The Island

By : Suzanne Philips

July 17, 2005

Saw a DreamWorks press screening of The Island on Friday night:

If you have seen any of the trailers for this film on TV, they really do not 
do it any justice.  I really went into this film thinking it was one thing 
from the clips I had seen, when it really was so much different, in a good way.

Basic premise is in the future, you can have a clone made and if you get 
sick, you can take parts of that clone and use them to heal you.  Only the clones 
live in this isolated society and do not know that they are clones. I don't 
want to give away too much of the story but this is just to give you a starting 
point.

Let me start by saying that Michael Bay is by far not my fave director and is 
usually seen as a director who makes blow em up action films with not much 
story of purpose.  Having seen "The Island" I have to say I think it is his best 
work to date.  

The script is really well written and surprisingly really funny.  I was 
expecting lame puns a la Armageddon but this is actually a comedy in some ways.  
There are still many huge actions sequences where stuff blows up but these 
scenes are really impressive.  I felt like we were on an amusement park ride for 
most of the 2 hour film.  Visually the stunts are impressive and the crowd just 
gasps in many places.  The thing that really struck me about this film when 
compared to Bay's other works was that this film is really character based and 
makes some really good commentaries on society, progress, etc.

The things that I really liked were the underlying themes: Does science and 
progress do wrong in the name of furthering human life - Is it wrong to 
persecute a whole group of people because society views them in a certain way - 
Should liberty be something that someone else has control over.  You can simply 
view this film as a straight up action film and be fine with it but the themes 
are there if you look at them.

The acting was brilliant!

Ewan McGregor - sigh - I love him in everything he has ever done but he is 
fantastic here, he actually plays 2 roles in this film - I won't spoil it more 
than that!- and he is funny, touching, sexy, and most of all looks good in 
tight spandex! :)

Scarlett Johannson - I really liked her in this film, she is great in the 
action scenes, but is really convincing as this clone who is truly very 
childlike.  And I don't know who did her hair for the film but man am I cutting my
hair 
like that!  

Sean Bean - I think the first time he came onscreen I swallowed my tongue.  
He is mostly in black suits with these wire rimmed glasses - who was it hot in 
there.  Like my friend said he really plays a bad guy to the hilt - always 
stopping just short of the line of being over the top.  He is so good in every 
film he is just a joy to watch.

Steve Buscemi is great, funny and tragic all at once.

Michael Clarke Duncan - although in a small role is really great and fun to 
watch.

Djimon Hounsou is fantastic, I have liked him in every film but he is a 
commanding presence here as an ex Special Forces guy turned private security.  

It was a bit long, clocking in at just over 2 hours, but a fun ride that 
totally keeps you in the moment for the whole time.

My friend hated the film, and as much as I love her, she seemed to be in the 
minority from the buzz outside the theatre.  Definitely worth your money!

Suz