The Island

Neelix is in the movie!

He is!
As you can see by the poster above, I went to a screening of The Island with my friend Scoop the other day. Nice enjoyable movie that went well with the Safeway Subs that we had conveniently had with us.
Mmmm, safeway subs. So tasty, so filling. So good.
I should get paid for that.

Anyways.

The movie is about these people who are in a facility where they are told that they are the last survivors on Earth after some sort of fallout. They all have a chance to win a lottery. The prize being a trip to the last uncontanimated place on Earth.
The Island.
aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh ( sung in an angelic voice)
But a certain someone, Lincoln 6 Echo(Ewan McGregor), finds out that this isn't so. He thus takes his very ravishingly gorgeous friend, Jordan 2 Delta(Scarlett Johansson), and they go on the run to escape the evil fate that awaits them at the hands of Dr. Merrick(Sean Bean).
dum dum duuuuuum.

The movie clocks in at about 2hrs and 15min. Not bad. Zips along too, so it doesn't seem to drag. For the most art, unless you get bored.

The movie starts off as a classic sci-fi but then turns into a classic action sci-fi chase movie. Too bad. It had some interesting things to work with. Cloning, whatnot and such. But it is Michael Bay after all. It also starts off with a nice clean stark look, due to the medical type facility in which the movie begins. When they get outside though, we are flooded with brown. Can't say I like that too much. Reminds me of Swordfish, without the orange.

Ewan McGregor(L6E) was very good. Always entertaining he is. The humourous moments that came out of his role were top notch. I like him and I don't really have anything to say about him. Nothing that troubled me, so he shall be spared my wrath this time.......
This time.

Scarlett Johansson(J2D) was, I can't believe I'm saying this, not very good eye candy for the start of the film. Don't get me wrong, she's gorgeous. But something about the way she just stands there with her lovely lips slightly apart, looking off into the distance, was..... off.
That and she looked kinda ditzy. Other than that she looks amazing at times in the film and her pants fit her o so well.
Oh so well.
As the movie went on, she got more and more radiant. The good kind. Not the bad kind that we are first subjected to. By the end though, you won't remember the ditzy, weirdness.
Just the,
"Oh my!"
and
"Why is the movie only pg-13, dammit!"

Djimon Hounsou, as I continue to find out, was one of the best things about The Island. I love this guy.
He was great in Gladiator & was the best part of Constantine. That's right, The.

Neelix is in the movie!
Sans makeup.
Not just a little bit part. An almost big, bit part is what he got.
Steve Buscemi makes a few appearances in the movie. Wasn't even a creepy part.
Yay Buscemi!
As did Michael Clarke Duncan. Bit part that is, the smaller variety. More of a role, time wise, that Sean Bean would usually get. Speaking of Sean Bean....

Sean Bean. What can I say about him. Well, he makes a great bad guy. He is awesome. Only problem is, all his good movies only have him in them for small amounts. This flick has him through out. I think he's trying to ruin my theory. The aptly named, Sean Bean Theory.
Nonetheless, he is evil and conniving in all the right ways.
Well done 006.
Well done.

I can honestly say that I think that this is one of the slowest action movies that Michael Bay has done. That ain't saying much if you've seen any of his other action movies. I'll give him some credit though. The choppers, and there's always choppers in his movies, don't show for almost an hour. He didn't bring the suckas in until about 55min in. But don't worry, you'll see a lot of them after that.

As for the special effects, they were top notch. Nothing stick out like a sore thumb with one exception. The only bad spot was during the 2nd half of the car chase. Jet bikes and blending in, don't seem to go together.

Now here is the major problem with the movie. Other than Michael Bay trying to make a smart sci-fi movie. Let me put it thusly...holy product placement batman.
Cadilac, Aquafina, xbox, msn search. michelob.
Now normally, I don't care , but when it is as blatant as the placements in this movie, I get annoyed. Takes you out of the movie. Real bad.
Example:
One point in the movie, they (L6E and J2D) are told to use the information directory. When they find one, what do we see? A msn search booth. Nice and subtle fellas.
Near the start of the film, L6E an J2D are duking it out in this virtual fighting simulator thingy. Huge scoreboard on the back wall that all the spectators can checkout. Escpecially the huge xbox logos on it. That's right, I said logos. As in, more than 1.
It seems that in the future, the last non-contanimated place on the planet, other than the island, has an xbox.
puh-leese. (eye roll required)

All in all the movie is not too bad. Other than the crazy blatant product placements and Sean Bean trying to ruin my theory.
It makes for a good background flick. Could throw the flick on and just have the images wash over the room as you go about your day. Kinda like in Minority Report when John Anderton gets his eyes replaced. Except that instead of a film noir, you got a somewhat fluffy action movie with less memorable lines and more brown. But nontheless, similar to that.
If you're into it, the movie holds your attention and it kinda zips by. But, if you're not into it or are tired, the movie won't do anything for you. You might even fall alseep. *coughscoopcough*

Did I mention that Neelix is in the movie!