Before discussing Greenland 2: Migration, it’s best to take this review a step back in time. As in, taking viewers back to 2020, when Greenland was released during the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon release, the film’s core ideology was a Gerard Butler action movie that mostly succeeded. Yet in the pantheon of Butler films, it managed to stand out from the pack. It delivered a survival story, asking some similar questions about morality in a world filled with chaos. That’s what made the concept of a follow up an exciting proposition with that continuing ideology. Unfortunately, the sequel does not hit the same highs as its predecessor.
Greenland 2: Migration takes place five years after the original film. Following Earth’s destruction via the Clarke Interstellar comet, the Garrity family attempts to live a normal life. This includes John (Gerard Butler), his wife, Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their 15-year-old son, Nathan (Roman Griffin Davis). While Nathan longs for life outside the bunker, the Garritys have established a fractured but livable sense of peace. That peace is shattered when sudden and dangerous ecological changes force the family to leave their home.
With the Garrity family hitting the road, the film very much becomes a survival tale. This includes meeting new friends and brutal enemies along the way. Such a narrative setup is where my problems with Greenland 2: Migration begin. The sequel forces the characters out on the road, turning it into a post-apocalyptic road-trip movie. In a world where media like Fallout and The Last of Us (to name a few) exist, this movie fails to stand out. That failure has to fall to screenwriters Mitchell LaFortune and Chris Sparling (writers of the original Greenland).
Any ounce of realism from the original film is stripped away in this sequel. Instead, the story relies too heavily on (mostly) sloppy visual effects and a melodramatic screenplay. In a sense, Greenland 2 can best be described as a cinematic video game. This includes brief cut scenes of dialogue, shootouts, and car chases, as well as visually effects-heavy boss battles (or in this case, severe storms). What makes the film a frustrating endeavor is that not all of these sequences are bad. In fact, some are quite tense and exciting. Especially the opening escape sequence from the Greenland bunker, which feels like something from the original film.
Within that opening sequence, and some later car chases, Greenland 2 shares echoes with its predecessor. There’s a brutality in the action, undercut by asking audiences the question of “What would they do for their loved ones in dire circumstances?” Obviously, that is not by any means a novel idea. It’s rather cliched and incredibly archetypal for this sort of action movie. If you’re not a fan of that type of action, then this film is going to be a surefire disappointment. It’s a silly, over-the-top, oftentimes nonsensical experience that has some things going for it. That is starting with Gerard Butler’s central performance as John Garrity.
It would be lying to say that the screenplay gives these characters depth. Granted, depth and characterization are not the sorts of things you go in looking for in Greenland 2. What the film does have is Butler’s commanding on-screen presence. It can best be described as a machismo similar to that of Sylvester Stallone or Jason Statham. While some line deliveries are stiff and the emotionality is bland, you can’t look away. That especially includes moments of the Garrity family versus an array of faceless looters. A positive point is the few moments of good emotionality in the film.
This starts with the quieter moments between anyone in the Garrity family. This includes either John and Allison or John and Nathan. Butler knows how to exude empathy despite a gruff exterior. Without spoilers, there is a particular emotional plot point that asks a lot from him as a performer. It’s in those moments that Greenland 2 manages to hit similar emotional highs to its predecessor. Particularly in sequences between Butler and Baccarin, the film shows a surprising humanity. It is also attempted with Roman Griffin Davis, but it ends up being hollow. Granted, one element here keeps these character dynamics from being disastrous.
Greenland 2: Migration has a very impressive final third containing great action. Simultaneously, it also offers more naturalistic emotional beats. Within those moments, it proved the potential of a sequel. Such sequences of tenderness and humanity reminded me of why the original Greenland is so effective. As Greenland 2 reaches a crescendo, it does manage to pack a punch, though it lacks emotional impact. The problem is that it comes in too little, too late, which feels like a waste of potential.
Greenland 2: Migration is not a complete disaster by any means. In fact, it is even better than your average January film. The problem is that what made the original film interesting is stripped away here. The question of “What would you be willing to do to protect the ones you love?” is almost non-existent. Ideas such as this poke their head out over the film’s 98-minute running time, but are minor moments. Instead, we’re given a chase movie that’s all bark and no bite. Even with a capable and engaging Gerard Butler performance, that wasn’t enough for the film to leave a lasting impression. For some, what we are given could be more than enough to entertain. For others, Greenland 2: Migration will serve as nothing more than a fleeting memory of the cinema of 2026.
Greenland 2: Migration is now available to rent or stream at your retailer of choice.
Learn more about the film at the IMDB site for the title.
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