Review of 'Greenland'

As a devastating comet threatens earth, John Garrity (Gerard Butler), wife Alison (Morena Baccarin) and their son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) learn they are one of the lucky few who have been chosen by the government to be taken to a remote northern shelter. As panic begins to spread the family make their way to a local Air Force base to board a plane. When remembering they have left behind son's insulin John struggles through the crowd to retrieve it from their car. While waiting for John to return, Alison and Nathan learn that due to their son's diabetes he is not eligible for transport. Facing the impossible decision of leaving without her son Alison leaves the base. Having missed her husband and concerned at the ever more violent crowd around her, Alison decides to take Nathan by herself to her father's house quite some distance away though having accepted a lift from an initially friendly couple, she is left crying beside the road when they leave her there and drive off with her son who they hope will get them onto one of the escaping planes. When John finds the note Alison left in the windscreen he sets of in pursuit but will he be able to catch up with them as the world around him crumbles with violence the only way to survive…?

Quite a good “end of the world” action flick that plays heavily on the emotions. As might be expected there are a huge number of unbelievable coincidences that occur throughout as the family struggle to survive a world gone mad. We are thrust from one high anxiety scene to the next as the horrific events unfold leaving us more than a bit drained as the film goes on. As also might be expected, the action never lets up until the final few minutes of the film.

The cast is suitably emotional throughout the film though it does get a bit tiresome after a while with the tear soaked, cries and angst of Baccarin's Alison more than a bit grating a few minutes in while Flyod's performance as son Nathan is a bit sullen and wooden, playing the part of a helpless child to the hilt. Of course it is hero dad played by Gerard Butler that is the one that must save everyone…so cliched it is beyond belief though, it has to be said, Baccarin does have a few moments beyond simple “maiden in distress” which is nice to see (I have to say she was amazing as the aloof but incredibly powerful Inara in the Firefly television series).

Though a good amount of drama, ultimately Greenland is a cliched and ultimately unsatisfying Hollywood disaster film that strays little from the well-trodden path.

Rating: “A bit better than average”

Review Date: 2021-03-13

Directed by: Ric Roman Waugh

Studio: STX Films

Year: 2020

Length: 119 minutes

Genre: Science Fiction

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7737786/