Earthquake - 8 stars out of 10

Earthquake - 8 stars out of 10

When an enormous earthquake strikes LA, entertainment makes its entrance.  What this movies lacks in plot is definitely made up for with groundbreaking special effects.  Who needs CGI?  "Earthquake" sports an incredibly realistic disaster sequence using scale models, pyrotechnics, and stuntmen.  The first 45 minutes does nothing more than introduce a few characters and kill time before the main event begins, but it is worth the wait for 15 incredible minutes of movie magic.  The earthquake is covered from every angle, whether it's the concerned mother, the selfish businessman, the drunk at the bar, or policemen trapped in the station.  Victoria Principal's afro is INCREDIBLE and her big innocent eyes make her a great victim - her disaster sequence is fairly awkward but the aforementioned attributes still make it decent.  Perhaps the most realistic part of this movie is that nobody sports superhuman strength.  Instead of a hero saving everybody in the city, it comes down to the common man to help out the people around him.  The characters begin in a weakened state as a result of the earthquake and then every physically demanding rescue takes its toll on them.  I know that a lot of people put this movie down but I thoroughly enjoyed it, though next time I would just fast-forward to the first earthquake sequence.