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Science and morality conflict on ‘The Island’
Nick Rupert
Splash!
The summer movie season is finally nearing the end of its run.
The final “Star Wars” film has come and gone, while hits like “Batman Begins,” and “Fantastic Four” are still hanging in there.
However, no summer could be truly complete without the obligatory Michael Bay action movie.
Critics are still railing at him for “Armageddon,” and he’s caught an even greater deal of flack for his work on “Pearl Harbor.” In this review of Bay’s “The Island,” I’ll try to explain why this latest work of his is more comparable to “The Rock” than to some of his lesser duds.
 | | Scarlett Johansson
and Ewen McGregor
discover a secret
about their idyllic
life on “The Island.”
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Initially, this film’s premise plays out much like Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World. Ewan McGregor plays the role of central protagonist Lincoln Six Echo.
In Lincoln’s 21st century world, citizens are encouraged to be naïve and ignorant about their surroundings, and are essentially regarded as human cattle by their superiors. Conformity is a requirement. Ubiquitous video monitoring devices also echo themes from Orwell’s 1984.
Life for Lincoln and his peers consists of rigorous exercise and diet, a strict disciplinary code of conduct, and remaining confined to an immense indoor facility, the general consensus being that the great outdoors are too contaminated to be hospitable to humans.
Inhabitants of the Merrick facility have basically one goal in life: to win a weekly lottery that will earn them a one-way trip to “the island,” which is reported to be the last untainted stretch of wilderness on the planet.
Unfortunately for the Merrick Corporation, McGregor’s character turns out to be somewhat more cunning and curious than his fellow citizens, and with the help of partner Jordan Two Echo, played by the lovely Scarlett Johansson, he ends up uncovering some chilling secrets about both “the island” and the Merrick facility.
Fortunately, the acting in “The Island” is not even in the same league as “ A r m a g e d d o n . ” McGregor and Johansson never ruin key moments with selfindulgent melodrama or scene-stealing. The nature of both of their characters is to be, for the most part, a little more subdued and inquisitive, which works toward the film’s favor.
The addition of Steve Buscemi benefits the story by allowing just enough levity to lighten the mood without going overboard.
Michael Clarke Duncan offers a short and somewhat unmemorable performance, while Sean Bean triumphs as Merrick, the man pulling the strings behind the mysterious installation.
During the first 45 minutes, one could almost forget that this is a Michael Bay movie. In fact, the rich visual imagery, special effects, and camera direction call to mind Alex Proyas’ recent film “I, Robot.”
For a summer blockbuster, “The Island” often delves deeper than most proverbial action flicks, engaging provocative themes and issues, such as the controversial balancing act between science and morality.
Marring this engaging experience are a few blemishes, such as the film’s convoy of shameless product placements.
Products from the likes of Aquafina, X-Box, and Cadillac probably see twice as much screen time as Michael Clarke Duncan. Additionally, the film itself seems too impatient to give up its own secrets.
Instead of building the tension and intrigue, Bay seems more compelled to simply blurt the answers out early on in the film. By the time all the mysteries have been dispelled, there’s still about an hour of film left to burn up.
At this point, Michael Bay does what he is best known for by blowing everything up. Characters, buildings, and even the story itself all get blasted to bits.
While Bay’s explosions and high-speed chases are always entertaining, they eventually become asinine, and do very little to advance the story. Cars collide, buildings topple, and what’s left beneath the wreckage is a mixed, somewhat disturbing message of morality.
The bottom line: This is not typical Michael Bay movie fare. “The Island” raises some interesting questions, and paints us a rather troubling portrayal of the future.
“The Island” is reasonably smart for an action movie, and uncommonly smart for a Michael Bay movie.
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