The Island
2005
* * *
After some kind of post-apocolyptic earth comes into being after a disease, the few survivors are living somewhere. Their one hope is to go to The Island, a dreamland that somehow was missed by the disease. People who win the lottery get to go there. One of the people, Lincoln Six-Echo (Ewan McGregor), is having odd dreams and has become suspicious that something is wrong. Seriously wrong. As in, everything you read above isn't actually true. There was no disease, there is no island... and Lincoln isn't even remotely who he thinks he is. He's actually -
... begin minor spoilers ...
... a clone.
Almost everyone he knows is, in fact, a clone, including a girl he likes, Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson). The only exceptions are the director of the place (Sean Bean) and a janitor or mechanic or something (Steve Buscemi).
About the same time he learns all this, Jordan is chosen to ?go to the island?, meaning that her life is in the very most immediate danger.
Thirty minutes or so of plot and minor chases ensue.
Then, director Michael Bay is allowed to absolutely let loose the way he likes to, and cars start crashing, buildings explode, and lots and lots of bad guys start getting shot.
... end spoilers ...
Michael Bay.s first movie not produced by Jerry Bruckheimer is... well... pretty much just like the ones that were produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Actually, he backs off on his style a lot. In fact, from a directorial standpoint, this is pretty solid work from any standpoint. The first forty-five minutes is mostly just people talking, but it absolutely flies by. The dramatic moments, while not as good as they could have been, are genuinely effective and even a bit wrenching. And when the movie needs to be creepy and disturbing, it is. Bay seems to be maturing film-wise and getting a better grip on how to make a genuinely good movie from more than just the action scenes. A few more years and he might be getting some awards. (although, to be honest, at least in my opinion, he did an award-worthy job on The Rock)
And, of course, he knows exactly what he's doing in said action scenes. They are never really suspensful, but they're very, very exciting. Parts are truly heart-pounding. Now, Bay does still have a bit of an obsession with fast cuts and rushes some moments that should be calmer and more drawn out. Some scenes are definitely too over-the-top (especially the huge sign falling down the side of the building). But this is still pretty good work.
The actors are well chosen. All of them manage to create real, believable characters. McGregor has fun playing both the real person and his clone, both of whom are totally different. Johansson seems to be having a darn good time running and jumping and falling down buildings, but doesn't skimp on actual acting, at which she is, of course, great. Bean is in his usual role --- a bad guy with human qualities. Michael Clarke Duncan has a cameo that's painful to watch (in a good way). Djimon Honsou is seriously cool. And Buscemi is wonderful.
Of course, with a $120 million budget, the special effects are so good you don't even notice them.
Finally, the important part: the story. The story is good. It's an intelligent, compelling, and thought-provoking story.
Unfortunately, the excecution isn't as good as it should be. The dialogue tends to be too simple and things get a bit too thin and cliched at times. Individual scenes are great, but the last hour or the film probably came from five pages of script. The ending just kind of drifts off instead of actually giving you satisfaction.
And Bay doesn't milk the drama or the intelligence enough. The movie is entertaining and fun, but it isn't especially thought-provoking or powerful --- or anywhere near as exciting as it could be. It's certainly adequate (and there's no way it deserved to bomb in theaters the way it did), but it could have been so much more. To see how it it doesn't reach the level it could have, take a look at the other gargantuan action flicks with a compelling sci-fi backdrop: I, Robot, Total Recall, and Minority Report. I, Robot does at least leave you thinking about its subjects briefly and, more importantly, you genuinely believe the characters might be in danger. That never happens here. The adrenaline gets goin', but you know everyone's gonna get out just fine. Total Recall has more style, more excitement, and more story. This film gets your heart pounding; Total Recall nearly gives you a heart attack while blowing you away with its visuals. Also, Arnold is so much cooler than Ewan McGregor. Yeah, McGregor could act circles around Arnold in his sleep, but he can never have that same presense and entertainment that just somehow follows Arnold around.
And then there's the big one: Minority Report. Spielburg's 2002 film is an absolute knockout on the intelligence level alone, but also has brilliant action scenes. (Most Sci-Fi fans are going to hate me for not mentioning Blade Runner, but let me explain briefly: that film, yes, is intelligent, powerful, and visually stunning. However, the story is slow and the main character is boring. Consequently, I didn't mention it here.)
However, The Island is a totally decent flick and a lot of fun. It just isn't the great movie it could have been --- and should have been. But, in a final defense for the film, I do want to mention that the scene where Lincoln discovers what's going on is a powerful scene. The birth scene is genuinely heartbreaking. It was a thought-provoking scene, but it doesn't carry through to the end because of the 100 minutes of mindless action that follows. Not that the car crashes aren't cool --- the car crashes absolutely rock. Pick one single crash and it blows away most entire chases. It's just the failure of the film to follow-through on its ideas.
Oh, and thankfully, it doesn't fall into the cliched trap of putting the characters through a bunch of awkward "humorous" scenes out of their ignorance. It doesn't do that any more than necessary, for which I am immensely grateful. And the characters aren't stupid. They think things through. And Bay never lets the audience feel like they're ahead of the characters and just waiting for it to be over. He may not be Steven Spielburg (or Kenneth Branaugh or Robert Rodriguez or Martin Scorcese or Jean-Pierre Jenut or whomever you think is the best; personally, I think all five of them are brilliant in individual ways), but he's not a hack.
Incidently, if you watch it, get the DVD. Not only do you need the high-quality widescreen to really appreciate Mauro Fiorre's beautiful cinematography (which Bay actually doesn't ruin with the editing), but Michael Bay's audio commentary is great. Anyone who thinks Bay is a stupid, uneducated little kid will learn that the guy is actually not only intelligent, but he's also engaging to listen to, has interesting things to say, and knows how to express these things. If nothing else, you need to hear his discussion of product placement, which is actually more thought-provoking than the film itself. After the commentary, I actually admired not only the man more, but I had a higher opinion of the film itself.
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