Geostorm

This review may contain spoilers!

What I expected to be another dull disaster film surprised me by becoming an interesting climate change conspiracy flick. I would give Geostorm a 7.5/10.

This is a blockbuster film which isn't ashamed to have a lot of fun with itself while also doing something unique with the usual disaster film genre. The entire premise is a space station which has the ability to monitor and control the Earth's climate; a little outlandish but once you're onboard with the environmental Big Brother then you'll get quite a lot out of Geostorm. The narrative unfolds around an investigation as to why the space station is malfunctioning and causing random natural disasters to strike the unwitting populace below. What unfolds is a web of political intrigue and espionage that is quite unexpected from the usual disaster film. It doesn't ever take itself too seriously but uses the blockbuster formula to tell a story that is different and shows a creative spark that not many blockbuster films manage these days. The cinematography is stunning; whether that be giant shots of oncoming disaster, dimly lit political dialogue scenes or free-floating shots set in space the camera work is fantastic. The special effects within the film are phenomenal, with a greater aspect of the feature being set in space while there are multiple natural disasters that look very threatening.

Gerard Butler, who played Jake Lawson, does a great job as one of the film's two leading protagonists; Butler's gruff exterior sets barriers between himself and the rest of the characters but makes the relationships he formed all the more satisfying. Jim Sturgess, who played Max Lawson, is a really intriguing protagonist within this film; Sturgess' desperate moral figure set against the political American landscape makes for quite the compassionate role. Abbie Cornish, who played Sarah Wilson, was very cool as the tough-as-nails Secret Service agent; Cornish depicts the conflict her character goes through of balancing her professional and personal life really well. Alexandra Maria Lara, who played Ute Fassbinder, is a quiet yet firm leader within the space station setting of the film; Lara is perfect at playing a kind, self-sacrificing person who is often the heart of the film. Eugenio Derbez, Amr Waked, Adepero Oduye and Robert Sheehan, who played Al Hernandez, Ray Dusette, Eni Adisa and Duncan Taylor respectively, all operated quite well as the hesitant research team working alongside Butler and Fassbinder; Sheehan in particular suited the greedy and narcissistic traitorous antagonist. Andy Garcia, who played President Andrew Palma, is astern yet fair figure throughout the feature; I liked how this role's status was often used to comedic effect in some of the more intense scenes. Ed Harris, who played Leonard Dekkom, has a nice charismatic mentor bond with Sturgess in this film which makes his reveal as the antagonist quite exciting; Harris is a hardened role with the ability to add a great deal of spite to a character.

However, the best performance came from Zazie Beetz, who played Dana. This role is one of the best comedic performances featured in the film and provides a lot of the levity which makes Geostorm such a joy to watch. I liked how she portrayed a hacker role that wasn't very stereotypical, yet still maintained a cocky and self-assured attitude about herself. Her on-screen chemistry with Sturgess presented quite a fun friendship; her teasing, mocking persona grating against the serious attitude Sturgess tried to maintain. Beetz is a real delight in this film and will have you laughing out loud with her easy and fun delivery.

This film does stray too far into the disaster film territory from time to time, with monolithic disaster sequences feeling more like filler content than moments of excitement within the film. Furthermore, the cheesy ending which saw two protagonists escape death in a way that felt quite forced was difficult to find satisfaction in. The moral of Geostorm came off as quite heavy-handed, least of which because it was narrated to us in a very cringeworthy monologue by feature's end. The score of the film was practically absent, there were portions when the music swelled with the danger but it was clear the score was neither unique nor crafted to the film.

Daniel Wu, who played Cheng Long, feels like a detached component of the film; his relationship with Sturgess is flimsy in its portrayal and his death is predictable from the start. Talitha Eliana Bateman, who played Hannah Lawson, feels like she is often speaking with the voice of the writer as opposed to speaking like a child; Bateman deals outlines in a way that is often quite exaggerated and ends the film on quite the weak note. David S. Lee, who played Rico, is little more than a gunman/henchmen generic role; Lee has no opp\ortunity to delve into his role as a character which makes him feel boring to watch.