This Greenland review may contain minor spoilers…
If there’s one thing 2021 needed, it’s a reminder that if a pandemic doesn’t finish us, there’s always the chance a giant asteroid might.
When Ric Roman Waugh’s Greenland appeared on Amazon Prime in the UK this month, I didn’t expect much from it. After all, disaster movies have long since fallen from their noughties peak. And Gerard Butler has undeniably starred in his fair share of sub-par action movies. 2019’s Angel Has Fallen, also directed by Waugh, being a prime example. But, much to my surprise, Greenland, while doing precisely zero things to redefine the disaster genre, is actually an exciting movie that’s worth two hours of your time.
Scottish hard-man, Gerard Butler, stars as John Garrity, a structural engineer selected by the government to outlive impending worldwide devastation by “Clarke”. Clarke is the friendly name given to the asteroid headed directly for Earth. The set-up here is entirely conventional. You’ve got your classic background radio discussions and TV news coverage of the comet, and John’s diabetic son, Nathan, learning about it in school and gleefully exclaiming “Clarke!” at every available opportunity. It’s a tried-and-true formula. And as generic as it might be, it’s done well enough here to ramp up the tension in the first act.
Thankfully, there’s some decent family drama to keep John, his estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) aptly distracted from the disaster at hand. What exactly happened between them isn’t revealed until later on in the film. But it’s immediately apparent that it’s awkward between the parents and Nathan is the only thing holding them together. As a family, the dynamic works well. John is a likeable father. Nathan is a cute and smart kid. Allison is a caring, if pretty passive, mother. There’s some chemistry between John and Allison, too. Overall, this dynamic makes for some genuinely heart-warming moments and I was hoping throughout that they would avert almost certain obliteration.
As always in disaster movies, there is no primary antagonist outside of the looming cataclysmic event. Of course, an asteroid has no motivation. So, the delivery of dramatic conflict falls on the nefarious characters John and Allison encounter along their way to safety. Again – it’s a tested formula. And it works. Waugh clearly knew this and manages to subvert the audience’s expectations a few times. You might be surprised who turns out to be a wrong’un. Much of the conflict stems from the bracelets our lucky family receive to mark them for safety. It’s a bit on the nose, but it also helps point out the questionable morality of a system that seeks to save people simply because of their chosen profession. It’s a nice layer to the film and departs from the “save everyone or no-one” trope.
Greenland‘s best quality is in the spectacular excitement it delivers. There’s countless awesome background shots of asteroid fragments penetrating Earth’s atmosphere, as well as them plummeting into cities and obliterating thousands. It’s all quite morbid, but – crucially – fun. To accompany this devastating presentation are equally morbid and truly American-style news countdowns to impact, and brutally honest announcements explaining exactly how many people are going to die. It’s all quite daft but given how certain news organisations have covered the COVID-19 pandemic, it doesn’t seem as entirely outside the realm of possibility as it once would have.
There are moments where Greenland disappointingly stumbles, however. Frustratingly repetitive freeway gridlock scenes aside, the film’s real flaw is its wavering internal logic. More specifically, the logic behind those who are selected to be saved and the reasons some of those may still be excluded. I won’t go into it (because spoilers), but it doesn’t really make sense. Equally perplexing is that this seemingly strict government ruling bends depending on what the script needs and how far we are through the film. As a result, Greenland‘s conclusion ultimately left me wondering why our protagonists were forced to make some brutal decisions earlier on. At the time, I agreed with them. By the end, I was left wondering if they were wrong to not take a chance with someone, as many strangers did with them. Of course, imminent demise may lead one to make certain morally ambiguous decisions, but John’s presentation as a steadfast protector and all-around good bloke doesn’t gel with this idea.
If nothing else, Greenland is the theme park ride you’ve ridden many times before but never fails to disappoint. Given how poorly Butler’s 2017 disaster effort, Geostorm, was received, the odds weren’t looking good for it. And I’d be remiss not to admit I went into Greenland expecting a bad movie. The fact it quickly had me on the edge of my seat is a testament to how well it’s put together. And its in-your-face yet skilful use of age-old, dependable tropes not only helps it deliver exactly what you’d want from a disaster movie but cements it at the top of its class – at least in recent years. If you are after a blockbuster action flick with some heart and visual excitement, I can’t recommend Greenland enough.
Overall rating: 8/10
Greenland is now available to stream for free on Amazon Prime in the UK.
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Featured image credit: STX Films
Greenland review
