Michael Bay's The Island

[DeathHammer]

Please Delete Thanks

Edited February 9, 2010 by DeathHammer

[JB0]

Caught this one as it was leaving theaters(yay cheap tickets).

Was an interesting idea, but poorly executed. As you pointed out, it just snaps at the half-way point and becomes a totally diffrent movie.

AND CLONES DON'T HAVE MEMORIES! STOP IT, HOLLYWOOD!

...

Actually, that point wasn't really dealt with. The only real alternative was clones with a psychic link to their genetic donor, though. And that's not really an improvement.

As for why it didn't do well...

The fact that it "started slow" undoubtedly drove audiences away. The average moviegoer doesn't want to think. They want an explosion or gunfight in the first 15 minutes, and at regularly-scheduled intervals through the rest of the film.

Yes, I have a dim view of the average.

So yeah. Good for a rental. But don't buy it.

[Sundown]

I don't know why it didn't do better at the box office, it had decent star power and had good summer popcorn flick elements in it. Maybe sci fi just doesn't get a big enough draw for a summer crowd unless its a comedy ( Men In Black) or makes no sense at all (ID4)

You missed the obvious. Or if Will Smith is in it. I believe I. Robot did okay as well, and it was at least based on a hard sci-fi premise. But apparently "Oh, hell no." makes such a thing watchable.

[Die, Alien Scum!]

I thought it was a fun ride regardless of its flaws. Plus Scarlett Johansson is so damn hot, that alone can make up for a lot. But I have to say, that car chase was one of the best I've seen. Right up there with "Bullitt", "The French Connection", and "To Live and Die In L.A."

[JB0]

I don't know why it didn't do better at the box office, it had decent star power and had good summer popcorn flick elements in it. Maybe sci fi just doesn't get a big enough draw for a summer crowd unless its a comedy ( Men In Black) or makes no sense at all (ID4)

You missed the obvious. Or if Will Smith is in it. I believe I. Robot did okay as well, and it was at least based on a hard sci-fi premise. But apparently "Oh, hell no." makes such a thing watchable.

381532[/snapback]

I, Robot was also a better movie.

And they got the action hook in fast and sustained it. The violent robots promised by the ad team showed up early and sustained their presence through to the end.

The Island had no promises of action in the ads(that I recall) and the first ... third, I believe, of the movie had none. For a nation of explision addicts and adrenaline junkies, it was doomed from the start.

[myk]

I thought it was a fun ride regardless of its flaws. Plus Scarlett Johansson is so damn hot, that alone can make up for a lot.

I stopped paying attention after you mentioned her...

[Duke Togo]

Ice Pirates is similar to Star Wars, doesn't mean I'd watch it.

[Black Valkyrie]

Didn`t watch the movie, not a movie fan but what concerns me that he`ll be directing the upcoming TF movie.

[EXO]

Comparing I,Robot to The Island is like comparing feces to stool.

Michael Bay shouldn't be a director as he has no concept of story, he should be a cinematographer instead.

[realdeal]

I saw this movie when it was in the theatres. It was surprisingly good. Actually I also remember people around me also saying it was a lot better than they thought it would be. The plot, action scenes, and direction were all good IMO. Better than Pearl Harbor at least!

[valk1j]

"The Island" is a complete ripoff of a movie called "Parts: The Clonus Horror". A low budget movie that has also been seen on MST3K. Most of the ideas came from this movie.

Link

Link

Edited March 20, 2006 by valk1j

[j_wong00]

The two movies I started thinking about when I saw the trailer, were "Logan's Run", and "Soylent Green".

[Sundown]

I, Robot was also a better movie.

And they got the action hook in fast and sustained it. The violent robots promised by the ad team showed up early and sustained their presence through to the end.

The Island had no promises of action in the ads(that I recall) and the first ... third, I believe, of the movie had none. For a nation of explision addicts and adrenaline junkies, it was doomed from the start.

381575[/snapback]

To tell you the truth, I actually liked both movies. I, Robot turned out better than expected, and I enjoyed The Island, so long as I didn't start thinking about expectations and what sort of movie it's "supposed" to be. But I do agree that the transition was a little odd. I didn't mind it, and I liked the fact that it added some slightly cerebral bits and followed it up with action, but I did feel the change of pace.

And yes, that whole shared memory thing made no sense, and would be one of the major problems I have with the movie, but I pretty much ignored it so I could enjoy the parts of the movie I liked.

[JB0]

The two movies I started thinking about when I saw the trailer, were "Logan's Run", and "Soylent Green".

382331[/snapback]

WENDY'S CHILI IS MADE OF PEOPLE!

[eugimon]

mmmm, must be why I like their chili so much... yummy.

I also liked Island.. it was fun and decently acted and scripted.

BTW, clones having memories predates hollywood... herbert did it in his Dune books.

[JB0]

BTW, clones having memories predates hollywood... herbert did it in his Dune books.

382605[/snapback]

I know. I never claimed it was a new idea.

It's just one that needs to die.

...

Or at least be expanded upon. The movie never dealt with the issue. Just chalked it up to them damn clones having curiosity. YOU DON'T LEARN FRENCH BY LOOKING AT BUTTERFLIES!

[Nied]

The two movies I started thinking about when I saw the trailer, were "Logan's Run", and "Soylent Green".

382331[/snapback]

What I thought about from looking at the trailer (and what I said to my fiance at the conclusion of the trailer) was: "Aren't zere any evil movies on, maybe about an evil island somevere?"

[Skullsixx]

Next on Director Bryan Singer's (Superman Returns/X-Men) list is Logans Run. I wonder if Michael Bay actually wanted to do that film and came up with this instead? Very close in concept. Makes ya think huh?

[areaseven]

After over five years of avoiding this movie, I finally decided to watch it over the weekend - especially after someone pointed out that parts of the car chase scene were recycled into Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I'll just say that The Island is not a bad movie, but is much too derivative of '70s dystopian sci-fi films such as Logan's Run and THX 1138. The whole fiasco of it plagiarizing Parts: The Clonus Horror doesn't help, either. (I haven't seen Parts: The Clonus Horror yet, but after watching the trailer, I'm convinced The Island ripped it off.) The special effects are very good and the cinematography is actually tolerable compared to Bay's other works. It would have been a better movie if the story had a sense of originality.

[mikeszekely]

I'll give you kudos for using the search and not creating a new topic, but five years? That's gotta be some kind of record.

Edited July 18, 2011 by mikeszekely

[sketchley]

Aah... this movie. I, too, had been avoiding it, and almost didn't watch it when it popped up on MoviePlus (because of two words: Michael + Bay).

It's got an interesting first half that is entirely fascinating, and the transition point in the middle (not going to spoil it, so for those that have seen it, all I'll mention is: hospital) is mind blowing. After that, the movie changes gears and becomes something completely different (for those that haven't seen it: smart, intellectually challenging film > average brain-dead summer action-er).

To be honest, I was disappointed with the back half of the film, simply because it completely forgets to develop supporting characters and the precedents of advanced technology*. Though, admittedly, I did find the appearance of internet in daily life intriguing (the MS phone booth being the best example). Alas, it didn't have the creepy "this is one possible outcome of current trends" that "Minority Report" had (that whole eyeball-reading-customized-marketing sequence).

Ultimately, I'm not sure if I can recommend the entire film. The first half is enjoyable, and if someone stops watching after the hospital scene, it's an intriguing movie. Otherwise, the only reason to stick around and keep watching is to try and figure out what roles you've seen the actors play in before (was that the doctor from ST:Enterprise? etc.).

*SPOILER: the hover cycle - why weren't there any hover trucks? Hover cars? Not even a hint that that technology had been developed or that it was under development. A definite WTF moment that took me out of the film. Though, no where near as bad as Djimon Hounsou's character's sudden change of heart/morality. Didn't see that coming... cuz, well, the character hadn't been developed AT ALL. Cut too much when editing the film, eh?

[azrael]

... especially after someone pointed out that parts of the car chase scene were recycled into Transformers: Dark of the Moon....

Should have known someone would revive this thread thanks to footage reuse....

[David Hingtgen]

I'll give you kudos for using the search and not creating a new topic, but five years? That's gotta be some kind of record.

I think I've seen a 7-year thread revival here....

[Dynaman]

I haven't seen Parts: The Clonus Horror yet, but after watching the trailer, I'm convinced The Island ripped it off

It most certainly is a ripoff of Clonus. I strongly recommend watching the MST3K riff on Clonus, darn funny - and the guy who made Clonus in the first place was honored to be riffed on by MST3K on one of the DVD extras. (he freely admits his movie had problems - I give a hearty congrats to anyone that has the guts to admit that)

Edited July 18, 2011 by Dynaman

[mikeszekely]

I think I've seen a 7-year thread revival here....

Sorry, A7. Guess you'll have to settle for the silver medal.

Anyway, I think I've a touch of ADD, and I have a hard time sitting though a lot of movies. Sometimes, if I really enjoy it, I can watch a movie, but I very rarely re-watch them, and in a lot of cases I'll get bored and won't even finish a movie the first time.

So what do I remember about The Island? I renting it with my wife, getting bored maybe an hour in, and leaving my poor wife to watch it by herself while I ran to Burger King.

I think my wife liked it, though, but she's kind of the opposite of me. I get bored watching most movies, but she can watch and be entertained by almost anything.

[peter]

Woah, The Island....I could have sworn someone said it was a remake/reimagining of Logan's Run....so, it wasn't? Bay was trying to pass it off as a completely fresh story? Wow, that blows.

[Penguin]

People mention "Logan's Run" with "The Island" only to compare genres (i.e. dystopian future, evil secret behind the scenes, etc.). The stories have nothing in common, and in no way is "The Island" a remake or reimagining of "Logan's Run".

[peter]

People mention "Logan's Run" with "The Island" only to compare genres (i.e. dystopian future, evil secret behind the scenes, etc.). The stories have nothing in common, and in no way is "The Island" a remake or reimagining of "Logan's Run".

Well, that just confirms that Bay's a hack, haha. If it was a remake, it would have confirmed that he's really bad at re-imagining/re-telling an existing story - a la Transfomers.

Either way, he's a knob gobbler.....a knob gobbler that makes buttloads of money, but a gobbler de la nobs, nonetheless.