[T]here's plenty to enjoy in the more intimate, character-based moments, if you can cope with the relentlessly overblown action that surrounds them.
The Island (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:180
Fresh:72
Rotten:108
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: A clone of THX 1183, Coma, and Logan's Run, The Island is another loud and bombastic Michael Bay movie where explosions and chases matter more than characters, dialogue, or plot.
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: Michael Bay ("Armageddon," "Pearl Harbor") directs the futuristic action thriller "The Island," starring Ewan McGregor ("Star Wars: Episodes I, II & III," "Moulin Rouge!") and Scarlett Johansson... Michael Bay ("Armageddon," "Pearl Harbor") directs the futuristic action thriller "The Island," starring Ewan McGregor ("Star Wars: Episodes I, II & III," "Moulin Rouge!") and Scarlett Johansson ("Lost in Translation," "Girl With a Pearl Earring"). Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) is a resident of a seemingly utopian but contained facility in the mid-21st century. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to the "The Island"—reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet—until he makes a terrible discovery that everything about his existence is a lie…and that he is actually more valuable dead than alive. Together with a beautiful fellow resident named Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson), Lincoln makes a daring escape to the outside world he's never known. Now, with the forces of the institute that once housed them relentlessly hunting them down, Lincoln and Jordan engage in a desperate race for their lives. Rounding out the main cast of "The Island" are Oscar® nominee Djimon Hounsou ("In America," "Gladiator") as the leader of the security team pursuing Lincoln and Jordan; Sean Bean ("National Treasure," "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) as the head of the Institute; Steve Buscemi ("Ghost World," "Armageddon") as a man who befriends Lincoln despite working for the institute; and Oscar® nominee Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Green Mile," "Armageddon") as another resident who is elated and envied when he is selected to go to "The Island." Michael Bay directed "The Island" from a screenplay by Caspian Tredwell-Owen and Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, based on a story by Tredwell-Owen. Walter F. Parkes, Michael Bay and Ian Bryce produced the film, with Laurie MacDonald serving as executive producer. "The Island" is a co-production of DreamWorks Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, with DreamWorks distributing the film domestically and Warner Bros. handling the international release. -- © Dreamworks [More]
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Ewan McGregor, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Ewan McGregor, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan
Director: Michael Bay
Director: Michael Bay
Screenwriter: Robert Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Caspian Tredwell-Owen
Story: Caspian Tredwell-Owen
Producer: Walter F. Parkes, Michael Bay, Ian Bryce, Laurie MacDonald
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC
Reviews for The Island
Unapologetically action-oriented but it has a passionate subtext too - this Michael Bay's take on every sci-fi movie ever made.
An intelligent, provocative premise wrapped in a bone-chillingly stupid action movie.
It’s extremely well acted by McGregor and Johansson, both of whom bring more to their roles than the script really deserves.
Instead of a movie, he’s delivered a beer commercial version of Logan’s Run for the lobotomized.
I really hoped The Island would be Michael Bay's second best movie. In actuality, it's only his third best.
Michael Bay’s The Island is actually two films with vastly different styles struggling for possession of the screen.
The Island is more than the usual Michael Bay action fest. Beyond the mayhem, there's a timely theme, strapping performances and even jokes.
The movie’s first part works as provocative sci-fi, and the second part works as mindless action mayhem, but the two parts never manage to find a satisfactory coexistence.
Most directors use scripts, but Michael Bay shuffles a deck of cards suited EXPLOSION, CAR CHASE, FIGHT and SEX SCENE.
A high-concept movie that director Michael Bay turns into Bad Boys III: Send in the Clones.
At its best, The Island is like a Michael Crichton movie without Michael Crichton's smarts.
The Island is eventually slammed with a Michael Bay tsunami, a wave of action sequences that are so preposterous they drown the excellent premise ...
If you’re gonna sell your soul in Hollywood, The Island is about as good as it gets
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