Greenland | Blu-ray Film Review

Greenland stars Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin as John and Allison Garrity, an estranged couple who find themselves selected to be housed in a secure bunker with their son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) as an incoming comet threatens to destroy most of the planet. Those selected are guaranteed safe passage to a secret location should they arrive at their departure location on time. The problem is, there is a hiccup in the selection process which forces John and Allison to forge their own path to Greenland, the only known chance for survival when it all hits.

I’m not a huge disaster movie guy, but Greenland is easily the best film of its kind I’ve seen in many years. From the moment the news breaks that they have been chosen to survive – which they learn surrounded by friends who were not so fortunate – and the world is near certain doom, the tension rises to dizzying heights.

Greenland is, and I want to stress this, NOT a special-effects laden action opus where Gerard Butler single-handedly kicks a comet’s ass and saves the day. This is a genuine survival thriller where both John and Allison are regular people thrust into an extraordinary situation where their marriage and very lives depend on working together while believing in each other in order to find a very real possibility of sanctuary. They commit honest mistakes, misjudge their fellow humans, and are forced to make tough decisions simply to guarantee their son’s future.

Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin both give layered, career-best performances as John and Allison, and the intensity as they fight to survive even as the odds grow more and more against them is palpable. For all the kudos and simultaneous flack that Butler receives as an action star, Greenland establishes quite solidly that he is also a very talented actor. Baccarin has solid work behind her, but this film gives her the opportunity to open herself up in ways that should serve her well in future projects.

Director Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen) returns to Butler-land with a completely unique brand of disaster film, one which focuses much more on humanity than it does on pyrotechnics. In crafting a down-and-dirty thriller surrounded by the end of civilization, Waugh chooses our glimpses at planetary destruction wisely, as his film is far more concerned with humanity’s own eventual breakdown. Though the ending dances around convenience a bit too heavily, Greenland still remains the disaster film to beat for the coming years.

Home Release: The Blu-ray visually pops, as does the 7.1 audio, which makes for a decidedly immersive experience at home. Special features are rather limited as they include a few unnecessary deleted scenes (though the original ending is worthy of a peek) and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it look at the humanity in the film are the majority of the offerings. There is also a very insightful commentary from Waugh and the film’s Producer, Basil Iwanyk that fans should definitely give a listen to if you happen to appreciate a solid background on filmmaking.

Releasing a film revolving around the end of the world while a pandemic rages around us might not have been the most fortunate of timing, but Greenland is definitely worth picking up. It might even result in a greater appreciation for Butler, Baccarin, and the joy of life on this planet.

Follow our further discussion on Greenland via this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: