminance range.

Several Blu-rays I’ve reviewed earn the title of “reference-level” or “home theater demo.” San Andreas tops them all and that’s no exaggeration. A Dolby Atmos track is included on this release though I watched it in good old 5.1 and it sounded amazing. Effects took place all around me and over my head. The bass was deep and tight with tremendous slam and detail. Owners of big speakers will really get to hear their gear shine. The mix level is LOUD so you may need to turn down the volume a bit depending on your space. I had to drop the dial six dB to take it out of the ear-splitting range. But I never heard distortion or mush even as my walls were shaking.

Bonus features are a little thin and include audio commentary by director Brad Peyton, a short documentary about the real San Andreas Fault, a closer look at some of Dwayne Johnson’s more demanding scenes, gag and stunt reels and deleted scenes. A DVD and digital copy are included in the package too.