Don't Look Up

And boy is it funny, because it's true. But it's also sad because it's true.

Its got an idiot president, idiot media, idiot citizens and some very few smart people that must fell like they ended up in the planet of the apes. Its really accurate, scary accurate.

Spoiler free review.

I wasn't exactly gripped by the plot, but the cast, yes please, this film boasts one impressive line up.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, it managed to mix up subtlety with brashness incredibly well, it pokes fun at modern cultures, celebrity and the absurdities of social media.

I spoke to a few people that found it rather funny, I can't say I was amused, but I certainly was entertained. The absurdity amused me, I pondered if some events would happen if the world did actually face disaster. The rich getting richer in the face of disaster.....

Merryl Street as always was first class, but for me the standout had to be Di Caprio, he was terrific throughout, that scene where he blows his top, incredible.

Thoroughly enjoyable, 8/10.

I may have been slightly kind on the rating I have given to don't look up but I promise that I can justify my choice.

Don't look up is maybe not the most original plot ever but is definitely original in the way it goes about it. If I was to think of disaster movies that take pride and benefit from dark humour this would be right up there. This is obviously helped by spectacular and extremely realistic performances from Leonardo Di' Caprio and Jennifer Lawrence which I know sounds weird as this movie is quite far from realistic, or is it as I believe this is a perfect take on how a government would act towards an extinction level event because after covid I do believe that the government has the power to not give a Sh** about the people which is why I do believe this is an extremely convincing and proper way of acting these roles. Don't Look Up also helps to show us what lengths people and the media will go to, to make sure that know one cares or knows about a life changing event or in this case a life ending event. This is mainly why I believe this movie deserves a 9/10 just because of how I strongly believe a government or object of power would act towards this sort of issue.

Another aspect that is touched upon which I believe really helps the movie is the idea of greed and corruption within a government as in the end the USA goes to huge lengths to make money out of an extinction level event however this is extremely true and I can personally see this happening as technically it is happening right before us with sales of weapons and explosive goods with ongoing wars. With that aside Don't Look Up really sparks fear and question into the mind of the viewer as it really makes you question is this what would really happen if an event like this came to fruition it also make us question the affect that social media has on every single person when there is no hard evidence only theory as in a modern world this happens on the daily however if I was to compare this to the theory's posed in Oppenheimer there was no social media to spread question of if a bomb would work so this movie really goes to show how far back as a race we have gone and how much we have changed for the worse.

Overall, Don't Look Up is a great film but also quite a frightening one as it goes to show what could actually happen if evidence of a mass destruction event was found. And with all of this I believe Don't Look Up is a great film and is a must watch for people who like movies like, 2012 and the day after tomorrow.

Two astronomers discover a massive comet heading towards Earth. The comet will wipe out mankind in six months' time if nothing is done about it. They manage to gain an audience with the US President, land on TV talk shows and have their story printed in the media but everyone seems to have other priorities.

On the surface a disaster movie in the vein of Armageddon or Deep Impact. However, it is not just that and is far better than that.

Written and directed by Adam McKay (The Big Short, Vice, The Other Guys, Anchorman), Don't Look Up is a funny, accurate examination of the warped priorities and agendas of the people who have the largest control over our lives. Politicians care more about how something will impact their polling numbers than saving mankind, the media cares more about finding something slanderous on a person than alerting people to imminent destruction, talk shows care more about sensationalism, the personal lives of vapid pop stars and on putting on a happy face than on news that actually matters to people, corporate opportunists who use even a planet-destroying disaster to make a profit and in so doing increase the danger (and how the politicians fall in line behind them).

It is all quite chillingly accurate and plausible: from experience you can relate to the misguided, self-absorbed agendas of these institutions and individuals and the powerlessness and irritation you feel in having to deal with them and their decisions.

It is so close to home that it sometimes makes the film irritating to watch: you'd rather not be reminded how incompetent, superficial, self-servicing and nefarious the government, media etc are, how they screw up your life on a regular basis and how likely it is that they will eventually wipe out mankind.

All this makes for a film that is one part hilariously funny and another part scarily serious and confronting. Unlike some other movies I did not find this mix of comedy and drama jarring. In fact, the humour helps point out the absurdity of it all.

By the way, keep watching until the very end. There's two scenes woven into/after the credits that are worth sticking around for.

I understand why some people hate this film. It feels real in its entirety, it shows you how stupid and insignificant we are and it is extremely apropos today. Also, it was marketed as a comedy, when in fact is a dramatic film that is humorous only in its accurate portrayal of humanity. Then again some people try to "tell you" what it is about and, while it is certainly metaphoric, it isn't about anything more specific than ourselves. It is a mirror. Some people don't like what they see in it.

I found it an almost perfect film, with some deliciously carefully crafted moments and great acting. At first I thought the comedic side was actually too much and wished that someone like Steven Soderbergh made the movie instead, but as I was watching it I started to appreciate how methodical the approach was and now I believe Adam McKay was the right man for the job. I enjoyed the overall plot, I liked the characters and how things were presented, but I loved the little things like, for example, the only scene where Europe is mentioned, as a short scene of a news item when they say they are going to convene and find their own solution, resulting in absolutely nothing. I am European and sad to say it struck home. Or the meal scene at the end, which is both emotional, focusing and reminding us how even that option can be taken away by something as small as a virus.

Annoyingly, in these days movies from the U. S. are becoming more and more of "a color". They are not telling a story, but are taking a side. They are either democrat or republican, conservative or liberal, blue or red, flyover or coast. Don't Look Up is not a big offender, but the language and presentation was clearly on the "coast" side. Thus, it will be probably appreciated by people who already saw the world this way and ignored or at best maligned by the people on the other side. And it's a pity, because this film is meant to bring us together as a civilization and not keep us divided. I feel like it could have done a better job in that direction.

There was one detail that I think McKay got completely wrong. There is no chance in hell the president of the United States would make a public speech and use metric units like kilometers in it. If it weren't for that, I would have rated this 10 stars. Jokes aside, this is a movie you have to watch.