With a Metascore of 49 at the time of this comment's writing, I expected a much worse movie than "Don't Look Up" gave me. I also mostly hated both "The Big Short" and "Vice," so I believed the Metascore would probably be reflective of my own reactions. But I always go into movies wanting to like them, so here's to keeping an open mind. You might find yourself surprised.

This movie is a hot mess, but the world is a hot mess, so the fact that a movie about the state of the world is a hot mess feels right. Yes, much of Adam McKay's satire and commentary is obvious and on the nose. He's not as clever as he thinks he is. But he's assembled a talented cast that knows how to sell the material, and I was mostly just happy that there's a popular movie right now that seems to be topical and relevant to the current American political culture. I've found it strange this year how few movies seem interested in addressing any of the things that are dominating news headlines around the world.

Jennifer Lawrence in this movie is how I feel all the time lately. I just want to yell at people to get it together. Meryl Streep has a ball playing a female Trump, and who better to take on that roll than the woman who so famously called him out in real life and prompted one of his Twitter tantrums. Jonah Hill I wanted to punch in the face, repeatedly. And Cate Blanchett is unrecognizable as one of those insanely perky morning news hosts that the world needs fewer of.

"Don't Look Up" is about how much of our lives we spend consuming the meaningless white noise of media -- news and social -- and trying to keep up with standards foisted on us by capitalism. If a comet ever does obliterate life on Earth, I want to go out like the family in this movie did -- with a glass of wine, just chilling with the people who are most important to me.

Grade: A.

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Meteorologists Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo Di Caprio) and Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) spot a comet rushing towards Earth, and race to inform the government about it. However, they are met with indifference and facility by President Orlean (Meryl Streep) and her administration, including her obnoxious son Jason (Jonah Hill.) To try and stress the seriousness of the impending event, they go on a national campaign to try and spread the word, appearing on various TV shows, which seem more interested in vapid celebrity culture, as well as attracting the attention of an eccentric industrialist (Mark Rylance) who wants to exploit the situation for his own gain.

Despite receiving more publicity than your average Netflix premiere, I, like possibly a few others, took my time getting around to Don't Look Up, and probably for the same reason as many others. I was aware of lead star Di Caprio's involvement in the climate change movement, and was worried it would be little more than a lengthy vanity project. However, after taking a gamble, I can attest this is not the case. Writer/director Adam McKay's endeavour is, in fact, quite inspired, a scathing satire on modern culture and modern politics, with some digs at capitalism and social media thrown in for good measure.

As the leading stars, DiCaprio and Lawrence display an interesting reversal of traditional gender roles, with Lawrence as the feisty, forthright messenger, while Di Caprio's character is more timid and uncomfortable in the spotlight, putting you in mind of the UK's epidemiologist expert Chris Whitty in many ways. Meanwhile, Streep gives her variation on a female Trump, with Hill giving it an extra layer of realness as a family connection. This set up provides the main crux of the film's satirical edge, lampooning the public's modern mistrust of science and unwillingness to listen to experts in a time of national crisis, instead being won over by cheap sound bites and gruff showboating. It retains its comic edge throughout, and so it's a mystery that McKay decides to shoot the whole thing with dull, grey lighting and close camera angles, giving it a disconcerting documentary drama feel.

In the end, it's its own sense of indulgence that ends up weighing it down, a shame since it is far more inspired and relevant than it seemed, at least twenty minutes overlong and, consequentially, overblown. While you've been told not to do so throughout, by the end you may just be 'looking up' out of sheer frustration. ***

Wait, I thought this was supposed to be comedy. Well, okay, it is, but this must be the most serious and depressing comedy ever made.

And it's also movie that made me believe in Jennifer Lawrence again. I've always believed in Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio (WHEN he's not trying for an Oscar.) But, dang those three did fantastic, alongside Jonah Hill.

It's the End of the World and they know it. But, they don't feel fine. A med student discovers an asteroid the size of Mount Everest headed our way and alongside her professor, they try their best to inform the world when the world is enormously skeptical. This movie is probably what would really happen and it's so sad.

Meryl plays the President and I just automatically pinned her as a Democrat...but, she's actually playing turmp 100% as a woman and she is magnificent in her subtle mockery. And Jonah is brilliant as her loyal son.

It's rather long and while I laughed and saw where the humor was, I wasn't laughing the whole way through. Maybe that was the point as this is probably would happen with our strongly divided country.

We are doomed. But, hey, this is definitely a recommendation to watch and appreciate every day you have left.

***

Final Thoughts: Still, we're all doomed.