7 Most Thrilling Moments In Gerard Butler Disaster Movies

Scottish actor Gerard Butler has made quite a career in big-budget films across the board, appealing to fans on a grand scale. Some may forget that the disaster artist got his fame from playing the titular Phantom of the Opera, only a couple of years before Zack Snyder's epic, 300. Since then, Butler has made a name for himself in films where the world could come to a screeching halt.

Starting in 2017, Butler has appeared in no less than three disaster films, all with a different slant on extinction-level events. Tasked with saving the world from a cataclysmic downfall, the actor always seems to be in the thick of it with thrilling scenes that are necessary for any disaster film. Whether it be comets or superstorms, Butler has fans covered.

'Geostorm'

The Presidential Cab Ride

Geostorm marked the beginning of Gerard Butler's association with disaster films, but one of the most thrilling scenes didn't feature him. His role in the film was as Jake Lawson, the creator of a satellite system known as Dutch Boy, intended to combat climate change. Only years later did he realize his brainchild was being weaponized to change the face of the world and not for the better. While he fought against time in the International Space Station, his brother, Max (Jim Sturgess), went to work on the ground.

He recruited his Secret Service girlfriend, Sarah (Abbie Cornish), to kidnap the president (Andy Garcia) in an attempt to stop the storm in its tracks. This was a standout scene because it is rare to see the president and a main character literally take a backseat. Sarah drives a stolen cab as the villains race to kill the president. Sarah does this all while being chased by a flurry of lightning strikes caused by the storm and car tricks that would not be out of place in the Fast and the Furious franchise. This sequence leads up to the heroes making quick work of Ed Harris' villainous character in exciting fashion.

'Geostorm'

The Destruction of the Space Station

As in all disaster movies, the hero must make a last-ditch effort to save the world in the most dramatic way possible. Jake and the scientist in charge, Fassbinder (Alexandra Maria Lara), are successful in wiping out the virus that is causing the epic storm, but that doesn't mean they are safe. A self-destruct sequence has been launched at the International Space Station, and there is no way to deactivate it.

Jake has made peace with the fact that this is redemption for being a lackluster father and even worse brother, but he isn't dead in the water yet. He and Fassbinder race through the station as it starts to self-destruct. At the last second, they find refuge in a replacement satellite that allows them a safe haven as the entire station blows up. This is the type of scene that disaster film fans tune in for.

'Greenland 2: Migration'

The Escape From the Bunker

As if escaping certain death in the first Greenland film wasn't enough, Greenland 2: Migration visited even more trials upon the Garrity family. Even after they found refuge at the end of the first film, the trailer for the sequel showed that this wasn't to last. The Garritys spent five years in the bunker, safe from the comet raining fragments on them, only for their haven to collapse — literally and figuratively.

John and his family had to escape the Greenland bunker as it falls apart even though the outside world was not yet ready for them. The air is a poison that has the potential to kill anyone as much as the comet could. The Garritys race the other survivors in the bunker to lifeboats in a whirlwind of chaos. With only so many boats to go around, the family is once again one of the lucky ones as they find a way to their next adventure.

'Greenland'

Getting to the Last Plane

Most of the thrilling Greenland largely revolves around John and his family surviving in a world that has turned into chaos. It is only in the last section of the film where the concern over the comet becomes imminent. While there is little hope, John has heard of a plane to Greenland where there could be a bunker to take shelter in.

It is the only plan that they have, but when they get to the airstrip, they have to fight for a spot. They are seconds away from their last chance to flee annihilation, and the pilot tells them that there is no room. The small plane cannot take any more weight, or no one will make it to the bunker. The Garritys have had their fair share of bad luck during the film, and it is only through the kindness of humanity that they have another chance at life.

'Greenland 2: Migration'

The Battle Through the Trench

Greenland 2: Migration is a return to form as the Garrity family once again has the worst luck. After their bunker crumbles, they have to make it across Europe in hopes of finding another place to call home. This results in one of the more tense scenes of the film when they realize the terrifying realities of being above ground. Just as Lucy in Fallout discovers the world isn't as she thought it was, so too do the Garritys.

They arrive topside to find that humanity has found a way to survive, which has resulted in warfare. In an attempt to cross difficult terrain, the family gets caught in a firefight between two warring parties. The only way to cross the dangerous territory is to traverse a trench while many soldiers get shot around them. This is yet another visceral moment that shows how resilient people can be.

'Greenland'

Allison Loses Nate

Greenland has stood apart from many disaster films because it shows the harrowing reality of what it takes to survive before the comet even hits. One of the most horrifying instances of this occurs after Allison (Morena Baccarin) gets turned away from the first planes to safety. Even though she and her son have a wristband to allow them entry, his chronic condition of diabetes means that they are both rejected.

With nowhere to go but home, Allison thinks she has found help when hitchhiking, only to experience every parent's worst nightmare. The apparent Good Samaritans learn that Allison and Nate have bracelets and make a desperate attempt to save themselves. Certain that they will not be turned away if they have someone with an authentic wristband, they kidnap Nate and kick Allison out of the car. Allison's terror is visceral in the scene, and her determination to be reunited with her son powers a large portion of the film.

'Greenland 2: Migration'

Crossing the Rope Bridge

Time and time again, the Garrity family's luck seems to run out, no matter where they go. One of their worst encounters was crossing the English Channel, where the water had disappeared. What was left were large cliffs and no safe way to cross. Over the past five years, humans have manufactured handmade rope bridges to help people cross. These bridges were incredibly unstable, and for Nate, who had very little experience of the outside world, he is terrified.

This was made even worse when, after clearing one bridge, they had to go on one even more rickety contraption, comprised of ladders laid across the deep drops to the land below. Once again, the family had no choice but to press forward in a death-defying game of chance. Greenland 2: Migration effortlessly builds the tension in one of the best scenes in the film of the sci-fi adjacent story.