Film review: The Island.
I saw this some time ago, and I posted about it already, but I hadn't written a review yet. I'll do that now. My feelings about Miss Johansson have been made quite clear, so I will try to refrain from gushing all over her in this review. I can't promise anything, though.
Wish me luck.
Let me first state that this is a Michael Bay film; a film from the man who brought you Armageddon, Pearl Harbour and both Bad Boys flicks. If you want subtlety, character development, insightful dialogue, or even a decent plot, go elsewhere; if you want to go on a rollercoaster ride without moving an inch, go see this. I was in the mood for the latter, and therefore went to see this. And I liked it a lot.
Plot (ahem) summary: Lincoln Six-Echo is a resident of a seemingly utopian facility, and like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be selected to go to the fabled "Island" - supposedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet. However, Lincoln Six-Echo soon discovers that there's actually something deeply wrong with the facility and he must escape. Lincoln and fellow escapee Jordan Two-Delta embark on a race for their lives to, quite literally, meet their makers. Cue mayhem and bodies.
Overall: The Island has two different and distinct parts. Part One is within the compound, and is actually quite intimate in showing the innocent friendship which has formed between Lincoln and Jordan. Then they ascape, and Part Two happens. As soon as they find themselves in the big city, the gloves are off. In that last hour of the film, we definitely get what a summer film should be, with explosions, helicopter chases, destruction on an unfathomable level and a spectacular car chase scene, highly reminiscent of the one in Bad Boys II, that is one of the best metal meets larger and heavier metal destruction scenes ever.
The cast: I believe Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson are inspired choices for the two leads. Who would ever think, watching Trainspotting, that Renton would ten years later be dodging exploding caddilacs while speaking in an American accent, and who would have though, watching Lost In Translation, that Charlotte would 2 years later be running for her cloned life is a trendy Puma track suit, looking all voluptuous and sultry (D'oh!)? And get this, they pull it off, too. I found it refreshing to see these two actors cast against type. Also, Michael Clarke Duncan, Steve Buscemi and Sean Bean did fine jobs with their roles; Duncan's role was pretty small but his performance was very strong and relevant to the story. Another compliment goes out to Djimon Hounsou, whom I love in everything he does.
The action & effects: Michael Bay has always been a master of frantic action sequences involving all kinds of destruction and all-around mayhem, and The Island is no exception. Several action showcases include no less than two car chases, an aerial pursuit, and the leads plummeting towards their death seventy stories below on a company logo. Explosions and gunfights are also provided in good supply. The special effects are effective and especially impressive when Lincoln meets his original double; these scenes are so good - they are seamless. The world of the near future is realistic in its depiction; it reminded me of Blade Runner, which also integrated futuristic vehicles and technology with older, existing buildings and settings.
There are cons, of course, because it still is a Michael Bay film - many aspects of the film aren't explained at all (how and why did they 'discover' sex?), while other aspects are simplified into the extreme (Lincoln has to pull one lever to blow up the entire holographic wall?). But if you're willing to see through that, and to ignore the blatant advertising left and right, you might just find yourself enjoying this.
It's odd, how you get the feeling you need to justify yourself after you've admitted that you liked a film such as this one. I won't, not anymore. I went in this knowing exactly what I'd get (even the huge twist had been given away in the very first trailer, which is a pity), and I got what I expected, plus a bit extra. It looks slick, has a nice story, attractive leads, breathtaking action and a happy ending - a compelling and chilling sci-fi thriller. What more could you want?
A 73 out of 100.
Cheers
Wish me luck.
Let me first state that this is a Michael Bay film; a film from the man who brought you Armageddon, Pearl Harbour and both Bad Boys flicks. If you want subtlety, character development, insightful dialogue, or even a decent plot, go elsewhere; if you want to go on a rollercoaster ride without moving an inch, go see this. I was in the mood for the latter, and therefore went to see this. And I liked it a lot.
Plot (ahem) summary: Lincoln Six-Echo is a resident of a seemingly utopian facility, and like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be selected to go to the fabled "Island" - supposedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet. However, Lincoln Six-Echo soon discovers that there's actually something deeply wrong with the facility and he must escape. Lincoln and fellow escapee Jordan Two-Delta embark on a race for their lives to, quite literally, meet their makers. Cue mayhem and bodies.
Overall: The Island has two different and distinct parts. Part One is within the compound, and is actually quite intimate in showing the innocent friendship which has formed between Lincoln and Jordan. Then they ascape, and Part Two happens. As soon as they find themselves in the big city, the gloves are off. In that last hour of the film, we definitely get what a summer film should be, with explosions, helicopter chases, destruction on an unfathomable level and a spectacular car chase scene, highly reminiscent of the one in Bad Boys II, that is one of the best metal meets larger and heavier metal destruction scenes ever.
The cast: I believe Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson are inspired choices for the two leads. Who would ever think, watching Trainspotting, that Renton would ten years later be dodging exploding caddilacs while speaking in an American accent, and who would have though, watching Lost In Translation, that Charlotte would 2 years later be running for her cloned life is a trendy Puma track suit, looking all voluptuous and sultry (D'oh!)? And get this, they pull it off, too. I found it refreshing to see these two actors cast against type. Also, Michael Clarke Duncan, Steve Buscemi and Sean Bean did fine jobs with their roles; Duncan's role was pretty small but his performance was very strong and relevant to the story. Another compliment goes out to Djimon Hounsou, whom I love in everything he does.
The action & effects: Michael Bay has always been a master of frantic action sequences involving all kinds of destruction and all-around mayhem, and The Island is no exception. Several action showcases include no less than two car chases, an aerial pursuit, and the leads plummeting towards their death seventy stories below on a company logo. Explosions and gunfights are also provided in good supply. The special effects are effective and especially impressive when Lincoln meets his original double; these scenes are so good - they are seamless. The world of the near future is realistic in its depiction; it reminded me of Blade Runner, which also integrated futuristic vehicles and technology with older, existing buildings and settings.
There are cons, of course, because it still is a Michael Bay film - many aspects of the film aren't explained at all (how and why did they 'discover' sex?), while other aspects are simplified into the extreme (Lincoln has to pull one lever to blow up the entire holographic wall?). But if you're willing to see through that, and to ignore the blatant advertising left and right, you might just find yourself enjoying this.
It's odd, how you get the feeling you need to justify yourself after you've admitted that you liked a film such as this one. I won't, not anymore. I went in this knowing exactly what I'd get (even the huge twist had been given away in the very first trailer, which is a pity), and I got what I expected, plus a bit extra. It looks slick, has a nice story, attractive leads, breathtaking action and a happy ending - a compelling and chilling sci-fi thriller. What more could you want?
A 73 out of 100.
Cheers
6 Comments:
Sounds like the type of movie you go to see in the cinema or you miss the effects where they belong.
I'm gonna skip it. I hate Michael Bay's over-editing - his action scenes are usually cut up to the extent that I lose all spatial orientation within them.
I did have a good laugh at Armegeddon, especially the scenes which showed people outside of the good ol' US of A, all conveniently wearing their national costumes; funniest of all were the French, shown sitting in a cafe with the Eiffel Tower in the background - one guy is even shown wearing a beret and striped shirt, riding a bicycle, with onions around his neck. It was pretty much the equivalent of showing all the black characters eating fried chicken & watermelon while they talk in ebonics. Hysterical.
Fair enough. I have no problem with mindless entertainment - in fact, I sometimes highly enjoy it.
Cheers
Fair call. I probably watch more mindless than (mindful? mindish? mind-enabled?) whatever the opposite is, just not those ones. Night of the Demons 2 is more my speed - not just mindless, but cheap.
Got a point there - this is very expensive mindless crap.
I prefer plastic baubles to diamonds, too. (Gee, wonder why I'm still single.)
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