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Film review

Back to the future

The Island maintains a riveting pace despite its use of familiar conventions and a generous helping of philosophy.

By MARTY CLEAR
Published July 21, 2005

The Island gives the impression that it wants to be a thinking person's action film. Its dizzying chase scenes alternate with philosophical discussions about ethics and the essence of human existence, and its underlying themes make heady statements about humans acting as gods.

But people looking for thought-provoking discourse shouldn't rejoice, and action fans needn't despair. The ideas presented are moderately intriguing, but they're hardly profound.

And though they bog down the proceedings annoyingly, the socio-philosophical elements don't stop The Island from developing into a decent futuristic thriller.

Credit the film's success largely to a powerhouse cast led by the consistently charismatic Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, who plays her role with an impressive combination of charm and blankness. Steve Buscemi is fascinating, once again, in a meaty medium-size role, Michael Clarke Duncan takes over the screen in his small role, and Djimon Hounsou, while less forceful than usual, is still powerful.

Stunning sets and lush cinematography by Mauro Fiore help mightily, though a few action sequences are shot with maddingly frenetic camera.

The story pretty effectively patches together elements of 1984, Logan's Run and about half of all Twilight Zone episodes. The plot is full of holes the size of Tom Cruise's mouth (Hounsou changes from bad guy to good guy in about 30 seconds, without sufficient explanation), but it's compelling enough that the viewer lets them slide.

McGregor and Johansson are residents of a militaristic enclosed city in the year 2050. Outside, some sort of contamination has left the world uninhabitable - all except one idyllic island. Residents of the city are released to the island one by one, chosen through an occasional lottery.

Lincoln Six Echo, as McGregor's character is called, starts to notice that things don't quite add up. For example, new survivors seem to come into the city every day, years after the cataclysm.

With some reluctant help from the crusty but heroic Buscemi, McGregor and Johansson escape to the outside world in search of the truth; they then return to their former home to rescue others.

Director Michael Bay (best known for the unsuccessful Pearl Harbor) dwells unnecessarily on the life of drudgery inside the walled city. It's all set-up exposition, and we're ready to move on long before Bay allows us to.

Grade: B-

Director: Michael Bay

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan

Writers: Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci

Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexuality and language

Running time: 127 min.

[Last modified July 20, 2005, 09:58:07]