DON’T LOOK UP directed by Adam McKay is a disappointing science fiction film with a powerful message, presented as an analogy of the dangers of climate change.

An asteroid is heading for Earth that, on contact, will kill us all. Two scientists played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence struggle to convince the US president (a female version of Donald Trump) to act — well trodden Hollywood territory (Deep Impact, Armageddon, etc).

The urgency of the situation is initially ignored and the scientists are treated with contempt. Eventually the president agrees to take action because she sees it as electorally advantageous, and Nasa launches a rocket to zap it in space before it arrives.

Then a nasty capitalist intervenes and miraculously manages to turn it round mid-flight by using his extra powerful mobile phone system. His multi-national company BASH is clearly central to government policy.

The sinister mega-rich man argues that to break up the asteroid into smaller, manageable fragments will be a safe way for us all to benefit from its special mineral qualities. Jobs will be created, and world hunger abolished.

This Jeff Bezos/Richard Branson character sees profit in the impending doom.

Of course, it doesn’t work and the great asteroid hits Earth and kills everyone apart from the wealthy and powerful who hide in cryogenic pods for thousands of years to then reappear to be eaten by dinosaurs on an alien planet.

A little post-credit scene shows the last man on Earth crawling from the rubble to share his experience on social media.

This film deals with political greed and media stupidity, so the theme is strong, but much of the content is weak. For example, the young female scientist (Lawrence) screams at the camera on an unsupportive TV news show and is described as hysterical with images of her angry face mocked and shared across the internet. She is told to get media training.

However, the male scientist (DiCaprio) receives public approval for his good looks and is seduced by the surgically enhanced female newsreader in tiresome attempts to inject light relief into the story.

The cheap sex and attempts at comedy weaken the message and the final two scenes are straight out of Monty Python.

I’ve been accused of missing the essential satire of the movie which gives it strength, so let’s look at other films and books that I feel successfully deal with the end of the world theme.

The BBC made a documentary film in 1966 called The War Game — about a thermonuclear attack. International tensions escalate and a “tactical” Soviet bomb hits Britain.

As a young teacher I remember watching it a few years later in a village hall in Berkshire near the Greenham Women’s Peace Camp after it was withdrawn by the BBC on the grounds that it was “too horrifying for public viewing” so it was shown only to selected audiences.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) got hold of a copy which is why my local anti-nuclear group showed it to a packed public audience.

I was shocked by the horrific scenes of looting, suicide, radioactive sickness and firing squads. This authentic black and white film brought the danger of nuclear weapons into the public eye and CND’s membership jumped to half a million. No sex, no comedy, no satire. A great film that won awards.

In 1957 Nevil Shute wrote On the Beach about rising international tensions resulting in a nuclear attack in the northern hemisphere with radioactive dust floating to Australia where the book is set.

The last people alive on Earth are offered government suicide pills as they engage in activities to make the most of their final days.

One character drives his racing car at breakneck speed because there will be no tomorrow. No sex, no comedy, no satire. A haunting book that led to two successful films in 1959 (directed by Stanley Kramer) and 2000 (directed by Russell Mulcahy).

In important ways, The Hunger Games series of books and films and Squid Games, a South Korean Netflix series, also deal with end of the world scenarios, class divisions and rampant capitalism, but manage to get their shocking messages across without the use of sexism and seaside postcard comedy.

Watch Don’t Look Up if you like and let me know what you think. Am I missing something?

While many of my friends on the left are praising the film, I doubt that it will add strength to the international anti-nuclear and anti-climate change campaigns and public awareness of the outrageous greed of the capitalist class.

Pete Stevenson is a teacher of the creative arts and a member of CND. He can be contacted via petethepoetcreativity.co.uk