Greenland Review

The presence of Gerard Butler adds nothing but his fanbase to frequently delayed flick "Greenland." He's good in the role of the reluctant hero, as good as he is in any of his roles, but there is little of his trademark "everyman" superhero archetype on display, and his usual audience may feel tricked into a slightly smarter production absent of expected blood squibs and fisticuffs.

I'm actually not sure when he became an action star, with a career stretching back into the 90's, but he is. An economic actor who headlines films with plots lifted straight out of other movies (like last year's "The Fugitive" clone, "Angel Has Fallen"). Today he digs his meaty hands into the pile of disaster pictures, but the results onscreen are far more timely and intimate than he, the film or the audience deserves. At least for a good chunk of its runtime.

OK you know the drill: a man races to save his loved ones from the end of the world, this time a comet named "Clarke" that is about to hit Earth. Only this one is smarter than that basic plot synopsis suggests, forgoing spectacle in favor of family drama. The best parts involve the family when society goes to hell, an all-too familiar world where armed forces fire at civilians, panicked people pillage stores, and hysteria drives people to stealing, kidnapping and killing. It's simultaneously the right movie for 2020 and the wrong one, and it's these scenes that elevate "Greenland" out from the shackles set by its excessive peers.

There are some moments of sappy sentimentalism, as Gerard's character John Garrity's marriage is on the rocks, but this reconciliation does little to destroy the film's intelligent narrative or contemporary momentum.

A few more political wrinkles appear when John is separated from his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin) and diabetic son (Roger Dale Floyd) at a Georgian navel base. Selected families are being flown to a bunker in the namesake island, but why were they chosen, they wonder. So do their neighbors, and the people clamoring at the gates. Allowed entry after given an identification wristband, the parents find themselves the target of the general population; these wristbands are their one chance at survival, people think, and people act without thinking.

The best thing here is how the action is centered around the characters, instead of just on the action. I read the budget is a modest $35 million, a far cry from the usual blockbuster, and I'm sure that was the reason. I don't know about you, but my eyes were thankful for the optical relief, and my brain was just happy to be invited, instead of being told to stay at the door.

It's a shame, though, that we all watched this from our homes. Yes I know there is a pandemic, but the bombastic score and infrequent effects extravaganza demand something other than your crappy TV. Most of us are lucky enough to have something in 1080p, but fewer are set up with a humongous 4K screen or the appropriate sound system. This leaves several long stretches taking place night to appear dim and incomprehensible. Who's at fault? Is it mine for having a poor cinema setup? Or the filmmakers for a cheap home-viewing conversion? This is why we go to the movies, and it's another reminder of how much this year has sucked.

I do wish it leaned further into this human subtext, as the climax begins to ignore general logic and instead hit all the obligatory "disaster movie" beats. Yet I'm not surprised this happens. After all, the internet tells me filming ended last year, so all the similarities are merely coincidental. Let's just hope that 2020 ends the way "Greenland" does, with a light at the end of a tunnel.