Greenland 2: Migration Review: Gerard Butler Looks For Post-Apocalyptic Hope In This Effective Sequel

I was not prepared for "Greenland." The 2020 film was marketed as a Gerard Butler disaster movie, and that sort of scenario comes with some preconceived notions. I like many of Butler's films (give me "Den of Thieves 3," please!), but he is our modern-day B-movie king. He gravitates towards cheap, violent, entertaining stuff that isn't very interested in stimulating the audience on an intellectual level. And that's fine! So when I heard that "Greenland" was a killer comet movie featuring Butler, I immediately assumed it would be akin to his gloriously silly "Geostorm," in which he plays a scientist who solves global warming via satellites — and then learns someone is using those satellites to create killer storms!

But that's not what "Greenland" was. Instead, the film, helmed by Ric Roman Waugh and penned by Chris Sparling, was surprisingly bleak and devastating. Disaster movies usually have high body counts, but there's a deliberate detachment at work to help the audience have fun. We're supposed to enjoy watching famous cities get wiped out by tidal waves, not stop and ponder the terrible implications. But "Greenland" did the opposite. It lingered on the horror of the situation. While there was destruction on display, the film was far more interested in the psychological, traumatic toll of characters trying to outrun the end of the world as society collapsed around them. It was immensely effective, to the point where I found myself verging on a panic attack on more than one occasion.

It was also a success, as far as these things go. The COVID-19 pandemic kept the film from theaters, at least in the US, so it headed straight to VOD and then eventually to streaming, where it found a wide audience. That gave Lionsgate enough confidence to not only greenlight a sequel but send that sequel exclusively to theaters. And I'm pleased to say that the sequel, "Greenland 2: Migration," sticks to the emotional trauma angle while also unleashing a few thrilling set-pieces to keep your blood flowing. The action is tense, the drama is effective, and at a refreshing 98 minutes, "Greenland 2" never overstays its welcome. As far as Gerard Butler end-of-the-world movies go, it's definitely in the upper echelon.

In the first "Greenland," structural engineer John Garrity (Butler) was in a race against time to save his estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin) and young son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) as a planet-killing comet nicknamed Clarke hurtled towards Earth. The Garrity family suffered one setback after another as they fought their way to a not-so-secret underground bunker in, you guessed it, Greenland. It was scary stuff, and sure enough, the comet did hit in the third act, unleashing death and destruction. But "Greenland" also had a somewhat hopeful ending: the Garrity family made it to the bunker, survived, and came back to the surface with others nine months later. There was a chance that humanity would continue on!

But "Greenland 2" tells us up front that any positivity might have been premature. While it's true people survived Clarke the comet, the world at large has been decimated and the death toll is devastating. The air is toxic in many places, and earthquakes, lightning storms, and other weather hazards present themselves abundantly. There are also fragments from the comet still circling the planet, occasionally crashing down to cause more death and destruction. So the Garrity family retreated back into the bunker with others, and five years have now gone by. Nathan, now played by Roman Griffin Davis (who was recently part of the Oscar-worthy ensemble cast of "The Long Walk"), is a teenager who longs to return to the outside world, while John and Allison have tried their best to adapt to their new underground lives.

The "Greenland" films deserve credit for subverting disaster movie expectations, but having the entire sequel take place in a bunker was probably a bridge too far. So almost immediately, the Garrity family has to flee, heading out into the ruined world with a plan to go to Europe. Their journey will be perilous, as they have to survive both the elements and gun-toting bands of marauders. And if that wasn't enough, we eventually learn that a full-blown war has broken out between two factions. Yes, just like cockroaches and Twinkies, humanity's bloodlust for armed conflict will also survive the apocalypse.

"Greenland 2" is relatively simple, all things considered. In fact, it might strike some as repetitive: The Garrity family moves to one location, pauses for a moment to catch their breath, then find themselves dealing with some sort of deadly scenario. More often than not, a secondary character will be tagging along with them — only to die violently while the Garrity family looks on in horror. The Garrity family must seemingly always be safe. Their traveling companions? They're not so lucky. 

Returning from the first film, director Ric Roman Waugh uses a handheld shooting style that feels just a little too messy at times — there were numerous occasions where I had a hard time following the action because the camera would simply not sit still. And yet, Waugh also knows how to create some intense set-pieces, like a nail-biting scene in which the Garritys must traverse a flimsy rope bridge and a rickety ladder as they attempt to cross a gaping canyon. "Greenland 2" isn't exactly an action-packed film, but it never drags — all while still taking time for some quiet, reflective moments, like when John and Nathan pause to look up at the stars one night. 

"Greenland 2" doesn't quite match the existential dread of the first film, but it does move at a fast pace that keeps things from growing stale. There's also a surprising undercurrent of hopefulness riding through the film that might even feel somewhat inspiring right now, when everything in our real world feels extra bleak.

Things have gone to hell in "Greenland 2," and the planet is overrun with dangerous, violent people — but there are good people still around, too. People willing to risk life and limb in order to help others in desperate need. Empathy has become a dirty word for some people these days, but "Greenland 2" wants to hammer home the point that if we don't cling onto our empathy in the face of adversity, we might as well just lay down and die.

I don't want to oversell it and give the film too much credit. "Greenland 2" still feels like a silly disaster pic at times. But it's a cut above the rest, mostly because it's less interested in grand spectacle and more focused on everyday people just trying to make it through another damn day. We can all relate to that.

/Film Rating: 7 out of 10

"Greenland 2: Migration" opens in theaters on January 9, 2026.