From the beginning of the propulsive sci-fi sequel “Greenland 2: Migration,” it’s clear the new normal isn’t sustainable. Five years prior, a killer comet caused a near-mass extinction event, leading to irradiated air and barren land. And while John Garrity (Gerard Butler), his wife, Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their teenage son, Nathan (Roman Griffin Davis), have found fragile safety in a Greenland bunker, a catastrophic earthquake forces them to flee to southern France in search of a rumored bucolic crater.
Ric Roman Waugh’s movie is a notable step up from the first film. The Garritys’ traversal across the treacherous North Atlantic Ocean and dashes past marauding bandits in Europe make for real human stakes. They also meet kind souls along the way, like Denis Laurent (William Abadie) and his daughter, Camille (Nelia Valery de Costa), reminding them that it’s not enough to survive. They must make a better world for the next generation. In that sense, the film trades in its pandemic subtext for a clearer, albeit dated, post-Covid message.
Though this sequel’s brisk plot hits familiar postapocalyptic beats, Waugh strikes them with immense force. Comet shards trapped in the atmosphere periodically become a fiery vista of lethal projectiles; formidable lightning storms and volatile tectonic plates further inspire pulse-pounding set pieces that impede the Garritys. Conversely, Butler is a steady presence, adding poignancy to a spectacle-obsessed film.
Greenland 2: Migration Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, bloody images and action. Running time: 1 hour 38 minutes. In theaters.
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