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Reel Reviews: Geostorm fails to impress

We say, “Geostorm fails even where it should succeed.”
9096912_web1_171025-VMS-ReelReviews
Gerard Butler spends a lot of time staring at computer screens in Geostorm. (Ben Rothstein/Warner Bros and Ratpac-Dune)

Jake Lawson (Gerard Butler) was the lead engineer on the Dutch Boy Project, a series of weather controlling satellites that have saved the world from ever present natural disasters. When Dutch Boy starts creating weather disasters rather than stopping them, Lawson is sent into space to repair the system. It isn’t long before Lawson discovers someone has turned his project into a super weapon.

We say, “Geostorm fails even where it should succeed.”

TAYLOR: You can add to the above plot synopsis: Lawson has a brother he doesn’t get along with, Max (Jim Sturgess) who is in charge of the Dutch Boy project on behalf of the American government. Throughout the course of the story, these two brother may or may not be able to put aside their differences and save the planet. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise. Max has a girlfriend, Sarah (Abbie Cornish) who works for the Secret Service, so everyone has access to the President (Andy Garcia). This covers all the boring parts of the film.

HOWE: Geostorm is as predictable and as exciting as local radio — you know you are going to get the same song played at least five times that day. In movie terms, you get the same clichés as every other disaster movie. Here is the list: fighting siblings, extremely over the top bad acting, super far-fetched storyline, somebody with an annoying voice, some really bad CGI and saving the world with only two seconds to spare. Did I miss anything?

TAYLOR: That’s the problem. Although there are a couple tense moment and bucket loads of destruction, everything is so silly and stupid that I just didn’t care. Everyone is going to die? Great. Let’s see if they can do it under ninety minutes. Geostorm was made by the same director of other ridiculous movies — Independence Day, Stargate, Eight Legged Freaks, but these movies are fun and Geostorm is not.

HOWE: And please, Butler as some super brainy scientist who saves the world. Really?

Howe can’t even be bothered to score Geostorm, it is that bad. Worst movie of the year.

Taylor gives it 1 star out of 5.