The Island
Originally Written: July 2005
On the basis of his past three films, director Michael Bay is a stones-throw away from hackdom. After a promising start with 1995’s “Bad Boys” and 1996’s “The Rock” (one of the best ’90s action thrillers), Bay got pretentious, and under the guidance of producer Jerry Bruckheimer- who produced all five of his films through 2003’s tired “Bad Boys II” (which was so obviously for the money one just needed to see the previews to pick up on the ploy)- delivered two epic productions- in scope if not in ideas- that reeked of self-importance, 1998’s “Armageddon” (a smart-ass, flag-waving crime against movie-loving humanity that should never be forgotten) and 2001’s “Pearl Harbor” (which felt calculated in its’ trivialization of that tragic event and blatent patriotism even before September 11). Not that Bay was headed to being the next Spielberg, but despite the style-over-substance aesthetic of his first two films, he at least seemed as though he was headed to being another proficient Tony Scott or Richard Donner-type shooter when it came to contemporary action. “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “Bad Boys II” did not instill confidence.
To be fair, though, the previews for Bay’s latest- “The Island”- didn’t either. It had all the over-the-top stylistic flourishes Bay’s taken to in his films since the small-scale pleasures of his first two films, and despite an intriguing premise (an isolated medical center that grows and maintains clones of people who can afford them as “insurance policies” for when they get sick and need a new organ), with a script tailored by a talented writing team (Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, working from Caspian Tredwell-Owen’s story and draft, fashion a script as smart with its’ action as it is with its’ ideas; not shocking since they’re two of TV’s “Alias'” best writers) and featuring a cast of major talents over major stars (Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson headline as rebel clones on the run, supported by character actors like Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Clarke Duncan), the lingering fear remained whether the action Bay was staging would dwarf character and story as it had in his last three films.
I have two different opinions on “The Island,” Bay’s first film sans Bruckheimer. The first is as a movie critic, where I must criticize Bay’s insistance- especially during the action- on all-too-frequent cuts in editing (what I call confetti editing), and not just the use of shaky cinematography- which grew tired for action movies years ago- but his fetish for grandioso slo-mo shots that shouldn’t be slo-mo shots (few directors can pull this off well). The dramatic shift from a smart and intriguing sci-fi film (which brings to mind George Lucas’ “THX-1138” as well as the cheesy, “Mystery Science Theater 3000” target “Parts: The Clonus Horror,” the latter of which is so similar it’s being reported “Parts'” director is suing Dreamworks over “The Island”) to a full-throttle action movie is a disappointment (he doesn’t blend the two as well as Spielberg did in “Minority Report,” Alex Proyas did in “Dark City,” or even John Woo did in “Paycheck”), but wholly expected when you consider who’s behind the camera (Bay’s just going with his strengths- or weaknesses, depending on who you talk to). Finally, the movie lacks real emotional resonance, but that’s because of a shallowness in the script- however well-crafted on an action movie level- and performances (McGregor and Johansson make you want to follow their characters, even if you aren’t moved by their plight); great action acting like we saw in Bay’s “The Rock” is rare, especially when you don’t have Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, and Ed Harris delivering the lines.
But that’s as a critic. As a fan, I enjoyed this movie a lot. It’s loud, dumb summer movie escapism. It doesn’t have the grand pretentions of a movie like “The Matrix” (OK, it doesn’t ALWAYS have them)- it knows what it is, and just goes for broke. The action in the movie is impressively staged by Bay (this car chase far surpasses the flaccid one in “Bad Boys II”), and despite the lack of fluidity in the film’s cinematography and editing, I didn’t feel the lack of storytelling savvy that I did during “Armageddon” and “Bad Boys II,” making the movie that much more enjoyable. “The Island” has an exciting and interesting musical score by Steve Jablonsky that is fun in that mindless, derivative way most action scores are, but it’s distinct enough to feel fresh. The acting is effective on an action movie level, giving you likable good guys (and in the case of Johansson, an amazingly hot one), hissable bad guys (Sean Bean’s evil scientist is one of his best, most devious villains), and supporting characters that act as more than comic relief (Buscemi’s worker has some good intel) or as nameless antagonists (true to form, Hounsou- one of the best modern character actors- makes more of his hired gun that you expect). In the end, “The Island” gives you what you want in your action movie- two hours (or longer, in this case)- of silly diversion from the real world without completely insulting your intelligence. That’s what I got out of “The Island,” and for that, this movie has nothing to apologize for.
