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By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Leave it to Lionsgate to force another unwanted sequel down audiences’ throats. “Greenland 2: Migration” somehow makes an apocalyptic scenario look dull and uninteresting. To say the plot of this sci-fi sequel is a stretch would be an understatement as it futilely tries to grasp any straw it can to justify its existence only to come up empty.
After narrowly escaping the near-extinction level comet strike into the secret bunkers of Greenland, the Garrity family has lived the last five years in relative peace. However, when catastrophic earthquakes destroy their safe little abode, John (Gerard Butler) must find another safe haven for his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin) and son Nathan (Roman Griffin Davis). Despite science saying otherwise, John leads them towards the main impact crater that is supposedly lush and teeming with life. Getting to this oasis is anything but guaranteed, as they must avoid lethal lightning storms, more falling comet debris that seem to be aiming for them, and an odd war of obscure motivations.
Directing this absurdity is once again Ric Roman Waugh, who decides to ignore basic common sense and scientific facts when piecing this story together. For instance, the thought that the main impact crater would be this perfect, Eden-ish sanctuary in just five years is absolutely ludicrous and is insulting to anyone with half a brain cell. Then, there’s so much made about the fact that people cannot survive on the surface due to radiation and air quality, but that becomes an afterthought as the main characters travel amongst tons of surface dwellers who seem to have no ill effects and don’t wear any protective equipment. Another shameful mistake is showing the main characters traversing great distances in cars. It’s been five years since the world ended, so viewers are made to understand that there’s some magical fuel depot that has a limitless supply of gasoline. Finally, there’s this massive war occurring between the French army and “insurgents” supposedly to make sure the fantastical crater remains safe, but viewers are never given any insight as to who these insurgents are and why the French are so insistent on keeping them out. Apparently, weapon and ammunition factories are still in business somewhere, because they expend an apparent limitless supply of bullets five years after the apocalypse. All these lazy inclusions and gaping plot holes strip away any hint of realism and demean the audience’s intelligence.
Removing sensible logic from the equation, how does Ric Roman Waugh present the scenes? He decides to infuse as much melodrama as he possibly can to appeal to viewers on a more emotional level. However, it comes across as canned, corny, and predictable, limiting audience buy-in to the characters’ well-being. In this way, Waugh is unable to generate any suspense for the impending disaster sequences, leading to desensitized death and destruction. The action scenes feel cheaply over-the-top and redundant with weak special effects that only work to put viewers to sleep. He simply moves this unlucky family from one near death experience to the next without making much of an effort to strengthen the connectivity of the characters.
Both Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin reprise their roles from the first film, but neither of them are able to build upon the depth of their characters. Their onscreen chemistry is nonexistent, making them seem more like strangers uniting their motivations to escape to safety rather than being a longstanding married couple surviving on a foundation of love. At least Butler doesn’t need to try disguising his Scottish accent in this role, which he seems sorely incapable of doing, but the nagging fake cough he tries is almost comical.
As far as post-apocalyptic films go, this is perhaps the most illogical, boring waste of time out of them all. “Greenland 2: Migration” is an ill-conceived sequel that will have audiences quickly migrating towards the exit. Even the few fans of the 2020 film will be hard pressed to find any redeemable qualities from this blunder.
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