Greenland 2: Migration Review

"Greenland 2: Migration" is probably as good a sequel to a disaster film can be: the principal cast returns, (Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin as John and Allison Garrity, respectively) as does all the family drama, societal disintegration and special effects. Compared to the first "Greenland," seeing the latter on the big-screen mostly satisfies.

Taking place in the bunker from the original, years have passed and supplies are dwindling, the neighboring Earth either destroyed or inhospitable due to radiation from the meteor that crashed all those years ago. The Garrity's live in one of several bunkers throughout the world, so we get the obligatory scenes in a picture like this about where the survivors can possibly all travel to to avoid starvation. In a likely unintentional twist of current events, some of the countries are fighting each other (here over the site of the crash), where Dr. Casey Amina (Amber Rose Revah) believes that life can begin anew, free from the poisons polluting the air. She compares the theory to the time of dinosaurs at one point, which just made me wish a giant T-Rex showed up too, but alas, that never happens.

But it doesn't take long for, ahem, disaster to strike again: an earthquake destroys their safe-haven, everyone trying desperately to escape. Masks are a premium, as the air is eventually toxic, and John has his stolen during this initial chaos as everyone eyes one of the limited escape ships that washed up ashore recently. They dock in what used to be England, a partially flooded hellscape where the military patrols that country's bunker from non-government personnel. One just needs to watch the news in real-life to guess what happens.

The original, released during 2020 in the heat of the pandemic, and yet somehow six years later, scenes of this civil unrest play out far too hauntingly, and unfortunately, relatable. Even the film's title country is in the news.

A lot more happens, including a particularly effective scene where the family needs to cross a gaping valley on makeshift ladders and ropes, but John's been hiding a secret: he's sick, and it's not the kind that's curable. He claims he has just six to eight weeks from the time he begins coughing up blood, and while I won't spoil what ultimately happens to our aging action star, Butler is quite good here. His performance is one of exhaustion, reluctantly putting himself into situations to save his family, but never appearing bored with the role.

His son Nathan, played now by Roman Griffin Davis, remains diabetic like before, but aside from a throwaway line about "packing all the insulin he can grab," it never comes up or interrupts the small group's mission to the crater. There are a few other inconsistencies (like how the scattered survivors never show any obvious signs of radiation), but "Greenland 2: Migration" is consistently engaging, frequently thrilling and occasionally timely.