Greenland 2: Migration
“Greenland” came out while theatres were still struggling to stay open in the fall of 2020 during the pandemic. As such, it was a blind Blu-Ray buy for us because Meredith loves disaster movies, and we did not go see movies theatrically at that time. Even by the lax standards of the genre, Ric Roman Waugh’s film stands out among the very best in the genre. It was more “Deep Impact” than “Armageddon,” which is to say, it wasn’t just interested in blowing stuff up, but telling a story. It’s not often that disaster movies get sequels, however; would “Migration” live up to its predecessor?
For most filmmakers, the “disaster” at the center of the narrative is where they find their spectacle, and think the audience will engage most. The first “Greenland”- which follows a family as they make their way to the titular country during an extinction level event- did this, but Chris Sparling’s screenplay also made the Garrity family (played by Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin and- in this film- Roman Griffin Davis) so compelling that it gave us an emotional anchor on the journey. “Migration” picks up the story five years after the events of the first film, and shows us an isolated society trying to survive. The radiation is still impacting the outside, along with storms. So far, their bunker has held up, but for how much longer?
I found myself thinking of the “28 _____ Later” franchise and the “Dead” series- Romero’s entries- in how they showed humanity on the brink of extinction, and how survival will only work for a time without hope of, potentially, a better future. Early on in the film, one of the scientists bunking with the Garrity’s in Greenland, Dr. Casey Amina (Amber Rose Revah), subscribes to the idea that at the impact point of the comet- just to the south of France- the Earth is healing. Maybe that will be where humanity can start over?
To a certain extent, “Greenland: Migration” has more in common with Alfonso Cauron’s “Children of Men” than even its previous entry in the franchise. This is a journey, about a family trying to survive, and a father who is committed to protecting his family until the end. And I was fully engaged with it. Yes, there are parts that feel like it’s trying too hard to get to the emotions- and I basically had one part of the ending pegged early- but Butler and co. understand the pull of these movies. I’ve always been more of a “Deep Impact” fan than an “Armageddon” fan- as you (and my wife) know all too well- and “Migration” hit me right in that same sweet spot. Plus, it knows how to get in and out inside of two hours and do all of what it wants to do. That doesn’t hurt, either.
