The Island (2005)
The Island (2005)
DVD9 | ISO+MDS | PAL 16:9 (720x576) | 02:10:37 | 6,66 Gb
Audio: English AC3 5.1 @ 448 Kbps | Subs: English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Thriller
DVD9 | ISO+MDS | PAL 16:9 (720x576) | 02:10:37 | 6,66 Gb
Audio: English AC3 5.1 @ 448 Kbps | Subs: English, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Genre: Action, Sci-fi, Thriller
Lincoln Six-Echo is a resident of a seemingly Utopian but contained facility in the year 2019. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to the "The Island" - reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet. But Lincoln soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie. He and all of the other inhabitants of the facility are actually human clones. Lincoln makes a daring escape with a beautiful fellow resident named Jordan Two-Delta. Relentlessly pursued by the forces of the sinister institute that once housed them, Lincoln and Jordan engage in a race for their lives to literally meet their makers.
IMDB
Filmmaker Michael Bay is well aware that his films are pretty much loathed, detested, and reviled by most film critics. And when a movie is loathed, detested, and reviled by a whole lot of film critics, that generally means that the movie at hand, well, it probably sucks. But don't tell that to the teeming throngs of multiplex monkeys, because Bay's last three efforts (Bad Boys 2, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon) were huge moneymakers all across the globe. Yes, Michael Bay knows full well what the film critics think of his films – and it's obvious he couldn't care less. But after enjoying the hell out of The Island (despite its solid catalog of flaws) I'm beginning to think the guy just might be on the lookout for a few brownie points.
The Island (2005)
![The Island (2005)]()
You name it, sci-fi wise, and it's bound to be found in The Island: Blade Runner, Gattaca, Minority Report, Logan's Run, The Matrix, Coma, hell, even the 1970s obscurity known (to a few of us) as Parts: The Clonus Horror is picked clean and gussied up for a modern audience. There's not a whole lot in The Island that's entirely new or even remotely unique … which helps to give Bay's latest flick a "greatest hits" sort of vibe. And, like they say, if you're going to steal, you might as well steal from the best.
The Island (2005)
![The Island (2005)]()
The Island is about an underground colony full of clones, "replacement part" humans owned by millionaires on the outside. The clone population is blissfully unaware of their social status, and from the moment they're created these poor souls have little to look forward to – outside of winning "the lottery" and being rewarded with a trip to "the island." I'll spoil the plot no further, but any astute movie geek who's seen the film's trailer can probably tell you what "the island" represents, and let's just say it doesn't involve Jeff Probst, Gilligan or Mr. Rourke.
Ewan McGregor plays Lincoln Six Echo, the only clone who dreams of a world outside of the pristine and gleaming colony. And when the shocking truth about his life and lineage come to light, Lincoln grabs a hold of his favorite lady clone (Scarlett Johansson) and hightails it into the "real world" as a gang of manhunting mercenaries give feverish chase.
The Island (2005)
![The Island (2005)]()
And that's pretty much the long and the short of The Island, although there are several deft and surprisingly clever touches along the way. It might not be brain surgery (heck, it's hardly even a tonsillectomy), but I say Bay deserves points for trying something grander and more thought-provoking than the merciless brain-rape that was Bad Boys 2. The Island truly is a movie of three distinct and clearly delineated acts. Act I is pure sci-fi stew, with lots of shiny settings, lofty concepts, and gee-whiz gizmos. Act II is pure chase, escape, and more chase. Act III is kind of a mess, as if Mr. Bay wasn't exactly sure how to marry the slick sci-fi stuff to his overpoweringly kinetic action material, and so the movie just sort of wanders toward a conclusion that's quietly satisfying at the same time it's predictably simple-minded.
The Island (2005)
![The Island (2005)]()
But for most of The Island's 130 minutes, it's just a helluva fun ride. (And this is coming from a guy who considers Bad Boys 2 and Pearl Harbor two of the very worst Hollywood movies of the past ten years.) It almost seems as if Bay took an early shine to directing something with half a brain, and then just decided, about halfway through, to re-focus on what he likes best: huge, illogicalal, and hyper-kinetic mayhem of the craziest sort – and if it weren't for his hard-working and consistently excellent pair of lead performers, I'd be calling The Island "a great opening hour followed by a quick descent into helpless mediocrity."
The Island (2005)
![The Island (2005)]()
One thing I cannot overlook is the overwhelmingly obnoxious number of blatant product placements. Practically every ten minutes sees the introduction of a new brand, from Xbox to Puma to Aquafina to MSN – and about a dozen more in between. It's almost like Bay and his synergy-loving producers were hell-bent on pissing off even those audience members who were enjoying the movie, just so long as the corporate sponsors are kept happy.
The Island (2005)
![The Island (2005)]()
But if I can sit here and gripe about plot holes, product placement, and a hearty handful of other speed bumps, and still give The Island a solid 4 (out of 5) stars, that's gotta tell you something about the good stuff. From the borrowed-yet-still-fascinating sci-fi material to the huge and dazzling action scenes, taking into account the superlative work from McGregor and Johansson, and including the "quieter" moments that Bay allows to patiently percolate – The Island is a damn good bit of fun. And call it "damning with faint praise" if you like, but The Island, clearly visible warts and all, is easily the best film of Michael Bay's career.
The Island (2005)
![The Island (2005)]()
The Island is sketchy and messy on several levels, but it's also plain ol' escapist fare that boasts a lot of zing, two characters you'll actually care about, and just enough of a brain to keep me you being insulted. I may end up being among the minority when all's said and done, but The Island simply worked for me, and at times it worked supremely well.
The Island (2005)
Special Features:
- "Making Of The Island" - featurette (14:56)
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