The Island: Review

Sometimes, one just needs to shake their head in disbelief at what kinds of films get released today. This may seem surprising, coming from someone who argues for the merits of today's cinematic offerings, but in the case of a movie like The Island, there is no argument. Michael Bay's most recent opus is everything you would expect from him: grandiose action sequences and less than stellar dialogue. What makes The Island so disappointing is its promise of something greater. At first glance, it seems like it could be a dark, gritty sci-fi thriller that ponders some interesting questions facing modern society. However, after the initial opening sequences, when Bay's instincts take over, the film comes crashing to the ground, slamming its momentum to stand still during sequence after sequence of boring, uninspired action.

The Island is so disappointing due to its uneven nature. The opening scenes are well executed, filled with a mystery and fantastic visions. It’s no more than a giant tease. While Bay seems to be working under the pretense that he is saying something notable, he is drowned out by his own action, explosions and gunshots deafening his screams of importance. What Bay seems to miss (and what others such as Spielberg and Scott seem not to miss) is that repeated visuals of violence and extraordinary stunts do not make a narrative. Rather, they serve to slow down the proceedings, forcing the audience to stop the narrative in their minds to take in the visual montage of death and destruction. Very few directors are skilled enough to insert narrative into action and Bay, unfortunately for any audience with the slightest inkling of intelligence, is not one of them.
This is not to say that Bay is without talent or skill. He has a sharp eye for static shots (which are very few and far between as he chooses the perpetually shaking hand held camera as his means of exciting the audience) and is able to compose imagery of striking color and lighting. He has always shown this gift, in The Rock, Armageddon and even Gone in 60 Seconds, a remake so idiotic that it strips away any dignity the original might have had left. The Island could have been a beautiful movie, composed of colorful, off kilter shots. Instead, much of the visual magic is lost in the camera's kinetic shifts, swinging around its subject with gleeful abandon, either unwilling or unable to stay in a single position for much longer than 3 seconds. It truly is a shame that Bay's obvious talent is lost on generic, unintelligible action-ers. I would be interested to see what he could do if he showed even the slightest bit of restraint.

The leads, Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, try their hardest to fling their beautiful bodies around the screen, screaming "Run!" as gunfire erupts around them for those stupid enough to sit around during extreme danger. McGregor is as affable as ever, grinning or grimacing when need be. Johansson, who showed so much promise in films like The Man Who Wasn't There, Lost in Translation and Ghost World does not live up to any of it here but at least she manages to do it while remaining at her attractive best, something one must believe was Bay's intention. This is a terrible waste of talent. Had these two been given adequate material, they might have been able to make something of it. For once, one cannot fault Bay here but rather merely guess how a screenplay so uneven gets made. Most disappointing of all is Djimon Honsou, one of the best actors working today, and the way that Bay wastes such talent. I'm not sure what Honsou saw here other than an attempt to make a huge summer blockbuster, which is fine: everyone enjoys a good escape. One just wishes he chose a better project to attach to.
As any good science fiction fan will tell you, the most important task when creating something Sci-Fi, be it literature or film, is that in addition to the narrative, the character's surroundings must be fleshed out and somewhat believable. Blade Runner may not look like a futuristic LA to most but its vision is so complete and coherent that it is impossible not to be swept up in it all. Minority Report brilliantly updated Washington DC, retaining landmarks that give the district its local flavor. Hell, even Star Wars' world felt lived in. It was dirty and downtrodden. It felt like it a galaxy ripped apart by war. Life was not clean and tidy. The Island on the other hand, must not have gotten the memo. Its LA is not believable or recognizable. There is nothing, short of calling it LA, to show the audience that it is in fact The City of Angels. Rather, it feels like a cookie cutter futuristic town, no different from any other. This could have had an easy fix. Short of Washington or New York, LA features as many recognizable urban images as any other American city. Why not show the Hollywood sign or the massive freeway system? Why not Hollywood Boulevard or Beverly Hills? Why not the old Spanish architecture? Are we, as the audience, truly meant to believe that in 50 years, Los Angeles has been stripped of everything that has made it LA to us? Even Blade Runner's surroundings, a far cry from what we see in The Island, are more effective. At least they give the city some sort of life.

Perhaps it is just me but this movie was thoroughly disappointing, failing to live up to any of the expectations that the trailer or advertising materials seemed to suggest. Under the right guidance, this could have been a believable, thoughtful examination of the morality involving in cloning and genetic experiments with some great adventure thrown. As it is, its no more than a self-indulgent mess, a vehicle for Bay to stretch his violence 50 years into the future. Its vision is incomplete and dull. Its action sequences derivative and repetitive. I can't believe that one could write this but after last evening’s fiasco, this reviewer wishes that Bay would just sit down, knock down a drink and relax. Until he does, one can expect nothing more than continuous and utter disappointment.

**/ *****