EARTHQUAKE (1974) A Film Review by Ted Prigge Copyright 1997 Ted Prigge
Director: Mark Robson Writers: George Fox and Mario Puzo Starring: Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Genieveve Bujold, Richard Roundtree, Marjoe Gartner, Lorne Green, Victoria Principal, Lloyd Nolan, Barry Sullivan, John Richardson, Donald Moffat, Walter Matthau
I looked at the "Internet Movie Database"'s awards section for this film, and found that THIS was nominated for a Golden Globe for "Best Picture (Drama)." Anyone who's seen this film can back me up on this: this is the WORST of the "great" disaster films, and that's not really saying a lot for this film.
"Earthquake" is basically notable because it originally included some theatre thing where the theatre shook when the big earthquake occured. On video, it's a bland and slow-moving film which gives us a bunch of different characters (the disaster film requisite), then brings them together in the struggle against the big disaster. While this worked in, say, "The Towering Inferno," it doesn't here for one single reason: we don't care about any of the characters.
The film gives us Charlton Heston (in one of many crap 70s films he made, including "Skyjacked" and that classic, "Soylent Green") as a rich man married to Ava Gardner, who is having a little affair with a young single mom (Genieveve Bujold); a renegade police officer on suspension (George Kennedy, in his least humored performance); in the second weirdest subplot, a motorcycle stuntman (Richard Roundtree, right after his "Shaft" thing) whose big stunt is he goes on a little track that goes upside down (yea, snore); and the weirdest subplot: a military man/bag boy at a grocery store who has a little thing for buxom Victoria Principal, and eventually gets vengeance on those guys who made fun of his hair (!!!).
In smaller subplots, there's a pointless bit about people who are flying OVER L.A. (the city in the film, by the way), one who's playing cards and married to a boring non-acting husband (you think this one can go nowhere? guess again. he gets interested in the final frames); there's Genieveve Bujold's moron son, who has a little adventure with wires; and for some much-needed comedy, there's Walter Matthau (billed as Walter Mutha.... - the only laugh in the film), as a wild drunkard, who's big moment is a dance he does at a critical time.
As for the actual "earthquake," it's rather a let-down. There's a full hour of character-setups, none of which is interesting, then about 10 minutes of shaking, crumbling, and a bit where a house almost falls on Bujold (narrowly missing). This film needed that whole theatre-shaking: they needed to wake everybody up because they were so bored.
There's little suspense following the quake, although this film tries for it. There's an adventure in a crumbling high-rise office building, the wires with the kid, and the movement of people who are all injured. But none of these are all-too suspenseful. The finale with the Heston/Gardner/Bujold love triangle is ended in a basic flip-of-the-coin bit, which brings out a big let-down. And there's no real finale. Even "Volcano" ended nicely, and that movie REALLY sucked.
Not only is it hokey, but you don't care about any character. Who cares if Heston dies? Who cares if he choses Bujold or Gardner (although I would have chosen Gardner, mainly on the basis that she can actually act)? Who cares if Richard Roundtree makes money on his stupid "stunt?" Who cares if that idiot kid falls to his death on some wires? And who cares about that whole plane spiel?
If anything, "Earthquake" is worth a viewing for the same reason "Glen or Glenda?" is. I mean, I laughed at this more than I did at "Bio Dome." But that's another story (and review). In short, "Earthquake" gives disaster pics a bad name.
MY RATING (out of 4): *
Homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/8335/
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