Geostorm Parent Guide

In the year 2019, Earth’s increasingly extreme weather conditions reach such a severe state that the leaders of the world are forced to come together to find a solution. Using the best scientific minds available, a large network of satellites is created to control the environment. The system is called The Dutchman, after the story of the young boy who put his finger in a dyke to save his homeland from flooding. The miraculous machine is a collaboration of 17 countries and managed from the International Space Station. But the US leads the effort and an American named Jake Lawson (Gerard Butler - I know, he has an UK accent) heads up the team of experts.

And it’s that national pride that becomes a problem shortly after construction is completed. Instead of willingly transferring The Dutchman over to a multi-national council, it appears the US Senate wants to stay in charge of the device. Jake’s less than sympathetic view of their desired ownership quickly gets him fired. Yet there is one silver lining to the situation: Jake’s kid brother Max (Jim Sturgess – who has an American accent) has been assigned to babysit the project for the next three years as the politicians sort out the issues. It would almost be the perfect resolution if it weren’t for the preexisting hard feelings between the siblings.

Fast forward two years and 49 weeks. With 21 days left before the US hands over their administration of The Dutchman, a malfunction occurs. Worried about passing on damaged goods (in an election year no less), the US President (Andy Garcia) gives the problem to the Secretary of State (Ed Harris), who enlists Max, who in turn recruits Jake to give the complex system a check-up and cure whatever is ailing it.

Putting their differences aside, Jake accepts the assignment. Yet once onboard the Space Station he stumbles into something more suspicious than a mechanical failure. Meanwhile Max untangles some Washington red tape that appears to be covering up a sinister plot. And at the same time, various freak weather incidents are killing unsuspecting civilians. Both brothers fear the indicators are pointing towards a geostorm – a series of climatic catastrophes around the globe that can cause an unstoppable domino effect.

Of course, we all know we are going to see some inclement conditions before the credits roll. Parents should be aware that these depictions may be too much for children. Numerous rain, hail and snow storms pummel people, killing and freezing them. Corpses are seen: some covered in ice and looking like statues, and one is so brittle that when his hand is touched, it snaps off. (No blood or detail are shown.) Tsunamis, floods, droughts and extreme heat causes deaths, injuries, explosions and property damage. Along with the acts of nature are violent deeds done by man. Gun and weapon use, car accidents, murders and fistfights are all part of the action. As well, characters face dangers in space, including being sucked out of, or torn away from, the safety of their spacecraft.

Still, when it comes to movies of this genre, Geostorm offers everything a disaster film is supposed to: flawed heroes who rise to the occasion, a good cause to fight for (Earth and mankind), loved ones to worry about (Abbie Cornish, Talitha Eliana Bateman) and a who-done-it mystery to unravel. Along the way, it imparts messages of world cooperation, forgiveness and reconciliation. While the script isn’t rocket science (or even weather science), it provides a roller-coaster ride of tense moments and enough computer science to supply great high-tech visuals. And amidst all the fury, the plot gently reminds us that if we want power over our universe we must first tame the element of human nature.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.