Set in the near future, the world in “Geostorm” is literally cocooned* in a safety net hovering above the earth’s atmosphere* to govern the effects of climate change by weather controlling satellites.

This is realized by a super international space station called Dutch Boy, named after the bedtime story about a boy who stuck his finger into a sea wall to save his village from flooding.

Skipping over the technical details, we are now several years into Dutch Boy’s activation when an error causes the atmospheric shield to pummel the earth with life-threatening storms. After a dramatic* escape that sees Daniel Wu outrun fireballs in the streets of Hong Kong, two warring brothers put aside their bickering* to save the world.

Jake Lawson (Gerard Butler) is sent back to outer space to fix the error in Dutch Boy, while his kid brother Max Lawson (Jim Sturgess) is left behind to find out about an evil plot at play in the White House.

Full of cliches* that almost seem laughable and a heavy-handed plot twist, “Geostorm” fails to create any emotional link with the lead actors or mankind’s salvation* for that matter.

Director-writer Dean Devlin, “Geostorm” being his first feature film, appears to be largely influenced by his mentor* Roland Emmerich with whom he partnered with on “Moon 44,” “Stargate,” “Independence Day” and “Independence Day: Resurgence.”

All that said, the film’s narrative is largely streamlined. What it lacks is a crisp plot with mature, fleshed out characters who can reel in* the audience without the crutch of unnecessary fireworks. What “Geostorm” has going for it is relevance*, preying on the worrisome climate change that the world faces today. (SD-Agencies)