Michael Bay isn't a filmmaker that I have respect for.
Usually his movies make my eyes hurt with their half-second shots and painfully cliche consequences, so it was a surprise when he was annouced as the director of The Island, a film set in the near future about seemingly perfect people in a not-so perfect environment (which they find out). From that brief synop, you don't think car crashes, explosions, gun battles could be in the movie - but Bay absolutely does find a way for his main characters to experience such, which is his usual drug of choice.
Lincoln Six-Echo (Ewan McGregor) is a perfect being, waiting for his turn to visit The Island- a wonderous place that everyone eventually is selected to visit through The Lottery - which is basically a woman talking to everyone, naming the selected, and then they're wisked away, never to be seen again.All of this is because the world has had some kind of extreme contamination which is, of course, never fully explained, except to the point that every once in a while 'survivors' are found, and live amoungst the others.
Scarlett Johansson's Jordan Two-Delta is the resident babe who constantly breaks her proximity barrier with Lincoln, because they're more than friends. But, of course, with these laws set, sex is impossible. One day, Lincoln finds out what happens to one of the people 'sent' to The Island, a place which he has seen in his dreams with fatal consequences.
Lincoln's security breach is found out, and he takes Jordan with him in an extreme escape sequence, eventually leading to the couple to find out that everything they've been told is a lie.
Soon after the escape, they become concious of their surroundings, attempting to expose the truth being their lives, but also being chased ... and chased... shot at, etc.
There is an obvious lack of .. everything.
Dialogue. Acting. Purpose.
But in some areas, I was tolerating what I saw and not really hating the material.
The Island isn't really a bad movie, but it certainly isn't a good one.
It's a bit too stupid to considered a Sci-Fi movie.
But if you turn off your brain, you might enjoy the ride.
NOTE
This movie is rated PG-13 but has absolutely way too much violence for the intended rating.
The characters don't shed more than a few drops of blood, but I was physically worn out by all
the explosions, gun-play, whacks, punches, etc, etc.
This movie should have been rated R and I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of 15.
Posted by madamczyk at July 31, 2005 03:16 PM
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