The Island

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Audience Member It's good. Should have slowed down. If it had some blade runner style chill and noir instead of rediculous and relentless action sequences that nobody could possibly survive. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/06/25 Full Review Matthew D Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson captivate in Michael Bay’s best film! Director Michael Bay’s sci-fi action thriller The Island (2005) is like a miracle of filmmaking. The Island is hands down Michael Bay’s best film. Bay delivers kinetic direction, enthralling sci-fi concepts, positive messaging against fascist corporations, gripping tension, raw emotions, clear shots, atmospheric lighting, crisp cinematography, smart writing, fiery action, sweet romance, crazy practical stunts, striking sets, creative costuming, stunning hair and makeup, and passionate filmmaking. Bay was seriously firing on all cylinders here. I loved this movie as a kid, but I now appreciate The Island as a genuinely impressive and thoughtful piece of art. Caspian Tredwell-Owen’s science-fiction storyline about the lack of ethics of a capitalist corporation that takes human life in their hands is fascinating. I will not spoil anything so any new viewers can be amazed by the reveals. The Island is neat because it is visually gorgeous like Gattaca, Equilibrium, The Matrix, and Ultraviolet. I feel like The Island was inspired by The Village, The Fugitive, A Clockwork Orange, Soylent Green, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Brave New World, Logan’s Run, Blade Runner, Heat, and Aeon Flux. It’s a sci-fi food platter made for maximalist Michael Bay to supercharge with his insane sweeping visuals. The icy blues throughout The Island are mesmerizing. Screenwriters Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci bring sci-fi, action, romance, drama, comedy, and even a bit of horror to this bold vision of unethical practices. The Island is simply brilliantly written. Ewan McGregor is excellent as the confused and curious hero Lincoln Six Echo. McGregor is great because he’s likable and charismatic as he desperately tries to find meaning to his life. He was the coolest actor in the world to me back then and I’m glad to see his performance really holds up. He goes from gullible and sweetly naive to shocked, hurt, brave, and romantic. Scarlett Johansson is drop dead gorgeous in The Island as the lovable heroine Jordan Two Delta. Johansson is very protective and playful with Ewan, but also you see Scarlett’s subtle acting choices when Jordan recognizes lies and danger. She really looks like the most beautiful woman in the world throughout The Island. I found her very emotionally compelling with a super strong dramatic performance that is as captivating as Ewan’s here. Djimon Hounsou is awesome as the contract killer Albert Laurent, who decides to stand for what is right after being inspired by Lincoln Six Echo’s courage and fighting for survival. Hounsou’s character starts off as brutal, cold, and relentless, then you see his mind gradually change due to Hounsou’s nuanced acting choices. Michael Clarke Duncan is only in a few brief moments as Starkweather Two Delta, but he instantly delivers sheer joy, disturbed shock, terrified fear, and then totally agonized despair. Sean Bean is a ferocious and quietly menacing villain as sadistic Dr. Merrick with a god complex. Steve Buscemi is hilarious and entertaining as Mac McCord, the engineer guy at the facility. Shawnee Smith is very pretty and funny as Mac’s girlfriend Suzie. Editors Paul Rubell and Christian Wagner do dreamy cuts as well as frenzied cuts during the numerous chase sequences. Cinematographer Mauro Fiore creates all these striking wide shots and enthralling close-ups of Ewan and Scarlett. The skilled camera operators neatly keep the camera moving fast, but not shaking all over the place like later Michael Bay movies. It’s very exciting seeing how Bay directs increasingly fast chase sequences throughout The Island. The icy and sunny lighting by Michael Bauman, Kevin Brown, Rachel Wells, James Lawrence, Spencer Craig Scagnetti, and Thomas Wostak looks immaculate. Production designers Nigel Phelps and David E. Scott crafted cool sci-fi facilities for The Island. I love the heavenly blue waters, icy halls, and fiery orange deserts by the art directors. The practical effects and stunts for the action are still astonishingly well executed. Composer Steve Jablonsky’s emotional film score is very pretty with a hypnotizing main melody that repeats throughout The Island. This is certainly the prettiest score you’ll ever hear in a Michael Bay film. The sound design team went crazy with noises for motorcycle and car engine revving, knife slashes, laser pointing, huge explosions, feet sprinting, to recording ultra clear voice recordings. Costume designer Deborah L. Scott’s white tracksuits for The Island are iconic. All the outfits are very chic, especially for Scarlett. The hair and makeup team ensure that Scarlett glows with a radiant beauty that is breathtaking for her cute blush and striking platinum blonde straight hair look. In short, The Island is Michael Bay’s best film for sure that is impeccably crafted and enthralling for 136 minutes. Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson deliver some of their finest acting in this nearly forgotten movie. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/28/25 Full Review Peter F This movie was awesome I don't know what's wrong with people. Compared to movies today the plot slaps. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/24/25 Full Review Dave H This is one of those very rare movies that are perfectly cast, acted, and directed. It will age well. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/05/25 Full Review Ben P If auteur theory is to be believed, then Michael Bay may just be one of the most interesting directors working today. For 30 years, he has made essentially the same movies, surviving the whims of the Hollywood studio system, the rise of digital filmmaking, and the new world of streaming. The 59-year-old is one of the few to come through unscathed, partially because he managed to land his own franchise, but also because his films are almost critic-proof. Stupid, dorky, infantile, explosive, misogynistic—he's heard it all since Bad Boys in 1995 and has, for better or worse, not changed a thing (if anything, he’s gone even deeper). Full review on my Substack: https://benpatten.substack.com/ Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/11/25 Full Review Gregory S Thought that it is one of the smarter Bay movies, which isn’t saying a whole lot. The cinematography and action scenes are great. However, not smart enough for the questions that it actually strives to answer. I wish Nolan or Spielberg would have tackled this movie instead. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/03/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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