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"The Island Sinks due to the sum of borrowed parts."
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Rating:
+4
THE ISLAND
I don't know but I kinda like Michael Bay, at least the man knows how to deliver on the action even though he is not known for great story telling. But I think he is a pretty good director and he hires Steve Buscemi [probably my favorite actor] a lot so at least he can recognize talented actors. But regardless of the over all assumption that he can't really tell a story I would say to those people to check out this flick right here, it may not be your favorite movie but it may turn out to be your favorite Bay film. There is a quote on the back of the case that states "great story, great action, great film" and I could not agree more.
Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson star as two people who live their day to day lives as told by the government, eating when told, working when told, sleeping and waking when told basically everything when told. Still they are fine and awaiting their turn to be chosen to go to the last place on Earth not affected by a plague that wiped out humanity almost, The Island. But Ewan's character is suspicious about what is really going on and his suspicions are only heightened by Steve Buscemi who some how has all these things that he should not have. It turns out that they along with every one else down there are clones inside an underground bunker, they are clones of rich people who want fresh matching organs when they need them. So they make an escape that sends the owner and employees into a panic because this thing is far from legal. So as they make their way through a world they do not know on the surface and come to terms with what they are and that there is no island they are being hunted by the best money can buy. They are out to find the people they are cloned from and try to convince them they are just as alive as them.
Producer/director Michael Bay really did a great job with this film and deserves to be recognized for doing so, I think for a director who was only known for action really did a good job with a story as well. The fact is that the first half of this movie and that includes the escape from the underground prison is very un Bay like, he gives the characters time to develop and lets them interact on a level he had yet to do. Still credit needs to go to the writers as well; Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci wrote a great story that while not the greatest thing ever is still very entertaining. Mauro Fiore did a great job shooting this movie and made it look like an epic.
Ewan McGregor was great in the lead role and played it with a kind childish charm in the way that everything was new and exciting to him, he really felt he was learning. Of course he was going crazy and scarred as well and that shows just as much. Scarlett Johansson was excellent as his partner in crime so to speak but of course that is expected, she is always one of the show stealers no matter what film it is. Djimon Hounsou is great as the lead hunter going after these two who has a change of heart, and Sean Bean is brilliant as well. But it is of course Steve Buscemi who steals the show in my opinion as the only friend that these two have on the outside since it is him that got Ewan thinking. He is the reason I went to see this and also the reason I wanted to buy it when it came out but luckily the entire movie going experience was great.
Of course this film does have a flaw but it is not a big one at all, in fact it still was enjoyable. The last half of the film seems to lean a little too much on the action and kinda forgets the story a little bit, so I guess Bay falls a little on what he knows but that is not a bad thing. So with that said this is actually a really good movie that most people should enjoy, I know I did. I recommend this as a purchase just skip the rental; I think it is worth it.
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Sharrie
November 03, 2010
Sounds like a good one. Oh, I can't find anything that's not horror movie in your list of reviews, lol... I don't do horror movies ;p
FM_ALEX
November 05, 2010
Yeah that was mainly for the Halloween month, I have alot prior to those that are non horror. I also just posted a few non horror ones.
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TheJohn
October 21, 2010
Sounds interesting, at least the cast sounds good.
FM_ALEX
November 05, 2010
Cast was great in this.
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woopak_the_thrill
October 21, 2010
Scarlet Johanssen 'nuff said! I do agree though, this may be Bay's best movie.
FM_ALEX
November 05, 2010
Yeah I think it might be,
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More The Island reviews
WARNING: This review may contain spoilers! 2005 was a year of Box Office disappointments, a year when many good films were overlooked. One such film is The Island, an intriguing science fiction/action film that should have been a mega-hit, but wasn't. The Island was directed by Michael Bay (Bad Boys and Armageddon), a filmmaker for whom I have very little respect mainly because of his habit of emphasizing action at the expense of story and characterization. Yet this film won me over … more
Comments (4)
Compliments (53)
Quick Tip by Trekscribbler.
November 23, 2009
The 1st hour of THE ISLAND is inspired filmmaking. But once our heroes leave the Island, you'll wish they'd never left.
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review by MichaelN.
March 21, 2009
I have seen Star Wars III, Batman Begins, War of the Worlds, and The Fantastic Four. While all those movies were excellent, The Island outshines them all. Scarlett Johansen and Euwene MacGregor are excellent as clones who have lived in an enclosed city with the promise of an ultimate trip to "The Island." This is supposed to be the ultimate reward for their service and those that get chosen to go, do so via a lottery. MacGregor starts to get haunted by a dream where he is … more
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Compliments (4)
review by newtonooi.
June 30, 2007
One of the great untold tragedies of the 20th century was the prevalence of medical testing on unwitting subjects. Some Americans have probably heard of the Tuskegee airmen, black American servicemen who became unwitting test subjects for medical experiments. But how many people are aware of the medical testing performed on ignorant prisoners, on poor people on various Caribbean islands, or the large-scale testing of vaccines on African villagers throughout the latter half of the 20th century. The … more
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review by MzJen_2_review.
March 06, 2007
I had the opportunity to watch this film the other day and though it was okay. I've took it as another movie that has something desperately to say along with a long line of other frustrating Hollywood thrillers. There are a number of things that is good here but the bad brings down the entire experience. The underlying problem with this movie is Michael Bay. He has missed the mark yet again. The Island starts out as an engaging, entertaining Sci-Fi film. Then, about halfway through, it gets Bayified. … more
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review by Kasia_S.
March 27, 2006
I don't know what took me so long to watch this movie, well yes I do the shaky reviews and the fact that it's a longer movie ( over two hours) but I'm very glad I did! I felt like I didn't want to write a review, since so many people before me have explained it so well, yet I felt like I wanted to show my love and support for the enjoyment it brought me and everyone else who saw it with me. I loved how the characters did things that you wanted them to do; they reasoned, they … more
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review by KevinE.
February 18, 2006
I wonder if Michale Bay has ever heard the phrase, "more is not always better"? "The Island" is defintely a case-in-point.... More/longer chase scenes... more mini-climaxes (I thought the movie was ending 30 minutes prior to the actual ending)! Don't get me wrong, "The Island" is not a terrible movie - it just isn't great. In fact, I knew that I had to write the review immediately or I would forget about it- it is that forgettable. I am also a little … more
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Pros: Explosions, Steve Buscemi Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE The Bottom Line: Just don't waste the time, money, or effort at loading the DVD player; spend those few calories scratching. Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie''s plot. Let’s see. 1 cup THX 1138 1 cup The Matrix semi-clarified (skim it but do not remove all confusion) ½ cup The Running Man … more
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review by vemartin.
January 03, 2006
Pros: Good script, action and acting. Cons: Perhaps a little too much violence. The Bottom Line: The Island is a great movie to loose yourself in because there is not a lot of mind-strain involved, which makes the film perfect for a rainy Saturday afternoon. Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie''s plot. I have a growing fascination, bordering on infatuation, with Scarlett Johansson. And no it’s … more
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review by gradyharp.
December 22, 2005
Had the writers and director of THE ISLAND been able to sustain the fascinating first half hour of this flimsy film, the result might have been an enlightening examination of the current discussion of cloning. But as soon as the movie captures our attention it fizzles and what is left is two and a half hours of noisy endless destructive chase sequences that put this reviewer to sleep. Using fine actors like Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson and Sean Bean one would think … more
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About the reviewer
FM_ALEX
Ranked #4
Ranked #4
I basically am just a normal person obbsessed with Mixed Martial Arts, pro wrestling, movies of all kinds, music of all kinds, books of all kinds, and of course foods of all kinds. Just trying to keep … more
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About this movie
When you add up all the best things aboutThe Island, you might just conclude that there's hope yet for Hollywood's most critically reviled hit-maker, Michael Bay. Recruited by Steven Spielberg to direct this lavish and often breathtaking sci-fi action thriller, Bay rises to the occasion with an ambitious production that is, by his standards (and compared to Bay's earlier hits likeThe RockandArmageddon), surprisingly intelligent as it explores the repercussions of cloning in a sealed-off society where humans are cultivated for spare parts, surrogate parenthood, and full-body replacements for wealthy clientele. But when two of the clones (Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johanssen) begin to question their fate and the motives of their keepers, they escape into the real world andThe Islandbecomes just another Michael Bay action extravaganza, albeit an impressively exciting one. With elaborate chase scenes and a high-tech feast of CGI to dazzle the eye,The Islandrecycles much of the plot from 1979'sClonuswhile borrowing elements fromLogan's Run,GattacaandMinority Report, and while it's not as smartly conceived as those earlier films, there's no denying that, in many ways, it's Bay's best film to date.--Jeff Shannon
Cast:
Sean Bean,
Steve Buscemi,
Djimon Hounsou,
Scarlett Johansson,
Ewan McGregor,
Max Baker,
Glenn Morshower,
Kevin Daniels,
Brian Leckner,
Phil Abrams,
Alex Carter,
Svetlana Efremova,
Tim Halligan,
Michael Clarke Duncan,
Shawnee Smith,
Mary Pat Gleason,
Gary Nickens,
Chris Ellis,
Siobhan Flynn,
Gonzalo Menendez,
Don Michael Paul,
Mitzi Martin,
Randy Oglesby,
Olivia Tracey,
Craig Reynolds,
Trent Ford,
Shelby Leverington,
Ethan Phillips,
Mark Christopher Lawrence,
Darren Mitchell,
Troy T. Blendell,
Kevin Dorman,
Kirk Ward,
Michael Canavan,
Brian Stepanek,
Rich Hutchman,
Kelvin Han Yee,
Ray Xifo,
Robert B. Sherman,
Kevin McCorkle,
Taylor Gilbert,
Katy Boyer,
Don Creech,
Kenneth Hughes,
Richard V. Licata,
Whitney Dylan,
Grant Garrison,
Jimmy Smagula,
Marty Papazian,
Eric Stonestreet,
James McBride,
Wendy Haines,
Richard F. Whiten,
Ashley Yegan,
Kathleen Perkins,
Yvette Nicole Brown,
Ben Tolpin,
Noa Tishby,
Lew Dauber,
Eamon Behrens,
Phil Somerville,
Ryan Tasz,
James Granoff,
James Hart,
Sage Thomas,
Robert Sherman
Director:
Michael Bay
Genre:
Action,
Sci-Fi,
Thriller
Release Date:
July 22, 2005
MPAA Rating:
PG-13
Screen Writer:
Roberto Orci,
Alex Kurtzman
DVD Release Date:
December 13, 2005
Runtime:
2hrs 16min
Studio:
Dreamworks Video
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