Greenland (2020) Movie Review
%20Movie.jpg "Greenland (2020) Movie")
In Gerard Butler's latest disaster movie "Greenland," don't expect a cheesy adventure like his previous film "Geostorm." This time, the movie surprises with a more down-to-earth approach, at least for a good part of it. While it still has its silly moments, it's a bit better than you might think.
Butler plays John Garrity, a Scottish engineer going through a rough patch with his wife, Alison (Morena Baccarin). Their personal issues take a backseat when a massive comet named Clark threatens Earth. The comet's tail brings destructive debris, causing chaos. The good news is that John, Alison, and their diabetic son Nathan are part of a secret government evacuation plan due to John's skills.
The bad news hits when events separate John from his family at the military base. Despite missing the evacuation, John believes Alison and Nathan might head to her father's ranch in Kentucky. The journey is filled with tense scenes, including a disastrous encounter for Alison and Nathan with a seemingly helpful couple.
After various challenges, the family reunites. The climax sees them making a desperate attempt to cross the Canadian border to reach an airstrip where a few planes are rumored to evacuate survivors to Greenland. While the film may not be a must-watch, it's better than expected, considering its disaster movie genre.
I enjoyed how screenwriter Chris Sparling and director Ric Roman Waugh took a more restrained approach in the disaster movie "Greenland." They kept the on-screen chaos in check, possibly due to the film's lower budget. Gerard Butler's character, usually a superhero type, is just an ordinary guy with skills like driving, grunting, and fighting off bad guys with a claw hammer.
The movie has some standout moments, like Scott Glenn's brief role as Alison's dad and a tense scene involving a seemingly helpful couple who reveal the extremes people go to for self-preservation.
While I liked the movie's more humane approach compared to typical disaster films, it sometimes falls into genre clichés like awkward dialogue, one-dimensional characters, and overly coincidental plot twists. The big climax, with its special effects, isn't as spectacular as intended.
Butler's performance is a bit hammy, not quite matching the more naturalistic actors around him. Compared to other apocalyptic disaster movies, "Greenland" has its occasional cheesy moments. Still, it's a decent choice among the end-of-the-world films, though it doesn't reach the heights of films like "Melancholia" or "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." While "Greenland" doesn't become a truly satisfying package, it deserves credit for trying something unique within a familiar framework.