Is Greenland a good disaster movie?

Greenland is a decent disaster movie that does a great job of creating tension and keeping you engaged. However, it relies on clichés and has some predictable plot points.

What are the movie's themes?

The movie explores themes of family and survival, which are timely and relatable. However, the themes are not particularly original or thought-provoking.

Is the movie's plot original?

No, the movie's plot is overly familiar and relies on clichés, making it feel predictable and unoriginal.

Are the special effects good?

The special effects are lacking, with some scenes feeling poorly CGI'd.

Is the movie worth watching?

If you're a fan of disaster movies, you may enjoy Greenland. However, if you're looking for something original and thought-provoking, you may want to look elsewhere.

What's the movie's rating?

Greenland has a PG-13 rating, making it suitable for most audiences.

Is the movie available to stream?

Yes, Greenland is available to stream on various platforms, including Netflix and Amazon Prime.

What's the movie's runtime?

The movie's runtime is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Greenland Movie Review: A Thrilling Ride with Flaws

Hello there!

My husband and I are huge fans of apocalypse movies – we love watching them, even the mediocre ones, just to appreciate how quiet and peaceful our lives are.

Naturally, we watched Greenland back in the day. And now that the sequel is coming out, my husband wants to see it in theaters, plus there's been some Trump-related hype, so we decided to rewatch the first one to refresh our memories about one of the many disaster movies we've seen...

Refreshed our memories, hence this review.

PLOT

A standard, overused, and clichéd plot, typical for movies in this genre.

Description from the web:

According to all the media, a comet is hurtling towards Earth, but engineer John Garrity is more concerned about saving his crumbling marriage. Today's the day they're hosting a party with the neighbors, and after sending his wife to the supermarket, John receives a presidential message saying he and his family have been chosen for a secret bunker. At first, he doesn't think much of it, but soon the shockwave from the comet's collision with Earth reaches their quiet neighborhood, and they start broadcasting terrifying footage of destruction on all channels. As John rushes to the airport with his wife and son, who's in need of constant medical care and monitoring, the neighbors are left staring in confusion. They're trying to get on a cargo plane at the airport, where people who received the message are being boarded.

The story revolves around the family – and the family's problems. One of the family members is ill and requires constant medical supervision. And just as things can't get any worse, the apocalypse hits.

Something as predictable as a story unfolding?

I'm not even going to bother getting into the details, because I'm sure readers will catch on pretty quickly. Like, where's the secret bunker, anyway?

Another thing that caught my attention is how, according to the movie, Greenland is basically already Americanized. I didn't notice any representatives of other cultures, including indigenous ones like the Inuit, in the bunker.

CHARACTERS AND ACTORS

I mentioned earlier that we were given a family of three, who are also the three main characters: the wayward papa - Gerard Butler, the beautiful but not-so-bright mom who just got plastic surgery Morana Baccarin, and the kid who looks like our Gnomey son - Roger Dale Floyd.

Gerard Butler looks familiar to me, even though I don't remember seeing him in other movies. Morana is a new face, and I'd remember that nose job. The kid's face looks familiar too - I looked him up and found out he was in 'Doctor Sleep', and I'm pretty sure I know who he played, but I'm not going to remember exactly. I should rewatch that movie, I love Ferguson and I adore McGregor)

I've got no issues with the acting in this game. All the frustrating moments are related to the story's flaws, and some of the plot twists can be pretty stressful.

It's a shame that the main character's father doesn't feel like a well-rounded person. He's either deliberately refusing to help his friends or suddenly becoming a hero and saving random people, including those he put in danger himself. It all looks pretty insincere. If they wanted to show a 'small man' who only cares about his family, they should have stuck to that storyline.

DISASTER OR ROMANCE?

Unfortunately, 'Greenland' turned out to be more of a romance than a disaster.

There are plenty of movies that balance these two genres well. Here, the disaster plot is inconsistent and lacks development. Sometimes everything is so calm and good that the characters seem to forget they need to get out of there in a hurry.

Special effects are subpar, a solid 'C' grade.

CLICHÉS AND WHAT 'GREENLAND' TEACHES US

When I think about it, there's another thing that really gets my goat - the idea that it's okay to put everyone else in harm's way for the sake of the main character and their family. I'm not just talking about Greenland, but in general. It's like, the main character can just go around killing innocent people or refusing to help them, and it's all okay because they're the hero. And that's what really gets me - it's like it's normal to put your own skin first, even if it means sacrificing others. But the thing is, that's not how it works in real life.

What I love about movies like this is that they always teach you something, even if it's not immediately obvious. In this case, it's that it's okay to do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means hurting others. But that's not true. Here's why:

1) In reality, someone else will always come along and take advantage of you. They'll be stronger, smarter, or luckier, and they'll do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it means hurting others. It's all about looking out for number one, after all.

2) And then there's the fact that numbers can be a real game-changer. If you're just one person, it's easy for someone else to take you down. But if you're part of a group, you've got a much better chance of making it through.

What struck me is how people who work together in a cohesive group, support each other, and look out for one another have a better chance of survival. But the modern reality is that people have been pitted against each other, atomized, and constantly fed the notion that it's normal and cool to compete against each other. It's like they're saying, 'Go ahead, kids, and fight each other!

I was pleasantly surprised that the 'Grenlandia' didn't take this approach as far as I thought it would. I was bracing myself for how many people our 'beloved' dad would off, but it turned out it wasn't as many as I expected. Only in self-defense, of course. Some characters didn't even try, but I'll get to that later in my review.

What I found unexpected was that the movie doesn't have that one, secondary character that's usually introduced in these types of films - the American government, led by the President or his aides, who are powerless to stop the apocalypse on their own but are at least visibly distraught about it. We see snippets of different military personnel, but none of them are developed into full-fledged characters. In fact, the US military looks pretty pathetic in this film.

Total stupidity, plot holes, and what's left to learn from 'Grenlandia'

Stupidity is rampant in this movie at every turn.

For the most part, the main issue is with the poorly executed storyline: for instance, from the very start of the movie, the father of the family flat-out refuses to help his friends and neighbors, supposedly because they don't have an invitation to the ark in the bunker. It's not his problem, so he shouldn't even bother trying to help them. Why couldn't he just let these people follow them and see for themselves what was going on? He just couldn't reveal the location, which apparently a lot of other people knew about too, without an invitation? That's messed up and ridiculous.

It's the same with the grandfather: he proudly hands them a gun, knowing it might come in handy, given the danger around them, but he doesn't go with them. He could've at least escorted them to their destination, considering how dangerous it is...

The most absurd moment is when the protagonist refuses to let the plane take off, putting the lives of everyone on board at risk, only to have those same people, now passengers, politely give up their seats and offer assistance to the pilot a moment later. COME ON.

I mean, they didn't just delay takeoff when time was of the essence; they actually got on the plane despite knowing there were no seats left and that their added weight would slow down the flight.

In reality, they would've been shot down, and if they had managed to get on the plane, they would've been treated very differently.

After that, the characters suddenly start showing

There are way too many frustrating plot holes in Greenland to go through and analyze every single one.

But I do want to touch on a few more because they finally teach you something useful:

1) don't go on and on about nothing, especially when nobody's asking you to!

It's exactly because of this that the mom initially ruled out their chance of survival.

2) when the world is falling apart and you've got some kind of privileged wristband that gives you a better shot at survival than most people around you, don't rub it in people's faces and provoke them with it;

3) get a good job, become a professional in your field, and you'll have a better chance of making it into the future that not everyone gets to experience...

4) and of course, family is sacred, and when problems arise, you should deal with them, not run away from them.

THE VERDICT

Greenland isn't a movie that sticks with you, and it's not one you'd want to rewatch.

The plot is bland and sometimes unfinished, with a lot of clichés. Some scenes are so illogical that they're infuriating. And the actions of the protagonist and the other secondary characters don't help.

As a disaster movie, Greenland falls short, with average special effects.

Despite the tension, I still felt it during the movie, and you can even learn something valuable from it.

I'd give it a solid three stars and a thumbs up.

The recent global politics developments will likely draw attention to the sequel, 'Greenland 2: Migration', which I doubt will be an improvement. We're planning to watch it on the big screen tomorrow - January 29th, and I'm excited to share my thoughts in a follow-up review.

If you're interested in my take on the film, you might want to check out my review of 'The Long Walk' based on King's novel. To be honest, I found it even more underwhelming. You can click on the title or read it directly.

Thanks for reading!