** - This 2005 Michael Bay directed sci-fi thriller is basically a rip-off of a movie that was itself a rip-off of a number of earlier stories, with an enormous budgetary increase and Steve Buscemi tossed in as comic relief. The film that “The Island” blatantly rips off is one from the late seventies called “Parts: The Clonus Horror” and that was so bad that it ended up being riffed on in a season 9 episode of MST3K. So from the very outset “The Island” is at a disadvantage due to its lackluster heritage, even though that fact that it is a rip-off only detracts from its enjoyment in principle. That being said, the premise (i.e. people paying for clones to be raised for body part replacement) isn’t all that bad. Or, at least, it wasn’t bad 30 years ago when it was originated. It seems a little trite now, but I would definitely say that this is a substantial improvement over “Parts” due to the lush scenery, outstanding CG backgrounds and design, and better acting from the two leads (played by Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Black Widow). However, the last hour and a half of this two hour and fifteen minute movie is just a series of chase sequences involving cars, boats, helicopters, jet-bikes, mag-lev trains and footraces that are dull and mostly logic-free. This is a film that one shouldn’t think about too much, and if one follows that guideline, it might be worth sitting through.
The Island
** - This 2005 Michael Bay directed sci-fi thriller is basically a rip-off of a movie that was itself a rip-off of a number of earlier stories, with an enormous budgetary increase and Steve Buscemi tossed in as comic relief. The film that “The Island” blatantly rips off is one from the late seventies called “Parts: The Clonus Horror” and that was so bad that it ended up being riffed on in a season 9 episode of MST3K. So from the very outset “The Island” is at a disadvantage due to its lackluster heritage, even though that fact that it is a rip-off only detracts from its enjoyment in principle. That being said, the premise (i.e. people paying for clones to be raised for body part replacement) isn’t all that bad. Or, at least, it wasn’t bad 30 years ago when it was originated. It seems a little trite now, but I would definitely say that this is a substantial improvement over “Parts” due to the lush scenery, outstanding CG backgrounds and design, and better acting from the two leads (played by Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Black Widow). However, the last hour and a half of this two hour and fifteen minute movie is just a series of chase sequences involving cars, boats, helicopters, jet-bikes, mag-lev trains and footraces that are dull and mostly logic-free. This is a film that one shouldn’t think about too much, and if one follows that guideline, it might be worth sitting through.
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