I worked at Eworks when I first saw the trailer for "The Island." I wasn't blown away by the trailer and neither was anyone I worked with, mainly because we couldn't figure out what the hell the movie was about. Several trailers and TV spots later, I still felt the same way about it. The only thing about the film that interested me was the cast. I really like Scarlett Johansson, Ewan McGregor, and Steve Buscemi. So considering that there was nothing else out this weekend I decided to give "The Island" a chance.

"The Island" is basically about the end of the human race or so we think. The movie's basic storyline for the film is this: the human race gets contaminated and there is this compound that rescues people and decontaminates them. So all of the world's survivors live in this compound with the ultimate goal of going to the Island, where everyone can live a safe and happy life. However, Lincoln (Ewan McGregor) finds that this compound doesn't make much sense and begins to question the whole idea of the island. It isn't long before Lincoln finds out the truth behind the island but just when he does his best friend Jordan (Scarlett Johansson) gets selected to go to the island. It is now up to Lincoln to save Jordan and the rest of the people in the compound from going to the island and ultimately finding out the truth of their existence. An intense and action packed film ensues…

Like I said earlier this film never really interested me but since this summer is really lacking in films, I gave it a chance and I am glad I did. This movie may actually be Michael Bay's move from all action to action and story. While there are still some plot holes in the film and the script could use a little fixing up, the majority of the film was well done especially for someone like Michael Bay. The story was very interesting and seemed pretty realistic. Sure it had a few far-fetched action scenes but what's a summer action movie without them? But on the whole it was action packed, entertaining, interesting, and thought provoking film(wow who would believe that one day I could say that about a Michael Bay movie).

I also never thought I would see Scarlett Johansson play in a Hollywood action/thriller and from her scenes in the trailer it looked like I never wanted to either. However I was pleasantly surprised by how she pulled it off. She seemed to fit the role and was very good at it. But if you ask me would I rather see her in big budget popcorn flicks or independent films, I would still pick the independent films. Ewan McGregor was actually good as well, and again I never thought I would see him pull off a role like this but I guess that proves that both McGregor and Johansson are good actors. It's was also fun to have Ewan and Scarlett giving the film a few chuckles here and there. Steve Buscemi is our comedic relief guy as well as the guy who basically explains the whole island thing to us. He was good but I felt was cut out of the film awfully fast.

Bottom line is that I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of "The Island." It was a lot better then "War of the Worlds" which basically had all action and no story. This film doesn't have a perfect story, but it still has one and has an interesting concept at that. This film isn't going to win best picture any time soon but it's a good summer blockbuster. The basic premise of the film to me seems very believable in the near future. I just suggest buying the biggest popcorn and soda at the theater and enjoy! MovieManMenzel's final rating for "The Island" is a 7/10

THE ISLAND is one of those films that starts off promising with an intriguing first hour before descending into the kind of banality that only Michael Bay knows how to make – see TRANSFORMERS for another good example. For the first hour or so we're put into an institutionalised world of clones and cloning and the suspense moves along quite a bit. Although the movie is obviously heavily derived from others that have come before it – LOGAN'S RUN, MINORITY REPORT, most noticeably THE CLONUS HORROR (the makers of whom were compensated due to the 'similarities'), it moves along nicely with some nice supporting acting to drive us along. All right, so Bay's camera-work can be a bit distracting (vertigo-inducing at times) but I was really enjoying it.

Then the two heroes of the film escape the compound and the buck stops there. It's as if that was the end of the script and the guys on set were just making it up as they went along. Sure, there are a few twists (including the inevitable clone-meeting-the-cloned scene) and an ending that confirms EXACTLY to Hollywood standards, but for the rest this is just a big, long bloated action scene that lasts almost an hour and a half after the story ends. Now I love action movies – and sometimes I love films where they're just action without story (usually martial arts films like WARRIOR KING). But the action here is overblown, over-bloated, and soulless, action where they're throwing millions of dollars a minute at the screen but can get hardly anything right. Cars explode, people are shot and blown up, buildings are trashed and people jump off skyscrapers and survive. None of it is remotely realistic but I did enjoy – hugely, come to that – one bit, which is the freeway chase, when the good guys on a truck are off-loading train wheels at their pursuers. Okay, so it's an obvious reprise of the freeway chase in BAD BOYS II, but in terms of sheer spectacle and carnage it takes some beating.

So much time is spent on the action that the ending is really rushed and full of plot holes. Once again we have an enemy base with a built-in 'self destruct' button (or rather, a lever here) that blows the whole thing – why do they make such expensive places so simple to destroy? There are other crazy moments – characters switching allegiance just like that, one character getting captured and not even searched so they can produce a weapon later – but by this stage you end up not caring. The fault definitely lies with Bay and the scriptwriter, because the actors do a decent job. McGregor and Johansson are young, pretty, fairly charismatic leads, and the likes of Michael Clarke Duncan, Steve Buscemi, and Ethan Phillips put in great minor performances. Sean Bean's on hand as the typecast British bad guy but he's still good value for money. The only one who sticks out like a sore thumb is Djimon Hounsou, so good in BLOOD DIAMOND, so wooden here. You wouldn't believe it's the same guy, but then again he gets about three lines of dialogue and the camera just dwells on him looking 'cool' for the rest of it. In the end, THE ISLAND is really a film of two halves – a good first half and a pretty bad second. It evens off as a distinctly average movie, one you can watch but not bother seeing again.

It's 2019 and the world is contaminated. Lincoln 6 Echo (Ewan McGregor) lives in a golden cage, a futuristic facility where his every need is tended for. He is closely monitored and hopes to be chosen for The Island, the last pathogen free zone. He's been having disturbing nightmares and he keeps questioning his world. Everybody is childlike. The supervisors are hiding something from them. His friend Jordan 2 Delta (Scarlett Johansson) gets picked by the lottery. While exploring, he discovers that the facility is actually a farce. Lincoln witnesses a former lottery winner escaping from a botched surgery to remove his organs. He and his kind are clones. They are being used for spare parts. He escapes with Jordan followed by the corporate henchmen led by mercenary Albert Laurent (Djimon Hounsou).

Before the reveal, this is actually quite boring. The oddities make me scratch my head mostly. It's not interesting enough for me to ponder. I also find all the brand names very annoying. Why the clones need brand names is beyond me. And why is there a holographic projection? Those are just two of the many questionable things. The movie also feels derivative of other better sci-fi. There are a lot of flashy bits and pieces to distract the audience. Once it switches after the escape, director Michael Bay uses all his expertise to make an above average action adventure movie. That's one thing he's great at. The man knows how to do action. The car chase with the railroad axles come off great. It almost makes me forget all the questions I have.