A Review by Phil Calabro
2005, Dreamworks SKG/Warner Brothers, Dir. Michael Bay - Starring Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johannson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan, Ethan Phillips, Brian Stepanek, Noa Tishby, Siobhan Flynn, Max Baker, Shawnee Smith
The other day, me and my friend were having a scathing argument over lunch. Not about politics within the DC city limits, not about the quality of our food, but about Michael Bay. He remains to be one of Hollywood's most controversial directors - but not in the sense that his movies deal with risque material, but simply because his movies tend to be horrible in quality and yet he continues to crack deals. Certainly, studios recognize cash cows easily, but they can't forget tankers like 'Pearl Harbor' easily. When Martin Brest made 'Gigli', you didn't see him coming out with 'Meet Joe Black Again', now did you? But Michael Bay's biggest problem may have been his biggest inspiration, producer Jerry Bruckheimer. With the freedom from the infamous producer, and having hooked a deal with Dreamworks instead, Bay has created one of his best works to date. 'The Island' allows the director to apply a twofold situation for the audience: an intelligent and mulling argument against the act of cloning, along with the trademark explosive climactic action that typifies all of his movies.
In what seems to be a utopian society, Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) is just another person in the crowd. He dresses in the same all-white attire as the others do, is kept under close watch psychologically and physically by 'Big Brother'-esque doctors across the facilities, and doesn't seem to have a real grasp on the purpose of his life. In this facility, the people are told they are the surviving humans from what was the contamination of the Earth, leaving everyone dead except a few. In this stuffy environment, there is the Island, the last uncotaminated area on Earth, which is open to anyone who is selected through a lottery system each day. Lincoln has a recurring dream that he is about to enter the Island but is thrown out of the boat - and questions whether there is an Island at all. His doctor, Merrick (Bean), assures him everything is alright. But the more he snoops around, he learns the unthinkable truth - they are living in an underground bunker in Arizona, and are the clones of other humans on earth, only to be killed (or 'sent to the Island') for their organs and tissue to be given to their clients. With female companion Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson), who was about to be shipped to the Island, they must stop the system before it's too late.
Ewan McGregor plays an emotionless character, who is just learning to build up his intelligence from everything he encounters in the real world. This basically means that it's not taking him too much effort to give a good performance, but he still manages to make the most out of Lincoln's heroism. He's a little bit ferocious Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a little curious Rodney Copperbottom - he's had a strong year at the movies so far, starring in two of the biggest money-makers, and there's no doubt people will be able to associate with this character. Scarlett Johansson makes an interesting turn as Jordan Two-Delta, an innocent and numb young woman. It's so easy seeing her in serious and juicy roles, but here's a great turn - not to say that she should quit her day job. She's great with the whole sexual tension vibe passed around, as well as a full-fledged heroine. Djimon Hounsou gives another solid performance as Albert Laurent, a hitman sent to kill the two clones, but has his sympathetic side struck when he feels pity for them. Sean Bean is deliciously evil, a skill he was born with, and Steve Buscemi strikes again with another comic-relief-driven role.
There's something I appreciate more about 'The Island' than another movies I have seen dealing with utopian society. Unlike Michael Radford's tortorous '1984', Bay takes the system a little less seriously - these are not the prosaic heroes like Winston Smith that use philosophy to conquer their respective Big Brother. It's less tense in the governmental sense, and it makes it easier for us to associate with the hero - casually presenting who stand for. I feel if Bay's classic explosions and car chases had been removed, the movie would've lost its touch. It gives multiple audiences something to think about - don't turn down this movie simply because it's Michael Bay - give it a chance, and you'll be pleasantly surprised. The first 45 minutes is a great tale that leads to the shocking conclusion of cloning. It also makes for wonderful dinner table conversations, too!
'The Island' is your average popcorn flick and well-crafted psych-thriller melded into one summer movie. It's got a good amount of crashes and explosives to tender any thirst for that action fan, but interest the curious politicos in the family as well. By far, this is Michael Bay's best since 'The Rock', and opens a new gate of possibility for the director's career.
