One of the bigger surprises in recent years was “Greenland”, a survival disaster thriller that released in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. With theaters shut down, the decision was made to bypass the big screen and release “Greenland” on VOD where it became a big success. More importantly, it was also a really good movie, full of nail-biting tension, big action, and a strong family dynamic at its core.

The most welcomed change in “Greenland” involved its star, Gerard Butler. He didn’t play another macho tough-guy who would spray as many one-liners as bullets. Instead he played someone grounded in the real world – a structural engineer caring for his diabetic son while trying to repair his marriage with his wife. It added an unexpected human element to his character and the story as a whole.

With “Greenland 2: Migration”, returning director Ric Roman Waugh seeks to once again capture that nice balance between apocalyptic disaster movie thrills and humanity-fueled domestic drama. He mostly succeeds, delivering an entertaining and swiftly paced sequel that has no shortage of visceral cinematic spectacle and family-driven pathos.

“Migration” begins five years after the events of the first film. For those needing a refresher, 75% of the planet was wiped out when the Clarke interstellar comet crashed into Earth. It sent much of North America scrambling for a bunker in Greenland. Among those who successfully made it was John Garrity (Butler), his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their son Nathan (now played by Roman Griffin Davis).

As society crumbled on the outside, a semblance of it was preserved inside the Greenland bunker. But now five years after impact, the bunker’s inhabitants have reasons to be concerned. Every effort to rebuild has been thwarted by fragments of the Clarke comet still crashing down to earth. Meanwhile the planet remains an unstable place amid volcanic fissures, radioactive electrical storms, and violent tectonic shifts.

The dwellers are forced to flee the bunker after a devastating tremor threatens its integrity. John is able get his family to the coast and onboard an enclosed lifeboat where they and a small group of survivors set a course for the wasteland of Europe. Rumors speak of an oasis at the center of a massive crater in Southern France where the grass is green and the air is breathable. Despite not knowing if it’s real or hearsay, John determines to get his family to the crater. But the journey to get there proves to be a perilous one.

While “Migration” fully embraces its disaster movie status, it’s just as much a survival thriller where mankind rivals nature as the story’s biggest antagonist. Whether it’s murderous marauders, reckless soldiers, or heavily armed insurgents, the dark side of humanity has emerged amid the social chaos. But Waugh, along with screenwriters Mitchell LaFortune and Chris Sparling, don’t lose their story to bleakness. No matter how hopeless things turn, they still find room for moments of empathy and compassion.

As John, Allison, and Nathan push forward on their journey to find a new home, their family dynamic is the glue that holds much of the story together. Butler’s performance is especially crucial in balancing the high-stakes action with the movie’s emotional core. He firmly anchors the film through his blend of courage and vulnerability. Meanwhile Baccarin gets a notably strongly arc, showing her character’s strength and resilience which was missing in the first film.

That said, the family’s relentlessly harrowing chain of unfortunate events almost becomes comical. And too many supporting characters only function to get the family from one point to the next. But overall, Waugh has made a worthwhile sequel that consistently ratchets up the thrills while raising the human stakes higher and higher. With its intriguing world-building and central characters worth rooting for, “Migration” puts you on the edge of your seat and tugs at your heartstrings, all at the same time.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS