As a planet-killing comet hurtles toward Earth, a guy who builds skyscrapers (Gerard Butler) gets a classified message saying he, his wife and son have been selected to be transported to shelter in an undisclosed location. (Telling you that location might be a spoiler, but the astute reader can probably figure it out.) All they have to do is report to an Air Force base and get on a plane.

Well, of course things don’t go as planned (pretty short movie if they did) because of course the kid’s diabetic and is turned away at the gate. Then they get separated, and the rest of the movie is Gerard doing heroic things amid rising anarchy to find his family and get them to the sanctuary.

It’s not as dumb as the actor’s “Fallen” franchise, but pretty close, and even more tone deaf. You know, just the kind of film we need while in the middle of a real-life calamity. Punctuated with some not-so-special effects, like distant, massive explosions, that are there mostly to give Gerard something to stare meaningfully at. Disaster-movie junkies only. (99 min)

Japan release date: June 3, 2021