I’m always on the lookout for a good movie because they’re harder and harder to find these days. So, when we recently rented and watched the movie “Greenland” I was surprised I had not heard anything about it since it had been out for 5 years. It was really, really good. Ah, but then I realized it came out in 2020 which was pretty much a death knell for any film, so it made a little more sense.
I won’t say much about the first movie, but obviously you will want to have seen it before you see this one.
Also, this review, like all my reviews, is designed to be spoiler free, so don’t worry, I won’t ruin it for you.
Not very nice, Clarke
Whether or not you’ve seen the first film or not, these are both disaster films. The threat here is from a meteor called Clarke, but that’s a bit misleading. Because Clarke is more like one giant meteor that breaks into fragments all over the world over a period of days and weeks. In some ways, it’s far more devastating than any alien invasion ever could have been.
The main three characters we follow in the film are John and Allison Garrity, along with their son, Nathan, who is ten years old in the first film and fifteen in the second.
Where do we go from here?
The second movie follows the Garrity family as they struggle to rebuild their life and find a new home in the post-apocalyptic world after Clarke. While other characters join them along this journey, the Garrity family is the main focus.
What’s great about the Greenland films is that they don’t try to beat you over the head with science to show you that they’ve “done their research” like, say, movies like Star Trek or Jurassic park. Not that that is necessarily wrong, but it allows the film to focus more on the characters, the story, and the horrific impacts of the events unfolding around them.
These are just ordinary people trying to survive and it’s easy to put ourselves in their shoes.
While the original film had more of a character arc for John and Allison, this movie is a much more straightforward journey for a return to something approaching a normal life.
The film does a good job of showing a wide variety of responses to the catastrophe. It brings out both the best and the worst of humanity, but for a post-apocalyptic film, there are a surprising number of positive examples of people going out of their way to help each other. And at the end of the movie, there is even a kind of epilogue which encourages people in that direction.
It’s almost as if the film makers recognize that art can be uplifting and should encourage us to be better people!
We need more of this kind of hopeful vision in science fiction as well as movies in general.
Family first, last, and everything in between
Family and the bonds that hold it together are the central themes. Yes, John, Allison, and Nathan are human and have their moments of distance or frustration with each other, but those are more like background noise. There is no room for petty squabbles or selfish behavior in the post-Clarke world. Each of them would sacrifice everything for the other and that is inspiring to see.
It is so nice to see a father play such an inspiring role as the leader of his family.
And of the three members of the Garrity family, John, played wonderfully by Gerard Butler, is the anchor holding everything together. He is truly a heroic figure. He never backs down, never wavers, and never gives up in the face of what are often seemingly impossible odds.
It is so nice to see a father play such an inspiring role as the leader of his family. That is rare in cinema these days.
The one disappointment I had with the film is the treatment of faith in God. It’s barely addressed in this film except in two important scenes, but even there, it is not really treated as something real, but more of a kind of tradition that makes us feel better. I don’t expect a whole lot from Hollywood when it comes to this subject, but while not portrayed negatively, it was a missed opportunity.
Migrate to the theaters and go see it
So, is Greenland 2 Migration the greatest movie of all time? No. But the acting is stellar from top to bottom, with Butler and Morena Baccarin (as Allison) turning in exceptionally good performances. The pacing is strong and the effects are convincing while not overwhelming and distracting (hey, look how much we spent on CGI!).
But the central importance of family and the value of a loving, sacrificial father are the real stars here. They are in stark contrast to the rioting, selfish mobs which threaten to derail the Garrity’s search for home, a place which, as pictured in the final frames of this movie, is a small little window into heaven.
My recommendation: migrate yourself and your family to the theaters and see this before it’s gone like a streaking comet.
