Don’t Look Up is at times an attractive satire, but far too often the Images and script appear to be silly more than sarcastic.
Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) studying astronomy squeals when she sees a trajectory pattern of a large comet that will intersect with the Earth. The comet will eventually be called ‘Dibiasky’ (because she found it). Dibiasky and her instructor Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) will spend the remainder of the film attempting to get folks serious about what will be the complete destruction of Planet Earth.
The script by Director McKay appears to parallel the resistance to vaccines on the part of some folks, as statistics involving the numbers of folks who just don’t accept the comet is coming and the limited US President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep) will only see how it might be an issue in the next election. The President devises a slogan revolving on not believing the danger, it’s called: Don’t Look Up. But Streep’s role goes a bit too far into the world of ludicrous to work.
Kate Blanchett and Tyler Perry are anchors on a TV show that only looks at ratings no matter what the subject of their interviews. Blanchett’s Brie props up her Brest just before the show and admits at one point that she has always had superficial relationships. She seduces DiCaprio’s Dr Mindy, even when questioning Dibiasky (Lawrence) on the reality of her discovery.
The very capable performer Mark Rylance is the inventor of a system to destroy the comet he speaks and walks among us as if he were the voice on a soundtrack even when things are falling apart on Earth.
Even though it’s not as harebrained as Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks the satire reaches are too remote and even the quality special effects cannot make the film work. If it were a little more solid with it’s script feet planted a bit more real (in a science fiction manner) all that is absorbing might have made a difference.
The pattern in the film is close to the script of George Pal’s fifties When Worlds Collide, the crashing of two large bodies in space result in destruction and a new world to discover. Here it takes 22,000 years to arrive at a new place and everyone departs the space vehicle nude. That leaves just enough time for one more surprise announced by Mark Rylance’s Peter Isherwell (the Genius who put the trip together) it effects President Janie Orlean (Streep).
Don’t Look Up isn’t worth looking up.