I keep mentioning actors I dislike, so let me start this review by mentioning one I like: Ewan McGregor. From the bizarre but powerful Trainspotting to the Bizarro but entertaining Moulin Rouge, he delivers powerful performances almost every time. Even with weaker scripts (read: Episode II), McGregor give the part everything he has.
Despite my misgivings from seeing trailers, I Netflixed the film. The trailers give away the “big secret??? that the wealthy of the future create clones of themselves. It’s tragic that they did so; all this film had going for it was suspense. Better films can be reminiscent of a Shakespearean play: give away the entire plot before the film begins, and see how a quality script- rich with dialogue and insight- unfolds. It’s no less of an impact than if the plot is not revealed.
The film is slick, but it doesn’t look like the future: it looks like a cool interior design for 2005. I usually love to marvel at the inventions of film: a screenwriter is not tied to budget or plausibility and is free to invent impossible technologies. I was nonplussed by The Island.
Of course, the lesson of the film is that Clones Are People Too and that we should Be Careful With Genetics. Um… who doesn’t already know this? I am worried that our ability with technology has outpaced our ability to handle the ethical problems, but who isn’t?
Scarlet Johanssen delivers as good of a performance as can an ingénue with a poor script. The saving grace of the film was that Ewan McGregor delivers, as usual, a magnificent performance.
If you want to see a vapid movie with no brain or heart, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
[rate 1.5]
The chase scene was pretty cool (note to self to crib that for my FF campaign) but the whole falling in the sign thing was pretty absurd. I had an easier time believing in clones or that Steve Buscemi had a girlfriend than I did believing they came out of that fall as anything but red paste and bonemeal.
Now, if Scarlett had worn the french maid outfit… that would have been worth half a star. 😉
The car chase / flying cycle sequence was pretty entertaining. That sequence would make a great 5-minute demo. Should make it worth at least another half-star. OK, quarter-star.