The Island

I really didn't plan to see The Island. A few times in prior reviews I have mentioned movie trailers since they have a powerful impact on decisions I make for what films I will attend and also provide a basis for my expectations on how good the movie might be. While I do attempt to withhold judgment on a film before seeing it, in reality the trailer does affect my anticipation on seeing the movie or not.

In this respect, The Island's trailer failed miserably to provide any real sense of the film, failing to clarify what the film would be about beyond some science fiction type thriller. I ended up seeing the film on July 22 2005 at Coral Ridge Mall for the 10:00pm timeslot basically because I was bored and there weren't any other movies that had just been released I wanted to watch.

The movie stars Ewan McGregor as Lincoln Six Echo, a member of a community of survivors on future Earth. The world has undergone high contamination, so everyone lives indoors in a rigidly controlled environment. These inhabitants are then used to repopulate the world using a process called the lottery where daily winners are shipped to the last contaminant-free zone aptly named "The Island", a true New Age Garden of Eden. The community's members are all very simple living in basic harmonious existence other than a few occasional outbursts by 1 member of the community and by the constant questions Lincoln begins asking.

The film progresses to reveal at first in small clues and later in much more detail via Steve Buscemi's McCord character the meaning behind this pristine world populated by those with educations no higher than 15-year-olds and the staff who oversee them. Ewan as Lincoln does a splendid job and so does his female co-star Scarlett Johansson playing Jordan Two Delta. They both bring naïveté and simplicity to the roles along with their gradual comprehension of events spurring them into action.

A thought provoking science fiction adventure, some scenes in the film recall past historical atrocities such as branding people and gasing those who are different and considered non-human. Overall, the whole script shines, the future built by the movie is fascinating, the acting is top-notch, and only a few moments of unbelievability pose any problems--the duo's ability to easily defy death in so many extraordinary circumstances and the harsh prior military leader (Djimon Hounsou) who has a sudden change of heart at the very end.

This film deservers a solid good rank and is just shy of getting a great. I even went to see it a second time to better appreciate the small points in the script where I'd previously missed clues to the whole story. It is just as enjoyable when viewed again as I could then understand everything happening.

Please feel free to comment on this review or on the movie itself at the forum thread devoted to it at this location.