[Ptmckiou]

It’s a comedy and political satire. The comet is today’s COVID. People trying to deny it exists or it won’t be that bad. If you don’t look up, you want see it…thereby it isn’t there. The government encourages people to not look up.

It was an enjoyable movie!

[Ptmckiou]

Originally Posted by terenceanne

Watched about an hour of it - then fast forward to the end. Just Hollywood big shots trying to be witty and funny - doesn't work.

I bet you saw yourself in it ….that was the point of the movie. Learn from it.

[Proveone]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

On Netflix, if you want to watch a movie.

For those who have watched it:

Is it a comedy or political satire?
Who do you recognize anyone?
Do you see yourself anywhere in there?
Which themes did you see?

Good commentary on our fragile democracy and the state of our country.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

I watched it last night and enjoyed it. Be sure to watch to where Meryl Streep, playing a Hilary-like president, dies. I laughed so hard that I had to back it up and see it again and laugh again. It’s so utterly unexpected, and the novelist George Meredith wrote, more than a century go, in his book “On Comedy,” that this is the essence of what makes us laugh. We must either laugh, or we must cry from shock and surprise.

“Don’t Look Up” is definitely Satire in the classical definition of the term, which means that it must have correction and improvement of a problem in society as an important goal. That is how it differs from comedy. Thus, Jonathan Swift’s novel “Gulliver’s Travels” is trying to teach us about the silliness of court etiquette, problems in education, political philosophy, attitudes toward war and peace, and much more. His famous essay, available online, “A Modest Proposal,” recommends eating Irish babies as a good solution to the problems of famine in Ireland in 1729. Was he serious? No, he was Irish, and he didn’t think babies should be eaten, but he made readers think about the effects of British policies toward Ireland that were causing the famine. Similarly, “Monty Python’s Life of Brian”—which I couldn’t sit through because I found it sacrilegious—was saying very serious and possibly true things about how aspects of a religion can come about because of misunderstandings or carrying comments to extremes.

“Don’t Look Up” is sometimes funny, but it isn’t a comedy. It is, however, a satire, and a good satire may seldom be funny. The situation is serious: a comet that will kill all life on earth arriving in six months. The reactions by the government are all too likely. This is NOT a Democrat or Republican thing. Not at all! I think any team in the White House would respond in much the same way, seeing the end of the world as a political opportunity and failing to see the seriousness of the situation. (We see this going on all over the country right now with state responses to Covid rules.) This part of the movie is satirical and all too likely. It horrifies as it makes us laugh. The response of the morning entertainment show hosts in the movie is dead on accurate. (I can’t stand those phony shows—I don’t find their semi-mindless banter and worship of celebrities amusing.)

See it. Enjoy.

Excellent review with thoughtfulness and background. I agree with all above, since i am not a literary person (a lot more of a math and sports guy). And yes, ending 2 is where we laughed as well. . .

And I don't think the movie would work without the "famous" actors/actresses, who probably agree with the satire of the movie and the causes presented. I do mostly agree with the Dr Strangelove of this era/decade as this decade is NOT the same as the 60's generation. We are far, far removed from seriousness and destruction of WWII and subsequent wars. Sort of 180 degrees soft . . . 6 decades difference/later have completely different social, political and galactic destruction issues.

[b0bd0herty]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

On Netflix, if you want to watch a movie.

For those who have watched it:

Is it a comedy or political satire?
Who do you recognize anyone?
Do you see yourself anywhere in there?
Which themes did you see?

Gave it a half hour then tuned to a more intellectual channel and watched The Three Stooges.

[Chi-Town]

Did anybody stick around for ending 3 way at the end of the credits. Hint and spoiler alert. You find out what happened to the Jonah Hill character.

[Jokomo]

I love the reviews where people skip the middle parts of the movie (the facts) and then make declarative statements about the worth/credibility of the movie. Hmmm.

[Blackbird45]

This movie was a political statement directed towards climate change deniers.
The fact is that it doesn't matter what political party it is, they will always tell you what you want to hear. They will always paint a rosy picture so they can stay in power. Viet Nam is a perfect example.
Looks, it's human nature. You're going to dinner with your wife, and she asks how you like what see is wearing. It could be the ugly thing you've ever seen, but you know if you tell her that, it will be another hour before you get out of the house. So, you lie, lie, lie.

[kendi]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

On Netflix, if you want to watch a movie.

For those who have watched it:

Is it a comedy or political satire?
Who do you recognize anyone?
Do you see yourself anywhere in there?
Which themes did you see?

We watched it and didn’t care for it. It drug out way too long so we finally fast forwarded closer to the end. Sadly though I wouldn’t be surprised if we do have a president one day as bad as the one Meryl Streep played. I still have that surprising and horrible image in my head that ended the show.

[kendi]

It’s a waste of time.

[frank1975]

Very funny movie. Great cast!

[kendi]

Originally Posted by Ptmckiou

I bet you saw yourself in it ….that was the point of the movie. Learn from it.

That’s awfully presumptuous of you.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Petersweeney

I can’t watch mr hill do anything - he’s just not funny- I’d rather watch a piece of clay for 2 hours…

Have NOT had the pleasure of watching it yet. However, I have difficulty thinking of Jonah Hill as ANYTHING, except a GREAT character actor. He was certainly great in that baseball movie with Brad Pitt. Also, many other movies. I suppose that it is sometimes difficult to separate the acting quality from the role quality.

[tmiller166]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

On Netflix, if you want to watch a movie.

For those who have watched it:

Is it a comedy or political satire?
Who do you recognize anyone?
Do you see yourself anywhere in there?
Which themes did you see?

’,

Just replace meteorite with climate change…govts won’t “look up” until it is too late, then when they (we) do react, it won’t work because we didn’t look up in time.
I worry about our grandchildren.

[iafriedman]

DEFINITELY SATIRE. If you don't recognize it then I can't explain it.