At first, it looks like they're alerting all the right people and that this may turn into another disaster film the likes of which you usually see from Roland Emmerich... then the politicians enter the picture. In this case, the politician is Meryl Streep as President Janie Orlean and her completely inept Chief of Staff son Jason, played by Jonah Hill. The midterms are coming up and they don't want to start a riot even if the science is showing that there is a almost 100% chance that the comet is going to hit Earth.
Both DiCaprio's Professor Randall Mindy and Lawrence's Kate Dibiasky then have to fight a 24 hour news media that actually doesn't give a damn about the actual news. They also have to face a public that is more concerned with their smart phones and fighting on social media than actually doing anything about this very real crisis. Oh, and there's also a tech billionaire that the government is trusting to resolve the situation at a certain point in the movie that has an alternative plan in order to get the rare materials detected on the comet that could benefit his company.
Now, on the outside, writer and director Adam McKay's biting and darkly comic satire may look a little ridiculous when you seen half the population ignoring the comet that is heading right for them. Take the comet and the rare materials and swap them with climate change and oil and the idea suddenly doesn't seem so absurd.
In fact, looking at the politicians in the movie and how people are reacting to the comet, I was surprised by just how much it wasn't coming off as absurd. When you go back to those critical scores, I bet you anything you could figure out those who want to listen to what McKay has to say and those who simply want to ignore the message because, maybe, it hits just a little too close to home.
In addition to McKay's masterful writing and directing, there are also the performances. DiCaprio and Lawrence are as dependable as they have always been, turning in award winning performances that I'm actually surprised that the Academy ignored this year. In addition to the leads, though, the supporting stars that includes Streep, Hill, and Mark Rylance are also exceptional.
My only real problem with the movie is a very minor one and that is that the ending takes one extra beat that I don't really think is needed, but it is darkly funny. That is another thing about the movie. It is still a satire, so there is still plenty of humor to be found throughout that helps you accept the message a little bit more than you would have if McKay had taken the material deadly serious.
He could have also fell into the trap of turning it into a generic action film, something that is made fun of in the film itself when Hollywood quickly turns around to make a big blockbuster based on the real world situation. There is also a funny little cameo during this moment.
The truth of this movie is that it comments on something that is very real and holds up a brutally truthful mirror to how our society handles (or flat out ignores) actual problems facing both humanity and the planet. There are those of us who want to actually do something about these problems, those who want to ignore it, and those who simply bitch about these problems on social media. To be honest, I had to admit to myself that I've been guilty of belonging to that last group and I've been trying to break myself away from it though I still slip up from time to time.
This film is a startling reminder that we all need to figure out how to come together and figure these problems out. If we don't, we may very well be doomed to extinction. This is a film that is not only worthy of your attention, it should also be considered required viewing for the lessons found within.
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