|
 |
The Island Director: Michael Bay Rating: M Now Showing 
Michael Bay ('Bad Boys', 'Pearl Harbour') is a director who can be
relied upon to deliver plenty of action, even, it could be said, at
the expense of details like plot and characterisation. With 'The Island',
a futuristic dystopia in the finest tradition, Bay tackles the weighty
subject of human cloning, arguably an issue that demands intelligent
treatment.The year is 2019. Lincoln-Six-Echo (Ewan McGregor) is one of the many thousands of human beings kept in a strictly controlled, sealed institute run by the brilliant Doctor Merrick (Sean Bean). The world outside is heavily contaminated, and those inside are the only survivors. There is just one unspoilt place left outside: the Island, to which winners of the institute's lottery are sent. Or so the inmates are told. When Lincoln starts to ask questions he learns that all the people in the institute are clones, created to serve as spare parts to the rich and famous of the outside world. He flees with his closest friend, Jordan-Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson), pursued by Laurent (Djimon Hounsou), a bounty hunter hired by Merrick to retrieve the two "products". Science-fiction fans may find some of the material here rather familiar; the story told to the clones is remarkably similar to the set-up for 'Blade Runner', and parts of the design look like they were pinched from 'The Matrix' and 'Minority Report'. And speaking of familiar images, product placement is alive and well in the future, the highlight being a real-life Calvin Klein ad starring Johansson, watched by Jordan-Two-Delta. The many action sequences are handled with a master touch, allowing big-screen audiences to feel every impact. The surprise comes with a clever story line that is deceptively simple and superbly paced. True, the ethical issues of cloning are mostly unexplored and there are some niggling plot points left unaddressed, but great design, deftly maintained tension and clever humour (like the clones discovering the word dude, spelt "d-o-o-d") make this one of the best action films of the past few years. The heart of 'The Island' comes from the relationship of the two main characters, and the leads rise to the occasion, bringing humanity to the essentially adolescent clones. Johansson particularly excels, with an air of naivete that is both funny and touching, while McGregor gets double the fun when he gets to play his clone's far worldlier originator (a device that also explains his slightly irritating faux-American accent). Bean knows exactly what is required of him as the sinister Merrick, as does Steve Buscemi, playing the cynical but kind-hearted McCord. Hounsou isn't given much to work with for most of the film, but he makes a menacing hunter none the less. If you want a deeply intellectual discussion of the potential dangers of scientific advancement, stay home. But if you're after a fun, clever action romp that also has something to say about turning humans into commodities, then I suggest you take a trip to 'The Island'.  |
|
The latest issue available now!     |
All content copyright dB Magazine