Gerard Butler’s 18% Rated Sci-Fi Film Finds New Home on Netflix on April 1

Gerard Butler is a great actor who shines in all kinds of movies. He was perfect in the period epic 300, intimidating in another legendary flick called Law Abiding Citizen. He was even a pretty convincing jerk in The Ugly Truth and a fan-favorite monster in The Phantom of the Opera. All of these roles proved Butler to be a versatile actor worthy of all the praise.

In 2017, however, he starred in the sci-fi film Geostorm, which ended up being a rather controversial film that received both rave reviews and many disappointed ones, causing its 18% score on Rotten tomatoes. Well, let’s see what the fuss is about.

What Is Geostorm About?

Directed by Dean Devlin, Geostorm is a sci-fi thriller and high-stakes disaster movie that combines eye-popping visuals with a complex plot. Set in a near-future world where climate change has turned into a global catastrophe, the movie revolves around a space-based weather control system called "Dutch Boy" that was designed to prevent natural disasters.

But at some point, the system that was supposed to be the savior begins to malfunction, triggering a chain of violent storms around the globe and practically attacking the Earth. And with the planet facing destruction, it's up to Jake Lawson, Butler's character, the brilliant scientist behind the very system, to save the world from a catastrophic geostorm.

Many viewers loved the CGI presence in the movie, which was frankly a lot and even served as sort of a selling point for this $120 million movie. Its visual effects, which are impressive, especially when depicting massive storms, tsunamis, and other destructive forces, were quite persuasive for a disaster movie. But there are still moments that frustrated the audience.

“I actually enjoyed it a decent amount and not in a "so bad it was good" way. It's not the kind of movie I'll spend weeks thinking about, but it sets up a somewhat unique premise and executes it well. Ofc it's nowhere close to hard sci-fi but I don't think there is a need to treat it as such?” Redditor S-Demon said.

What Is Wrong About Geostorm?

Viewers' opinion of the script is that it struggles with pacing and logical consistency. In fact, it is littered with convenient plot twists and scenarios that require a suspension of disbelief. The movie's heavy-handed approach to geopolitics and science stretches credibility. Also there was just too much for Jake to do, like save the whole world AND redeem himself in front of his family? Sorry, impossible.

“I’m a disaster movie junkie and I don’t expect Shakespearean plotting or nuanced characters in these types of films but Geostorm tried to sell us a science fiction political thriller dressed up as a disaster movie and it not only failed to succeed in that category but in all the other categories as well,” Redditor MovieMike007 said.

Well, if you want to make up your own mind, wait until April 1, when you can binge-watch it on Netflix.