Greenland 2: Migration Is No Greenland, But Gerard Butler Is Still Gerard Butler

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During a recent episode of the basketball podcast The Mismatch, a host jokingly suggested that the 2020 film Greenland might not be real. He noticed promotion for Greenland 2 and claimed he’d never heard of the first movie, confidently summarizing its plot as “Russell Crowe saves the world.” This was inaccurate – Russell Crowe isn’t in either film, and the movies don’t involve saving the world. However, his confusion is understandable. Greenland was released during the pandemic when many theaters were closed. While it performed well in countries where theaters were open, it didn’t get a traditional theatrical release in the U.S., going straight to digital rental and then streaming services.

I bring this up because, surprisingly, Greenland was actually a standout film from a difficult year, and it’s easy to see how it could have been even more successful with a better release. Despite being advertised as a classic, action-packed disaster movie with Gerard Butler and a massive comet, the film turned out to be much more thoughtful. It was a compelling look at how people react when facing total destruction – some giving in to their worst impulses, while others found ways to help each other and make sacrifices. Director Ric Roman Waugh and writer Chris Sparling went beyond typical disaster movie tropes, crafting a story that felt genuinely human. As John Garrity (Butler), his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) desperately tried to reach safety as a world-ending comet approached, the film showed that even in crisis, people can maintain their humanity. This made the movie particularly impactful, as the characters’ fates felt truly meaningful, especially given that we were all experiencing a global crisis at the time.

The new film, Greenland 2: Migration, continues the story five years after the comet impact. The Garrity family and many other survivors have been living in a large underground bunker in Greenland, but the world remains incredibly dangerous due to radiation storms, earthquakes, and other disasters. When John ventures out to scavenge for supplies, even with protective gear, it’s still a risky mission. Unfortunately, the bunker is destroyed, forcing the Garritys – with Nathan now played by Roman Griffin Davis – to once again fend for themselves. They set out for Western Europe, hoping to find a safe haven within the growing ecosystem inside the massive crater created by the comet.

The movie feels like a rougher, less polished version of Greenland. That film worked because it showed the world at the start of the disaster, when things were just beginning to fall apart and still felt somewhat recognizable. Here, as the Garritys travel across a flooded Britain and a desolate, ash-covered landscape that was once the English Channel, the film feels more like a series of snapshots of different survival situations. We see chaotic military outposts, makeshift markets, and various desperate people – prophets, scavengers, snipers, and those trying to rebuild some kind of life. However, the film doesn’t explore these elements deeply enough, leaving them feeling like plot devices rather than fully realized parts of the world. Ultimately, Greenland 2 presents a collection of disconnected ideas instead of a clear, compelling vision of what life is like after the apocalypse.

The film seems to embrace chaos, but it feels uninspired and lacks genuine energy. Everything wraps up too quickly and neatly. A scene meant to build tension at an army gate feels like a pale imitation of a better moment from the first film, and is quickly dropped. Characters who initially seem promising turn out to be there only to move the plot forward. It’s also strangely convenient how easily the heroes find transportation – either someone conveniently dies leaving them a van, or people simply give them one. Even begging their way onto a crowded military bus results in empty seats. While these moments created suspense in the original film, here they feel like shortcuts to the next scene. The first movie’s sense of urgency, created by a ticking clock, is missing. The filmmakers try to recapture that feeling with a character’s illness, which adds some emotional weight, but ultimately it feels unfocused and unclear.

Despite its flaws, Greenland 2 has some worthwhile moments. A touching visit with an old family friend who selflessly cares for Alzheimer’s patients – who are peacefully unaware of the disaster – highlights the resilience of the human spirit. A particularly impressive scene features a shaky, homemade rope bridge amidst strong winds and earthquakes, recalling the exciting action of the first film. Throughout it all, Gerard Butler remains engaging, portraying a believable everyman thrown into unbelievable circumstances. His sincerity shines through, making his character’s devotion to his family feel genuine. While Greenland 2 doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original, the film succeeds in making us care about its characters, which is a small but significant achievement.

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2026-01-09 23:54