Greenland (2020) is directed by Ric Roman Waugh and written by Chris Sparling. It stars Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roger Dale Floyd, Scott Glenn, Hope Davis, David Denman, Andrew Bachelor, Scott Poythress, Claire Bronson, Madison Johnson, Gary Weeks, Tracey Bonner, Merrin Dungey, Mike Senior, Joshua Mikel, James Logan, Randall Archer, Al Mitchell, Marc Gowan, Carlos Lopez, and Holt McCallany. The film follows John Garrity (Butler), an Atlanta-based husband/father who desperately tries to protect his family after a massive comet comes hurtling toward Earth. When they hear of a possible safe haven in Greenland, John and his family embark on a dangerous odyssey, quickly realizing that Mother Nature might not be the only threat.

As far as Gerard Butler-led films go, the actor gives one of his more serviceable performances. The film’s bleak, often overly serious tone is well-suited to his particular skill set. Butler’s at his best when he’s able to communicate his emotions physically/visually–a performance style well-suited for the film’s many apocalypse-related set pieces. I also think he does a surprisingly believable job of portraying John as an average Joe father/husband, despite his long-established reputation as an actor who plays larger-than-life action heroes. He’s sloppy, desperate, and distinctly human compared to a majority of his past characters. The film’s sci-fi elements could’ve easily felt cartoonish/fantastical, but Butler’s portrayal of John is one of the reasons things stay grounded. 

Although Butler is better than usual, it was a pleasant surprise to find that he’s not the story’s sole protagonist. As John’s equally capable wife, Allison, Morena Baccarin gives a performance that’s likewise grounded, emotionally affective, and generally likable. Despite the two characters going on separate journeys for much of the film, both are equally compelling. If one were distinctly better than the other, the film would feel awkwardly paced—as if it screeched to a halt every time it shifted focus. 

Initially, the many roadblocks and setbacks these characters face feel a tad contrived. They find themselves in one dire situation after another, barely scraping by each time. Despite being engaging and intense, these sequences begin to feel somewhat repetitive in their purpose. However, the film ultimately justifies showing these hardships by using them to communicate the human capacity to persevere through even the most dire scenarios. On their own, these scenes have nothing new to offer. However, the cumulative effect is one of unexpected power. 

The grounded, epic nature of this story ultimately results in a satisfying disaster-film experience. However, the film still holds its fair share of issues. Despite this world-ending scenario being well-suited to its dead-serious tone, the film lacks some much-needed comedic relief. I’m not saying there needed to be some outright comedic one-liners, but at the very least, it could’ve featured a few lighter moments where the characters weren’t in immediate danger, thus allowing the viewer to breathe for a few minutes. Because the viewer never really has a moment to let their guard down, they either become numb to the danger or simply frustrated by it. In combination with the extremely dull color palette, these many dire situations often depress the viewer rather than excite them. 

Overall, this is a perfectly serviceable natural-disaster blockbuster in the vein of Deep Impact (1998) and pretty much anything directed by Roland Emmerich. It’s a little too serious to work as a fun, rewatchable experience, but this keeps the movie grounded in a way most similar films are not. Anyone craving new ideas in the genre will feel as if something is missing, but true fans of disaster films should be satisfied with the sure-handed filmmaking on display. This isn’t new, but it’s also tried and true. If you’re in the mood, it delivers the goods; Nothing more, nothing less. B-