Greenland 2: Migration finds itself back with the Garrity Family, who are forced to brave the perils of a post-apocalyptic Earth. As you’d expect, the movie packs a metric ton of disaster-movie spectacle into its PG-13 rating. Language crops up, with a handful of s-words and misuses of God’s name. Despite those issues, there’s a lot of humanity to be found here, too, with a particular focus on familial love and human kindness.
It’s been several years since an interstellar comet, dubbed “Clarke,” devastated most of the Earth’s surface. Sparse pockets of survivors are scattered across the globe, sheltering from now-common hazards like falling meteors and radioactive storms.
Still, humanity survives.
John Garrity and his family are among those living in an underground bunker in Greenland. Life isn’t easy, but they (and their fellow survivors) are adjusting to their new subterranean existence. At least they are safe, sheltered from the Earth’s oft-deadly atmosphere.
Or so they think.
Disaster strikes once again in the form of a sudden earthquake. The bunker is destroyed. And the Garrity family—John; his wife, Allison; and son, Nathan—is among the few who escape the collapse.
Once again, John’s family must brave the perils of a ruined Earth—not to mention their fellow survivors—to find a new (and hopefully safe) home.
The Garrity family loves, supports and sacrifices for one another. John considers it his highest mission to protect his wife and son. Allison advocates saving lives over hoarding resources, even when those choices could affect her own chances of survival. Nathan saves someone’s life. The family welcomes an additional companion who’s seeking a better life.
While Greenland 2: Migration shows us some of the worst humanity has to offer in its fight for survival, we do see plenty of good. Several people offer kindness, guidance and hospitality to John’s family.
A woman has made her shelter in the wing of a hospital, looking after the Alzheimer’s patients who had been abandoned there. A man cares for his wife, who is infirm.
We hear that a man made his future son-in-law promise to take care of his daughter. Family members declare their love for one another. A flashback shows a loving father spending time with his son.
After burying a companion, someone recites a traditional Irish blessing (“May the road rise up to meet you …”). Later, the blessing is repeated by another character. John talks briefly about people crossing over to “the world of the dead.” He also mentions the ancient funerary custom of placing coins on the eyes of the dead.
Nathan asks if they should say a prayer for the deceased, even if they don’t believe in heaven; his father replies in the affirmative.
A scientist mentions the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event (which implies an “Old Earth” point of view), saying that it provided the “seeds of life” for humanity.
A man on the street proselytizes, making mention of “the true god.” (It’s unclear which god he’s talking about.) Two kids talk about astrological signs. People take part in a yoga session.
John and Allison share a few kisses. Nathan flirts with a girl his age. A woman says that American men are attracted to foreign accents. A man calls England his “second wife.” Someone thanks his wife for her love.
Greenland 2: Migration is an action-heavy disaster flick, and as such, there’s plenty of PG-13 violence found here. People die from meteor strikes, tsunamis, earthquakes and killer lightning storms. Some are crushed by debris or fall to their deaths. Others are shot by their fellow man. And while blood is often minimized or obscured, there are a few exceptions.
Panicking throngs of people scratch and claw for survival in some intense scenes; in others, marauders ambush survivors to steal their resources. Soldiers fight over territory with explosions and gunfire—we see several combatants meet their end. The corpse of a military commander is seen, mostly covered by a blood-soaked sheet.
We see the mummified bodies of a wrecked ship’s crew. A man says he lost his wife traveling to the Greenland bunker. Someone is revealed to have a terminal illness and coughs up blood.
Three-quarters of the world’s population was killed by the Clarke meteor impact. We see glimpses of destruction from around the world.
The s-word is used five times, including once in a Nigerian language. (The man is quick to share his English translation.) Additionally, we hear uses of “h—,” “bloody” and “sucks.”
Jesus’ name is abused twice, and we hear about 10 misuses of God’s name.
John reminisces about having a beer. Later, a group of people drink together. A man smokes a cigarette.
We’re told a woman uses a wheelchair and can no longer speak due to the impact of radiation on her nervous system. Some survivors live in squalor. A man gives safe passage to the Garrity family … in exchange for John’s watch.
Nathan is diabetic and needs insulin.
Greenland 2: Migration is an action-heavy disaster flick about a family struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. If you’re familiar with disaster movies—such as Moonfall, 2012 or, well, a lot of other Roland Emmerich films—you know what you’re getting.
Destructive CGI spectacle comes in droves. Heroes fight to survive the odds. And all throughout, the weather seems to hold an active vendetta against our poor protagonists, turning deadly wherever they show up.
We also see some of the worst of humanity on display. Marauders ambush and murder their fellow survivors. Terrified masses scramble to save themselves at the expense of others.
Despite that, Greenland 2 focuses much more on the good than the bad, and a surprising amount of humanity shines through. Our main characters are a loving, supportive family who are willing to sacrifice for one another—and others, too. Several other characters provide kindness, protection and hospitality throughout the family’s journey.
Still, as you would imagine, this movie is not a worry-free thrill ride at the theater. Though we don’t see too much blood, a lot of characters die, and those demises can be quite grim. Language crops up, too, including several misuses of God’s name. And there’s also some talk from an “Old Earth” perspective that might give parents pause.
Greenland 2: Migration may be chaotic but not totally unmoored. The film’s anchors of familial love and human kindness keep it from falling too far into the crevasse of mindless CGI slop.
Bret loves a good story—be it a movie, show, or video game—and enjoys geeking out about things like plot and story structure. He has a blast reading and writing fiction and has penned several short stories and screenplays. He and his wife love to kayak the many beautiful Colorado lakes with their dog.
