Read User Reviews and Submit your own for The Island (2005)

9

RikiegeJan 23, 2013

One of the best science fiction movies I've seen in my life. Good performances and a spectacular argument.

18 of 19 users found this helpful181

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10

LoRevisorJan 29, 2015

Obra-Prima de Michael Bay o gênio mais subestimado da história do cinema!!!! pelos críticos e pelo público imbecil!!!! Vale mencionar que são os americanos imbecis!!!!!!. Agora deixar eu respirar um pouco,The Island é um dos melhores filmesObra-Prima de Michael Bay o gênio mais subestimado da história do cinema!!!! pelos críticos e pelo público imbecil!!!! Vale mencionar que são os americanos imbecis!!!!!!. Agora deixar eu respirar um pouco,The Island é um dos melhores filmes de ficção científica de ação de todos os tempos!!!,Com atuações impecáveis de Scarlett Johansson,Ewan McGregor,Sean Bean,Steve Buscemi,Michael Clarke Duncan e Djimon Hounsou com cenas de ação impressionantes,além disso no final se mostra um filme bem emocionante.… Expand

78 of 83 users found this helpful785

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10

David_HJul 12, 2015

I believe this is the first 10 i've given a movie. i liked it enough to purchase a DVD copy of it. Bay is known for his action and he certainly delivers here. This is a very unique plot line that has not been explored before. ScarlettI believe this is the first 10 i've given a movie. i liked it enough to purchase a DVD copy of it. Bay is known for his action and he certainly delivers here. This is a very unique plot line that has not been explored before. Scarlett Johansson is the most beautiful i've ever seen her in a film, Sean Bean is as intense and excellent as ever. Keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout, definitely in my top 10 of all time.… Expand

8 of 8 users found this helpful80

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10

Von-DrakoMay 26, 2019

Awesome...Camera, plot, acters...everything is working together. Final product is perfect.

8 of 8 users found this helpful80

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10

RickyReviewsMar 26, 2016

I really enjoyed this film. Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johannson were both great, as was Steve Buscemi. Truly a new favorite. It has a bit of sci fi, romance, and humor built into it. A must see!

8 of 8 users found this helpful80

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10

SolariumJan 12, 2020

The Island is a science fiction masterpiece. The acting by Ewan and Scarlett is outstanding. The action sequences are dazzling and the cinematography is impressive. The plot is also convoluted and mysterious if you go into the movie knowingThe Island is a science fiction masterpiece. The acting by Ewan and Scarlett is outstanding. The action sequences are dazzling and the cinematography is impressive. The plot is also convoluted and mysterious if you go into the movie knowing nothing anything about the storyline.… Expand

8 of 8 users found this helpful80

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10

PerineumJan 14, 2020

Astonishing ! --------------------------------------------------------------

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10

CarnivalApr 18, 2021

The opening landscapes were filmed off New Zealand while the boat scenes were shot near Italy.

8 of 8 users found this helpful80

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9

gracjanskiDec 4, 2020

The story is hard and very interesting, imagine contamination = Corona. Also the world of the island is well done, not only the city, but also the institute. Only the 2nd part is not so thrilling like the beginning. Anyway this is the bestThe story is hard and very interesting, imagine contamination = Corona. Also the world of the island is well done, not only the city, but also the institute. Only the 2nd part is not so thrilling like the beginning. Anyway this is the best Michael Bay movie in my view.… Expand

7 of 7 users found this helpful70

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10

MaxkhoNov 11, 2020

Incredible movie. It's one of those rare, rare movies which actually grabs your attention and keeps you as engaged with the plot as you would be if you were in the shoes of the character throughout the entire length of the movie. It isn't aIncredible movie. It's one of those rare, rare movies which actually grabs your attention and keeps you as engaged with the plot as you would be if you were in the shoes of the character throughout the entire length of the movie. It isn't a masterpiece, and it's not going to transport you to different dimensions or produce some life-altering experiences, but it's a very engaging movie, and if you, like me, feel like you have already exhausted the list of all good sci-fi movies, this is going to feel like a breath of fresh air.… Expand

7 of 7 users found this helpful70

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10

Emanate727Apr 5, 2021

A classic, one of the best action movies of 2005. The Island has epic action, acting and a brilliant storyline. Mesh all these elements together and you have an amazing film.

7 of 7 users found this helpful70

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10

AmuletApr 19, 2021

A 45-minute preview of the film was shown to the press at the Cannes Film Festival.

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10

SputterApr 21, 2021

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10

Vial44Apr 30, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The buttons used to open doors in the living quarters are actually Griffin PowerMate USB Volume Controls, used normally for Mac computers to adjust volume.… Expand

7 of 7 users found this helpful70

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10

Anisette570Jul 6, 2021

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9

survivorfan989Feb 23, 2019

A strong Action/Sci-Fi with two solid leads and an interesting concept that will hold your attention.

6 of 6 users found this helpful60

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10

DefameApr 28, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In one scene in the movie, a Bugatti Veyron is seen driving down a street in the background. Currently the Bugatti is sold for 1.25 million dollars, and only about fifty are made yearly.… Expand

6 of 6 users found this helpful60

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10

BisectApr 16, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At around one hour and thirteen minutes. The black and white commercial featuring Sarah Jordan wasn't shot specifically for the movie; it is an actual commercial starring Scarlett Johansson.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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10

BaskApr 23, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Michael Bay drove behind a flatbed truck carrying train wheels on the highway leaving Palmdale, and, noticing how dangerous it looked, was inspired to create a destructive chase scene involving one.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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10

ConsortApr 24, 2021

One of the camera cars is nicknamed the "Bay buster" for obvious reasons, The car can "crash into vehicles at 60 to 70 miles per hour without getting cameramen killed or hurt

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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10

ProlificApr 25, 2021

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4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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10

DiameterApr 28, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Michael Bay expressed disappointment with the climatic fight between Lincoln and Merrick, saying that he had originally planned a much more elaborate set piece, but their budget was running low, and the action had to be improvised on sets that weren't easy to stage stunts on.… Expand

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10

Exigent93Jun 4, 2021

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10

ReceptacleJun 22, 2021

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3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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10

Xenophobe114Jun 24, 2021

One Of The Best Action Sci-FI Movies Of All Time

This just goes to show you that the critics wouldn't know a good movie if it bit them. I understand that this movie didn't do well at the box office, and I believe it when they say that it isOne Of The Best Action Sci-FI Movies Of All Time

This just goes to show you that the critics wouldn't know a good movie if it bit them. I understand that this movie didn't do well at the box office, and I believe it when they say that it is because of a really bad marketing campaign, because this movie is totally riveting. This is what good entertainment is all about. Everything about this flick is first rate, from the cast (LOVE Scarlett Johansson) to the writing to the incredible cinematography and absolute killer special effects to...you name it. How a movie THIS good went unnoticed is truly beyond me. DO yourself a favor, sit back with a big tub of popcorn and get ready to bliss out.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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10

Shroud189Jun 26, 2021

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3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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10

Palindrome704Jun 27, 2021

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3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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10

Libation70Aug 1, 2021

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10

Lanyard980Aug 7, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best futuristic movie ever made.

Definitely one of the best movies I've ever seen, perhaps the best!! The story is great, it starts with a very weird setting where you understand absolutely nothing of where it takes place and what's going on and then everything comes clear and the adventure begins. All the mechanisms invented in this movie are outstanding, exactly as it could be if this future would ever come true and it under lights a very dark aspect of human nature, in this sense it's very realistic. The action is great, absolutely the best I've ever seen, the picture, video and audio are perfect, it's I think the best production ever made, perfect in everything!! The performances of the actors are high class indeed, I don't know how Ewan Mcgregor being from Scotland can imitate so well the American accent, Scarlett Johansson very good looking and definitely up to the role she's been assigned, Sean Bean always great as the bad guy and Djimon Hounsou came quite well as the cool guy(definitely his part!!). Not a film to miss, if you never saw it I highly advise you to watch it, even if you wouldn't like it that much it has a moral that in my opinion has to be transmitted to everyone. Of course it is very exaggerated and a series of events like these would never happen in real life, but like I always say, if you don't see things like these in movies, where else would you!!??… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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10

VinnyVJun 29, 2009

Amazing Movie, It has action, love, humor, and conspiracy all mixed into one. Definitely a good one.

2 of 2 users found this helpful

10

AssonanceMay 4, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Michael Bay met Djimon Hounsou years prior when Bay was a music video director with Propaganda Films and Hounsou was a model with Omar's Modeling Agency which was located across the street. The model wanted to be an actor so Bay told him to work on his accent.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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10

Xlyophone199May 6, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Michael Bay recalled the scene where Lincoln Six Echo and Tom Lincoln fight, as long and tedious to shoot, since it took half an hour to change Ewan McGregor's clothes between each shot so he could play both characters.

The black yacht in the dreams of Lincoln Six Echo, shown later in the film (the Renovatio) is the Wallypower 118 super yacht. The boat is built almost entirely out of carbon fiber, Kevlar, and glass with a teak-deck. The boat features three Vericor TF50 gas turbines, providing a total power output is 16,800 horsepower (12,500 kW).… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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10

Chassis28May 7, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Character Error

About 1:22:45, during part of a long vehicular (and helicopter) chase scene, one of Laurant's team helicopter pilots says "gotta bail out; police choppers inbound." In fact, not one single police helicopter shows up at all, from that point on.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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10

Chignon24May 10, 2021

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2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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10

Atrium89May 24, 2021

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2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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10

Catenary44Jun 6, 2021

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10

Aerialist277Jun 18, 2021

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10

Stagger74Jul 11, 2021

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2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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10

Acquit77Jul 16, 2021

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2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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10

PaulD.Oct 17, 2005

Awesome movie...nuff said.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

10

wafia.Jan 5, 2006

It was a great movie, with a creative Idea about cloning , beside my special love to scarlet!!!

1 of 1 users found this helpful

10

Parasol92Aug 10, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A highly enjoyable Sci-Fi-Action Flick !!!!

I really enjoyed this movie. I saw it in a sold-out theater full of movie goers and heard all positive remarks from everyone afterward. People applauded at the end and there were plenty of gasps, laughs, and just all around positive reactions throughout the movie. I think the audience reaction during and after a movie speaks volumes. It also received equal enthusiasm from both the men and women in the audience. I thought the story was very interesting and I liked that it focused so much on the feelings of the characters. But it also was a great action movie with amazing special effects, suspense, humor, a little bit of romance, bad guys and good guys, and yet still a general theme that gives us all something to think about. (The issue of cloning). I enjoyed all of the acting by a very diverse cast. Ewan McGregor shines once again, this time doubly so in his dual roles as a clone and his original. I felt this movie got you involved with the main characters on a personal level and keeps you pulling for them all the way. One or two of the action scenes may be a bit incredible, but I think that if you go in to a movie like this wanting strictly reality, you're missing the point of just sitting back and losing yourself in a bit of emotional fun for a while. I give it my highest rating for a fun movie!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

RialtoAug 12, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very intense action/romance/mystery/thriller/conspiracy flick from Michael Bay. Michael Bay's best movies are The Rock, Bad Boys, Armageddon and The Island, out of the cluster of his cinematic repertoire.

I was really surprised at how much I laughed during this film. Make no mistake, there are some very intense and troubling parts of this film, but there is also a lot of good-natured humor in it. Ewan McGregor plays the perfect "innocent", too, which is where much of the comedy comes from.

If you like to see things go *boom*, this film will give you the most "bang for your buck" that I've ever seen. I was afraid it would be too similar to Logan's Run or the Matrix to be interesting, but it was really a very well written, directed and acted sci-fi action movie. You'll love it !!!!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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9

Vicinity578Aug 15, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ostrov je fenomenální akční thriller. Myšlenky, akce, herectví a zvraty jsou odborně navrženy režisérem Michaelem Bayem. Michael do tohoto filmu vložil své plné srdce, stejně jako herecké obsazení bylo oslnivé. Jeden z 10 nejlepších filmů roku 2005, který nebyl uveden na trh a měl být úspěšnější na domácím trhu, devět z deseti.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

AbolishAug 17, 2021

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1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

Abbatoir89Sep 4, 2021

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10

HealingToolboxOct 13, 2020

Ahead of its time, THE 2020 movie. The best movie about 2020 with the most bland un-helpful title ever.

If you dislike Michael Bay films, this is before he went wild and destruction-crazy with too much money to spend. This is the moreAhead of its time, THE 2020 movie. The best movie about 2020 with the most bland un-helpful title ever.

If you dislike Michael Bay films, this is before he went wild and destruction-crazy with too much money to spend. This is the more restrained, more story-driven Michael Bay. If you, like me in 2020, believe a normal year of flu was blown up into a pandemic scare and flawed then criminally prolonged shutdown of the economy. This has every feature you would want in a fable where the sheeple wake up and do become pro-active about taking power back into their own lives. The waking-up sheeple are aided and supported by a Black Lives Matter villain who becomes their supporter. I saw it in 2005, loved it. Watched it again in Oct 2020. Ten times more more timely and relevant now than in 2005. Top drawer acting, directing and special effects. Alex Kurtzman, the current head of Star Trek on CBS, was one of the writers. This is another of his excellent earlier efforts. You will see many well-known actors at their peak or early roles here, a welcome sight. This has one of the most fun, car destruction derby scenes ever made. Yes, this is the one where the roll heavy rail train wheels off the back of a truck into on-coming bad-guy traffic. Classic and rarely if ever excelled. Q: Why did it only make its production cost back in 2005?
A: I think its was too far ahead of its time. It's also a long movie with a slow build-up to much third act action. I think what was learned from scripts like this was to start off with some action even if you have to go back and slow down to build up to the climax.… Expand

7 of 8 users found this helpful71

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10

Autopsy904Jun 13, 2021

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10

Embalmer98Jun 10, 2021

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10

RindApr 23, 2021

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10

Pluto744Jun 19, 2021

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7

HansFlicksJul 5, 2013

Michael Bay is not a name that is frequently associated with films that are particularly profound. The Island doesn't buck this trend entirely, but does more than enough to cement its place as his most cerebral work to date.

The scienceMichael Bay is not a name that is frequently associated with films that are particularly profound. The Island doesn't buck this trend entirely, but does more than enough to cement its place as his most cerebral work to date.

The science fiction aesthetic at work here is by far the easiest with which to suspend disbelief. The environments are futuristic, but not so much so that the world feels alien at any point. There are, however, some issues with consistency in the dates given for when these events are taking place, but the specifics are not where the film's magnetism lies.

The story is centred on a moral dilemma, posing a number of philosophical questions in the process. It also taps into a topical discussion on the implications of growing replacement organs and the kind of scenarios that this might lead to. The breadth of the exploration isn't particularly far-reaching, but is mostly responsible for the more intelligent elements of the film. It gives the rest of the action a weightier feel, preventing this from becoming just another explosive romp completely devoid of a brain. It won't keep you up at night, but the plot is sturdy enough to provoke at least some contemplation as the narrative plays out.

There is a noticeable shift in pace after the initial scene setting has been done, the action set pieces coming thick and fast. Bay tends to split opinion as a film-maker, but there can be no doubt that he is very good indeed at what he does. There are sometimes criticisms levelled that the sequences he brings to the screen are somewhat repetitive across movies (think highway chase scenes with cars being flipped like Matchbox toys and a skyscraper's worth of breaking glass). There may be some credence to this, but for me, it doesn't make it any less breathtaking to experience when the picture is in full flow.

As for the performances, all concerned put in decent displays, with the highlight being Steve Buscemi. His ability to carry a scene is just as potent here as it has ever been, bringing some light relief in the process and pushing the movie forward. The remainder of the supporting cast also throws up some pleasant surprises, the childlike attitude of a few of the characters affording ample opportunity for the actors to have some fun.… Expand

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5

grandpajoe6191Sep 24, 2011

Its always the same thing for Michael Bay; the picture's big, but the result is small. "The Island" is no better.

6 of 32 users found this helpful626

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8

TornadoCreatorApr 21, 2016

I never would have expected this but Michael Bay of all directors has managed to create a genuinely great science fiction story with a consistent cyber-punk aesthetic, interesting story, and some admittedly over the top but ultimatelyI never would have expected this but Michael Bay of all directors has managed to create a genuinely great science fiction story with a consistent cyber-punk aesthetic, interesting story, and some admittedly over the top but ultimately entertaining action set pieces. Considering this director has repeatedly shown that he's got little to no understanding of how human being act, creating emotionally stunted human being with purposefully child-like outlooks who are forced to face up to the reality that they exist only to be abused and taken advantage of by the rich and powerful, in the name of greed; that was a challenge I never would have expected him to live up to.

This is hardly new concepts, it's a downtrodden repressed underclass of people breaking the shackles of their oppressors and fighting back against corporate greed story; it's a classic and in many ways that's what makes this work so well. The two main characters are particularly well written and the subtle hints of a romance sub-plot are handled both with restraint and dignity, which was especially shocking.

This film is great fun and I thoroughly recommend it to everyone, but anyone who enjoys action, sci-fi, or particularly the cyberpunk sub-genre; this is a film you're absolutely love.… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

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5

ReviewCriticJan 27, 2012

The Island is a well acted but plain action picture, that never seems to get anywhere. Once again, Michael Bay has failed to impress me, although it is good compared to his other films.

3 of 21 users found this helpful318

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7

StaticSpineOct 18, 2014

Actually I liked the first part of the movie better, it was more moody, and the second one was traditional Michael Bay's pew-pew bang-bang action with "sentiments". Still, an okay-ish sci-fi movie overall.

1 of 7 users found this helpful16

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7

Delta_AssaultSep 28, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just rewatched The Island yesterday, and it reaffirmed my belief that it's one of Michael Bay's best films. The central message behind the film might be obscured by all the overblown **** crazy action scenes, but I believe it's an important one and I'm glad he got it out there in a mainstream film. It's no Never Let Me Go, but the marriage of action and speculative fiction worked for me. The one issue I have with the film is the black mercenary who turns good at the end. That felt completely ridiculous and unearned. This guy comes into the film and has his men murder McCord, murder a couple of hapless police officers, and he himself mistakenly murders Tom Lincoln. Yet at the end of the film, he has this sudden change of heart, does a complete 180, and gets to walk off smiling into the camera at the end with an "Oh, you feisty clones... you whippersnappers you, go and have some fun, you've earned it!" expression. That was complete **** **** you movie, I'm not gonna applaud this man. If he'd actually shot who he'd intended to, he wouldn't be looking at Lincoln Six Echo kissing Jordan Two Delta at the end there, because Lincoln would be dead.… Expand

3 of 28 users found this helpful325

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3

MarkB.Jan 21, 2006

America's Most Obnoxious Director tries something different with this trite, contrived and unconvincing sci-fi film, and as a result gives us two bad movies for the price of one. The first hour is a futuristic fantasy about a highly America's Most Obnoxious Director tries something different with this trite, contrived and unconvincing sci-fi film, and as a result gives us two bad movies for the price of one. The first hour is a futuristic fantasy about a highly structured, repressed society of slaves, drones and worker bees held in check not only because the system they work under is all they've known, but also by the promise of winning a daily lottery whose prize is supposedly a permanent retirement on an idyllic island but is in reality...well, a permanent retirement, anyway. This will prove shocking and illuminating only to those who have never seen Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Logan's Run or any of hundreds of other bad-new-world films; forget that some of the people involved with the obscure B-movie Parts: The Clonus Horror took the moviemakers to court, I saw the whole lottery premise played out on a decade-plus-old rerun of Sliders on DVD not long ago! Lack of originality is, of course, not a mortal sin, but mind-numbing idiocy is: this is the kind of movie that in order to work requires that not one but two major characters stumble across a highly elaborate, sophisticated security system in order to see Things They're Not Supposed To See, else you don't have a movie; the most effective and powerful lesson the film teaches is one that all non-homeschooled sixth graders already know, namely, if you're really nice to the cafeteria lady you get extra treats. Once our heroes (Evan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson) discover the big secret and the chase is underway, director Michael Bay (The Rock, Bad Boys, Bad Boys 2) stops sucking in his gut and reverts to just plain sucking as usual, giving us plenty of everything we love to hate him for once again: loud, irritating noise, an almost gleeful heartlessness toward innocents caught in the crossfire and their property, self-referential humor that isn't funny, promiscuous use of product placement that's truly corrupt both in number and inappropriateness, criminal misuse of Steve Buscemi, and the editorial philosophy of why settle for one shot when 32 will do even better? (As always, Bay cuts his own throat with the latter; a potentially spectacular stunt involving an armored truck doing a 360-degree flip is robbed of all effectiveness because Bay shoots it from several different angles and insists on showing them all to us.) Some people have praised Bay for having te self-discipline to not revert to his most irritating trademark techniques until almost halfway through the movie; to me, this is like praising an infant because he went for an hour WITHOUT soiling his diaper before finally doing so. Acting is mediocre or nonexistent with one exception: Ethan Phillips is actually quite touching as a drone who never wins the lottery and doesn't realize how lucky he is; McGregor gives a performance as dull as his vocal turns in Robots and Valiant while the sublime Johansson (Lost in Translation, Match Point) not only does her first very bad work but is photographed and costumed to look like Tara Reid. That's unforgivable...even by Michael Bay standards!… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

1

ryancarroll88Aug 27, 2010

The movie takes a controversial biological/ethical issue and handles it with all the tact and seriousness of a Goosebumps serial. In the end its nothing more than a prolonged futuristic chase scenario with lots of color filtering (did theyThe movie takes a controversial biological/ethical issue and handles it with all the tact and seriousness of a Goosebumps serial. In the end its nothing more than a prolonged futuristic chase scenario with lots of color filtering (did they really have to make the ENTIRE movie look orange and blue?) It's a shame, because there were a lot of talented actors at work here...… Expand

0 of 14 users found this helpful014

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5

gm101Aug 8, 2011

Before I start the review, let me just say that I'm not a Michael Bay hater (I absolutely love his Transformers movies). However, this movie has to be one of Bay's weakest films. Product placement didn't fit well in the future setting, EwanBefore I start the review, let me just say that I'm not a Michael Bay hater (I absolutely love his Transformers movies). However, this movie has to be one of Bay's weakest films. Product placement didn't fit well in the future setting, Ewan McGregor freaks me out when speaking with an American accent, and the ending was kinda weak. Which is unfortunate since the plot did have interesting concepts.… Expand

0 of 9 users found this helpful09

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6

moviegrabbagJun 12, 2011

I hate to admit that I actually have a Michael Bay guilty pleasure but I do. This movies running time is a little long but this is only because the movie actually takes the time to develop the story and characters. Wait what! characterI hate to admit that I actually have a Michael Bay guilty pleasure but I do. This movies running time is a little long but this is only because the movie actually takes the time to develop the story and characters. Wait what! character development what's that? It's actually refreshing to see a movie that took the time to make you care about the characters. The acting was also very strong. You do have to love Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor was incredible and you never go wrong with Steve Buscemi in anything. The only complaint was that during the action scenes the camera work was kinda crazy. Over all a great flick and well worth the watch.… Expand

0 of 13 users found this helpful013

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6

TyranianApr 10, 2019

Has phenomenally good music and good acting, unfortunately the story goes from smart to dumb, to dumber.

0 of 12 users found this helpful012

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5

SpangleAug 13, 2016

The first half is terrific and incredibly smart, but the second half devolves into a series of explosions and action movie cliches and is more along the lines of what one would expect from Michael Bay. It is tragic because you can see theThe first half is terrific and incredibly smart, but the second half devolves into a series of explosions and action movie cliches and is more along the lines of what one would expect from Michael Bay. It is tragic because you can see the good movie get blown up in one of the many explosions and if anything is heartwrenching here, it is the loss of the dearly departed quality film. Instead, the film's second half kills the first half by being poorly written and incredibly formulaic. The first half, on the other hand, introduces a very interesting world with a compelling premise. Here, the acting is very good and mystery abounds as you try to figure out the secrets behind the world. As the film progresses, however, it turns out this one is just a redo on previous science fiction films and it has nothing up its sleeves but fool's gold. Plus, Michael Bay's hard on for explosions is overwhelming in the second half, which is really too bad because I could have still enjoyed a wholly derivative science fiction film with such good acting, production design, and special effects. Sadly, I did not get this and instead got a loud, bombastic action film that only Michael Bay can make. For action junkies, The Island should deliver the requisite explosions. For others, shut it off after an hour.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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6

Rox22Jan 4, 2013

I would say that the first half of the movie is extremely good and well thought out, adding a really nice sci-fi'esque atmosphere. But, then the big plot twist happedns halfway through and it becaomes yet another generic Michael Bay actionI would say that the first half of the movie is extremely good and well thought out, adding a really nice sci-fi'esque atmosphere. But, then the big plot twist happedns halfway through and it becaomes yet another generic Michael Bay action flick. A real shame. Overall: Had the potential to something unique and great, until it decided to sell out for cheap thrills. The movie is still good and enjoyable, but a disappointment in the end.… Expand

0 of 13 users found this helpful013

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1

CassicoutureSep 15, 2013

Great movie! Ewan Mcgregor amazing as always! The movie is an amazing aspect on a conflicting issue the world has been debating. All the bad reviews don't get it and think its only a movie about running, when truly it is more than that. It'sGreat movie! Ewan Mcgregor amazing as always! The movie is an amazing aspect on a conflicting issue the world has been debating. All the bad reviews don't get it and think its only a movie about running, when truly it is more than that. It's funny, curious, and entertaining!!… Expand

0 of 14 users found this helpful014

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4

diogomendesSep 14, 2015

Probably one of the most entertaining Michael Bay movies, but it's still a lackluster effort, with dumb dialogue, convoluted plotting and bland characters. A lot of things are dumb in this movie, like the whole concept of stranding people onProbably one of the most entertaining Michael Bay movies, but it's still a lackluster effort, with dumb dialogue, convoluted plotting and bland characters. A lot of things are dumb in this movie, like the whole concept of stranding people on a large facility and killing them for... what again? Surreal chase scenes overshadow fine performances from Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor, and bloated cinematography make it another bombastic, derivative sci-fiction thriller, that's not short of mediocre.

Final Score: 4.5/10… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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6

HotelCentralFeb 8, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a fairly conventional action flick which relies on a flimsy rationale to explain why a bunch of clones, created to provide spare parts, have to be allowed to achieve consciousness (and be kept in a scifi enclosure where their behavior is monitored and manipulated): if the clones aren't allowed to live and breath like ordinary people the organs harvested from the clones fail after being transplanted into the people paying for new organs.

It's obvious baloney. And there's a lot more baloney in the film. But if you're able to switch off your brain and go along for the ride then by all means have a nice time. I personally couldn't wait for it to be over.… Expand

0 of 21 users found this helpful021

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4

MovieManiac83Apr 22, 2015

This summer, a surprising preponderance of popcorn fare has resonated with ham-fisted political overtones, from blockbusters that put George W. Bush's words into the sneering mouths of villains to The Island, an overblown science-fiction epicThis summer, a surprising preponderance of popcorn fare has resonated with ham-fisted political overtones, from blockbusters that put George W. Bush's words into the sneering mouths of villains to The Island, an overblown science-fiction epic in which ostensibly unthinking, unfeeling stem-cell-like entities not only think and feel, but look and act like glamorous movie stars.

An overblown update of the 1979 cheapie Parts: The Clonus Horror, Michael Bay's first film without partner-in-crap Jerry Bruckheimer casts a slumming Ewan McGregor as a suspiciously spunky clone bred and engineered to be docile and unquestioning, so that he may one day achieve his life's goal of being picked to live in a blissful utopia called "The Island." McGregor and his peers occupy a Brave New World complete with requisite funky-ass tracksuits and fresh new sneakers, but what good are phat new kicks if they only come in one color? Such is the nature of McGregor's particular hell, whose antiseptic white interiors and orgy of shameless product placement suggests the bastard progeny of Stanley Kubrick and a high-powered team of viral marketers. Clearly a world in which a dude cannot kick back with a sixer of Budweiser, a porterhouse steak, and a Maxim is no kind of world at all. Like any red-blooded American clone, McGregor longs for more and better consumer choices, so he and his dim-witted platonic friend Scarlett Johansson bust out of the cloning facility and head to Los Angeles to find his human doppelgänger.

As usual, Bay stages the action at a breakneck pace that's never frenetic enough to obscure his film's plot holes and logical lapses. For instance, the cloning facility's evil overlords have created an elaborate cover story to keep the clones from knowing that they're being harvested for parts, but not one sophisticated enough to keep the naïve McGregor from easily uncovering its sinister secrets. McGregor similarly makes the leap from oblivious man-child to James Bond-like man of action within days, a development for which The Island can only find a half-assed rationale. McGregor at least fares better than Johansson, who, in her thankless role as the vapid clone of a supermodel, trades in her usual prickliness and fierce intelligence for a doe-eyed look of perpetual confusion. Johansson's dumb-blonde turn can perhaps most charitably be described as a feature-length homage to Suzanne Somers, though Johansson scores only marginally more screen time than her overworked stunt doubles. Clonus was forgotten by seemingly everyone other than MST3K—and, apparently, The Island's screenwriters. For all its sound and fury, The Island deserves the same reception.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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5

CineAutoctonoDec 21, 2015

The Island was a bubbling action film , excellent photography, interesting plot , but it was a bit boring insurance screenplay Michael Bay still not replenished until after the Transformers sequel but fell again.

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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7

FlickFreaks83Dec 11, 2015

If there are lots of flashes and bangs, and smoke and fire, either your car has just rear-ended a Pinto or Michael Bay has made a new movie. Sometimes, both are disasters. In the case of The Island, there's enough fun to be had that it'sIf there are lots of flashes and bangs, and smoke and fire, either your car has just rear-ended a Pinto or Michael Bay has made a new movie. Sometimes, both are disasters. In the case of The Island, there's enough fun to be had that it's almost possible to ignore the stupidity of the story and the cavity that replaces character development. This is a non-interactive video game demo crossed with an amusement park ride. It offers plenty of thrills but nothing else. It looks and sounds good, but satisfies only on the most primal level. For some, this will be enough. Calling The Island a "popcorn, old-fashioned summer movie" is fair, but it's also sad, since it could have been more. But movies that aim low rarely achieve any kind of altitude.

For Michael Bay, this is an opportunity to strike into new territory. This is the first directorial outing in which he has not been partnered with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. It isn't apparent - the movie is just as loud and action-oriented as anything he did with Bruckheimer. In Bay's canon, The Island ranks second - behind the filmmaker's only truly good movie, The Rock, but ahead of such memorable epics as Armageddon,Pearl Harbor, and Bad Boys II. The Island, like Bay, delivers what's expected, and not a thing more. And, although it engaged me during most of its two-plus hour running length, I left the theater feeling a hollow and even a little let down.

To the extent that it takes place in a futuristic setting, The Island functions as science fiction. Really, though, the 2090 locales are just excuses to make things look a little more exotic. The central conceit - cloning - turns into a plot device. Despite the richness of the premise, which asks a number of bio-ethical questions, there is little room for complex moral conundrums once the adrenaline starts pumping. And, for a movie that opens in a field of ideas, it comes as a disappointment to learn that the conclusion is just a big fight with lots of things blowing up. (Rumor has it that the original script, penned by Caspian Tredwell-Owen before Bay became involved and brought in Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, was more thoughtful and intelligent than the final project. Tredwell-Owen is remaining mum about his opinion of the final product, probably because Dreamworks paid him $1 million for the rights.)

The Island is reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Total Recall, which used science fiction ideas as a backdrop for lots of fights, chases, and other assorted excitement. Overall, Recall did a better job, at least in the story department. The action is superior in The Island, but that's probably to be expected, since the bar has been raised considerably since 1989. Others may be reminded of The Matrix and Minority Report, but The Island isn't in the same league. Those two movies were the complete package - not only did they follow through on their tantalizing ideas, but they offered a near-perfect mix of adrenaline and testosterone. They leave The Island bobbing far in their wake.

As disposable entertainment, The Island does what it is supposed to do. There are two remarkable car chases (one featuring oversized barbells), flawless interaction between two identical McGregors (one with an American accent, the other with his proper one), some really big explosions, and enough sequences to make a video game designer smile. Don't expect filet mignon with The Island; this is hamburger. If Martin Scorsese is a fine steak house, then Michael Bay is MacDonald's. And watching the movie is akin to eating in that place. It's fast, greasy, and fills an immediate need, but you'd better have the Rolaids handy for the indigestion that follows.… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

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6

MovieManiac1994Jan 4, 2016

18, 25, 36, 59, 46, 12. No, not lottery numbers. Opening weekend figures (in millions, naturally) for Michael Bay's six movies to date. And yes, they're in order. That slightly stinky 12 is for The Island, Bay's first film away from18, 25, 36, 59, 46, 12. No, not lottery numbers. Opening weekend figures (in millions, naturally) for Michael Bay's six movies to date. And yes, they're in order. That slightly stinky 12 is for The Island, Bay's first film away from super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer and under Spielberg's DreamWorks umbrella instead. So much for Bay's `Trust the box-office' philosophy. It seems US audiences were somewhat underwhelmed by the wham-bam auteur's latest offering. Or maybe they were just confused by the trailer (The Island! There is no island! Oh, okay then).

Which is a shame because this isn't bad at all. It may not live up to its Bay with brains pre-release hype (who said that?) but there's much fun to be had from Logan 5's - apologies, Lincoln Six-Echo's - misadventures. Sure, there is a sense of déjà vu to nearly every scene (It's Logan's Run, it's THX 1138, it's... Minority Report!) but the whole thing's slick and enthusiastic enough for that not to matter too much.

The first 40 minutes, in fact, are distinctly un-Bay - calm, almost foreboding, as Lincoln, courtesy of a small moth, a large dose of curiosity and some sage advice from booze and porn fan McCord (Steve Buscemi) starts to doubt the reality of The Island and question the nature of his own existence. Which, to be fair, you would do too if you lived in the perfume commercial Lincoln and Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson) find themselves in.

All desaturated colours and whooshing doors, white spaces and cold architecture, it looks like the setting for a moody sci-fi parable. But remember, this is a Michael Bay film...

Why are we here? What's it all about? Are we simply pawns in the greater scheme of things? These are all questions that might have been asked. Unfortunately, if they were, they were drowned out by the sound of helicopters. Because after the promising build-up, it's time for a chase scene. And for Bay, that means helicopters. Lots of them. The man seems to have a fetish for rotor blades that rivals Tarantino's love of feet. From now until the end of the picture, you're never too far from some whirlybird action.

So, following the now-accepted Hollywood wisdom that more is more, the resulting mid-section is made up of action sequences. Some of them are breathtakingly fun, such as the freeway race where Lincoln deters the pack of chasing bad guys by offloading mammoth railroad wheels into their path (picture Bad Boys II's car carnage - only bigger). Or the bit where our heroes ride a flying motorbike through an office block (don't ask...).

But there's only so much action you can take before videogame syndrome takes over and whole minutes pass before you realise you haven't been paying any attention.

The final third goes on far too long but does calm down a bit. Well, actually, not much, even though the leads gamely try to keep the audience locked in. McGregor is excellent, especially in the scenes with his sinister other self. Whether required to be naïve and driven or sleazy and assured, he manages both with aplomb. While Johansson's two tasks are to appear vacuous and/or stunning. She also manages both. Especially the stunning.

All the supports are solid. Buscemi, predictably. Duncan, with little material but a gutwrenching scene that is genuinely unsettling. Meanwhile, Djimon Hounsou has clearly been instructed to bring some gravitas to proceedings, which he almost manages despite a paucity of decent dialogue. Even Sean Bean's not bad (until he has a bit of emoting to do near the end).

The problem, essentially, is the script, which, while slick, has no soul. Writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci previously worked on TV's Alias and, as with that show, what resembles a layered plot is ultimately revealed to be just layers of gloss.

For the most part, this almost suits the ad-slickness of a film where the cinematography feels like it's all been done in Photoshop. But there are a couple of clunking moments where Bay tritely alludes to gas chambers and concentration camps. Like DreamWorks' other recent offering, the shoed-in allegories sit uncomfortably in what is otherwise decent popcorn fare. Unlike War Of The Worlds, however, The Island does maintain a sense of humour. And is not totally without insight into the human condition: as McCord wisely says, "Never give a woman your credit card."

Superficially smarter than previous Bay movies, this is still big, stupid, spectacular fun. Shave off half an hour and you could add a point or two.… Expand

0 of 12 users found this helpful012

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5

FuturedirectorDec 18, 2016

The island's excelently entertaining story-telling and it's magnificent interpretations cannot be saved of its excesive explotions, inhumanity and deaths that damages its nice plot.

0 of 7 users found this helpful07

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6

FilmMasterEddyAug 13, 2016

It’s the year 2019, and Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) is one of several hundred survivors of a cataclysm that left the whole world contaminated, save one place — the eponymous Island. This lush retreat, Lincoln and the other refugees areIt’s the year 2019, and Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) is one of several hundred survivors of a cataclysm that left the whole world contaminated, save one place — the eponymous Island. This lush retreat, Lincoln and the other refugees are promised, will one day be their home. For now, they’re kept in a lavish but sterile research facility, where authorities force them to wear identifying wrist bracelets; their moods, diet and metabolism are carefully monitored; and male-female “proximity” is strictly forbidden.

Suspicious by nature and prone to prophetic nightmares, Lincoln finds his worst fears confirmed after Starkweather (Michael Clarke Duncan), selected by random lottery to go to the Island, instead winds up on a slab. When his friend and burgeoning love interest, Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), is the next one to win the lottery, Lincoln grabs her and together they stage a jailbreak. Alarmed by the breach, sinister mastermind Dr. Merrick (Sean Bean, adding another to his gallery of villains) hires a mercenary (Djimon Hounsou) to hunt them down.

One of the small charms of “The Island” is that its test-tube protags, far from being hardened heroes, are a pair of brainwashed innocents, sealed off from the outside world and generally lacking in social smarts. McGregor exploits this most winningly, affecting an earnest gee-whiz streak and speaking his lines in a boyish, slightly higher register.

Faring not so well is Johansson, usually the subtlest of actresses, who in her first major action role has been encouraged to make a shrill, bombastic spectacle of her character’s cluelessness.

Another downside of Lincoln and Jordan’s ignorance is that by the time they realize what’s up — that they’re walking “insurance policies,” raised only to supply organs for their genetically identical owners — auds will have long since figured everything out.

While the essentially surprise-free narrative plays catch-up, there’s little to do but sit back and admire Nigel Phelps’ gleaming production design; the biotech facility, in particular, suggests a cross between a day spa, a spaceship and a maximum-security prison. Yet even here, Bay’s direction zips along at such an unmodulated rush, so eager to get on with the next set-piece or expository line of dialogue, that auds will have precious little time to soak up the images, much less allow their potentially troubling implications to deepen and resonate.

Setting and premise conjure countless visual and thematic echoes from other films, including “The Matrix,” with its paranoid dystopian vision and roomful of sticky birth-pods, and even “The Truman Show,” with its 24-hour surveillance cameras and megalomaniacal controller. One scene, featuring an army of mechanized, eye-scanning spiders, is lifted straight out of the more convincingly futuristic “Minority Report.”

The references feel thoroughly secondhand; Bay ultimately is interested in the science and ethics of cloning only insofar as they provide a backdrop for all the vehicular chaos he’s set to unleash. (Ancillary moral: Clones are human, too.)

In terms of spectacle, pic is a pileup of kinetic mayhem, as Lincoln and Jordan’s first actions in the real world include dodging bullets, destroying several police cars and crashing a hovercraft into a skyscraper.

Yet for all the vertiginous camera movements and ace visual effects, the action remains tension-free and largely incoherent, thanks to attention-deficit editing by Paul Rubell and Christian Wagner.

Scribes Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci save their best lines for the superbly snarky Steve Buscemi, as a facility staffer who comes to the clones’ aid (and has a priceless exchange with “Ghost World” co-star Johansson in the process). And pic has sly fun with Lincoln’s and Jordan’s “owners”; former is played by McGregor in an effective second role, while latter is glimpsed in Johansson’s real-life Calvin Klein ad. Other product placements, particularly by Aquafina, are too numerous to mention.

“The Island” is no paradise. In his latest exercise in sensory overkill, producer-helmer Michael Bay takes on the weighty moral conundrums of human cloning, resolving them in a storm of bullets, car chases and more explosions than you can shake a syringe at. Frenetic actioner about refugees from a genetic cloning plant starts off intriguingly, burns up its ideas in the first hour and pads out the rest with joltingly repetitive action sequences.… Expand

0 of 10 users found this helpful010

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6

ThreeboxIndoorsDec 22, 2016

The Island had such great potential with an intriguing premise - and while it is a good movie, it could've been so much more. The first act tries to be mysterious, with Lincoln Six Echo questioning his life. However, for me anyway, it feltThe Island had such great potential with an intriguing premise - and while it is a good movie, it could've been so much more. The first act tries to be mysterious, with Lincoln Six Echo questioning his life. However, for me anyway, it felt like a very weak build up to a first-half-second-act that is actually rather good and exciting. Lincoln is the protagonist, played by Ewan McGregor, who felt a bit robotic and obviously just didn't suit his character at all. His character i found bland and unlikeable, and he has this high voice in the movie that got on my nerves. I don't have a problem with the rest of the cast, and Steve Buscemi was terrific. Scarlett Johannson plays Jordan, the love interest in the movie, who didn't really do anything until right up at the end. The way she and Lincoln meets just felt extremely forced, and the reason she comes on this big journey with him was so convenient. But there is a moment that happens later in the movie when Jordan and Lincoln are stuck in a seemingly imposs - sorry, i mean litterally impossible situation, and i'm wondering what brilliant writing could ever come up with a plausable solution. They manage to survive - but in an insanely ridiculous and impossible way, and the writing there was just flat-out lazy. There are some genius moments in the movie, and some really good humor amongst lots of stupid humor as well. But in the end, The Island is just the same old Michael Bay movie with the same tired structure and cheesy, lazy and unmemorable one-liners and the same Michael Bay movie tropes. It has some great parts to it, a great, exciting first-half-second-act, and some very surprisingly suspenseful moments, and nothing that you could look at and say is terrible. But it definitely has its stupid moments and cliches we've all known to expect from a Michael Bay movie. In the end i am going to give it a 6/10.… Expand

0 of 12 users found this helpful012

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5

MasadaAug 4, 2019

Not many movies are saved by the story until about the middle. Just yikes. Bay's directing style gives me headaches.

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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6

AWESOM-0Feb 4, 2020

Not terrible and for what it is, it's entertaining. Not exactly smart sci-fi but smart for a Michael bay movie.

0 of 9 users found this helpful09

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7

MaddoxWhiteApr 25, 2021

Really weird trip of a movie. Kinda like Truman Show but with generic action scenes thrown in.

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

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6

atabeyordekciAug 19, 2021

A man living in a futuristic sterile colony begins to question his circumscribed existence when his friend is chosen to go to the Island, the last uncontaminated place on earth. (6)

0 of 12 users found this helpful012

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6

JayE.Jan 10, 2008

The film is like a watered down of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Watered down int the sense that it borrows many of scenarios of the Huxley's book but avoids the deeper political, social, educational, philosophical, class The film is like a watered down of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Watered down int the sense that it borrows many of scenarios of the Huxley's book but avoids the deeper political, social, educational, philosophical, class division themes that Huxley uses so skillfully - replacing them with a pretty shallow narrative of the sanctity of human life and the corruption of those who would exploit it. The villains of Huxley's novel are far more complex. They are not motivated by petty greed but by a philosophical conviction in the appropriateness of their actions. This makes their actions and the world they create all the more macabre and compelling. As entertainment not so bad a movie. But I was just left feeling - wow wouldn't it be great if Huxley's novels were reproduced properly and not just squeezed in to the Hollywood formula. Entertainment does not have to be mindless. Deep social commentary does not have to be boring.… Expand