The Island

[Jack Hammer]

I remember a thread about this movie, but I couldn't find it. I just finished watching it ($5 @ blockbuster) and all I can say is "Wow," it really wasn't that good, or original. It totally ripped off a bunch of movies from the seventies. It was primarily a blatant ripoff of Clonus, peppered with the look of thx 1138. At least the sound was pretty good .

Normally I like Djimon Hounsou, but I didn't care for him much in the movie either. I think the only real reason I kept watching it was because Scarlett Johansson is hot. I don't remember this being in theaters, it kind of felt like a made for cable movie, not a major motion picture.

Anyway, it's going in the "store out of sight" pile, to be eventually put in a box with other movies I'll probably never watch again and stuffed away in a closet.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Huh, what? I thought this was a great movie with a great pro life message for a change. Also, it gave tribute to several other movies as well; Logans Run, THX 1138, Coma, Blade Runner. Good clean movie with good acting, action, sci-fi, pretty girls, positive message. What's not to like?

 

[majorloser]

Huh, what? I thought this was a great movie with a great pro life message for a change. Also, it gave tribute to several other movies as well; Logans Run, THX 1138, Coma, Blade Runner. Good clean movie with good acting, action, sci-fi, pretty girls, positive message. What's not to like?

Pro life message??????

They were saving the babies but killing the mothers.

 

[Jacksmyname]

My wife and I watched it the other night on HBO. We both enjoyed it.
Reminded me of Logan's Run.

Jack

 

[dobyblue]

I don't believe anyone could have watched The Island and thought it was made for cable; what made for cable movie has had special effects like that in it?

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Pro life message??????

They were saving the babies but killing the mothers.

ummm Yes, but it was disgusting wasn't it. Killing one and keeping another when they wanted to live. The whole movie was about wanting to live, how much more pro-life can you get?

 

[Jack Hammer]

It just seemed too cliche' to me. No offense to those who liked it, it just didn't work for me. Clonus was a low budget flick from the seventies where clones are raised in a healthy facility and one day they get to "go to America," where rich people and politicians harvest their organs, then one curious clone accidentally stumbles across there medical facility, find the truth and escapes to meet his original with a hot girl clone, blah, blah... same plot, different names. They must have bought the rights to it, because there is no mention of it or credit to the original author. That movie was real bad too, but I kinda liked it because of the message about the dangers of taking science too far and it was an original story.

Jack

 

[j_garcia]

I liked it. It also reminded me a lot of Coma, and any number of sci-fi flicks, I agree; but it was still a decent action flick with pretty good sound. Check your brain at the door...

 

[Jack Hammer]

Maybe I'll have to rewatch it again some time, most of the people here who said they liked it generally have similar tastes to me. Might be better the second time around, though I'm not feeling particularly optimistic. It wouldn't be the first movie I didn't like the first time I saw it, and thought it was better the second time around, though it is pretty rare for me.

I have to admit my biggest gripe with the movie was all the scenes from the movie (most of them, actually) that were 'borrowed' from seventies movies really irritated me while I was watching it. If it was supposed to be a cheesy homage(sp?) to seventies flicks, like Sean of the Dead was, then I'd be OK with it. It just came off to me like a total ripoff that was presented like it was original. I know, I know, nothing in Hollywood is original these days. The more I saw, the more it bothered me.

Check your brain at the door...

 

[j_garcia]

Oh yeah, in the Island scenes, it also remidned me a LOT of Logan's Run, with a little Gattaca thrown in. I know what you mean, that it basically "stole" the look from other movies, but it was still somewhat entertaining. I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to the scenery when Scarlett was on screen...

 

[Haoleb]

The boat at the end was cool anyway

 

[Ron Temple]

The movie wasn't original, but it was well done and well acted. Initially, you're lead to believe that the characters are pretty unbelievably naive, but then it's revealed they are basically 15 year olds. This made the entire movie for me. The performances snapped into place and the plot, holes and all, got very entertaining.

I like this a bunch...as a popcorn flick.

 

[Jack Hammer]

...
I like this a bunch...as a popcorn flick.

Now that I can respect. There are lots of cheesy movies I like that most people I know would consider awful, C.H.U.D. (friggin' luv it ), Assault on Precint 13 (1976), Navy SEALs, Switchblade Sisters, etc. He**, event the original movie this was based on, Clonus, one of the first movies to scare me, in a non-grossout kind of way (Hey, I was only a kid when I first saw it, very impressionable)

 

[scottyg]

I just watched the island...I would agree it is a ripoff of a few movies but would recommend it if you are a surround buff

 

[WmAx]

When I first started watching this, for about 20 minutes, I thought this was going to be an excellent film. Then it turned into the standard mind-numbing action flick. I did stay awake for the entire movie, though it was tough. I'm going to give this movie a 3.5 out of 10.

-Chris