Geostorm is the same old disaster porn. Expect nothing new

Underwhelming and imminently predictable, even the massive CGI-powered hurricanes and hailstorms can’t inject this film with urgency or suspense.

GEOSTORM

Direction: Dean Devlin

Actors: Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess

Rating: 1 / 5

A bunch of climate-control satellites is malfunctioning, with potentially devastating results.

As the fate of mankind hangs in the balance, a genius inventor (Gerard Butler) and his estranged bureaucrat brother (Jim Sturgess) must prevent an imminent superstorm from levelling the planet.

Geostorm is just another cookie-cutter disaster film, an end-of-days thriller devoid of tension or plausibility (think The Day After Tomorrow).

The exorbitantly budgeted ($125 million-plus) rollercoaster is replete with pseudo-scientific jargon and maudlin subplots, including a sabotage scheme masterminded by a traitorous high-ranking American politician.

The exorbitantly budgeted ($125 million-plus) rollercoaster is replete with pseudo-scientific jargon and maudlin subplots, including a sabotage scheme masterminded by a high-ranking American politician.

Concern is expressed not only for the safety of the US President (Andy Garcia) but also for the welfare of a stray dog. Ahem!

The body count soars with each new hurricane, tidal wave and hailstorm, and yet the CGI-powered mayhem is consistently underwhelming.

With the exception of the little-known German-American actress Zazie Beetz, who whoops it up in the supporting role of a plucky tech wizard, the cast is bland and unconvincing.

Geostorm is, quite simply, a test of the viewer’s tolerance levels.