Greenland 2 Review: A Disastrously Glum Sequel

Gerard Butler's new film is a self-serious and misjudged follow-up. He returns to keep his family safe in a post-apocalyptic world, but this sequel lacks the thoughtful spark of the 2020 original. The first "Greenland" was an unusual hit. Released during the pandemic, it was praised as a sober disaster movie. Its story focused on surviving a global catastrophe, not stopping it. This left the sequel, "Greenland 2: Migration," with a challenge. It had to explore a completely changed world. The film does this only briefly. It also reverses much of the hope that ended the first movie. The story catches up with engineer John Garrity (Butler), his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their teenage son Nathan (now played by Roman Griffin Davis). They live in a government bunker in Greenland, five years after comet fragments destroyed Earth. They are safe but unhappy. The family struggles with lost freedom, difficult rules, and life in crowded underground quarters. The film notes they have made few friends despite the close living conditions.