La isla

I had heard for years about THE ISLAND because of its stellar cast and also because it's directed by Michael Bay, who always makes enjoyable blockbusters. Last March I finally saw it and it stood to my expectations.

The movie is set in 2019 where a huge contamination has made the Earth an unhospitable place and the few survivors live in a giant technological structure where life is organized and monitored even in the tiniest details and a lottery selects who has to go in an island where there can be a new future. Tom Lincoln (Ewan McGregor) waits since three years to win the lottery but not only he doesn't have the requirements but also has too many questions and a frequent nightmare that has discussed with technician James McCord (Steve Buscemi). After discovering that the lottery winners have to die of horrible deaths Tom decides to escape with Sarah Jordan (Scarlett Johannson) and discover that there is no contamination, only to be chasen by mercenary Albert Laurent (Djimon Hounsou) sent by Doctor Merrick (Sean Bean) and after lots of chases and explosions, free all the humans in the structure and let them live a normal life.

The acting by all was good and the action sequences great, not surprising since it's directed by Bay. And the plot and settings were great as well, with various hidden meanings and feel good ending.

Not to be missed if you are Bay fans and overall, an entertaining misunderstood movie from the 2000s.

In 2019, Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson) are best friends in a repressive and intriguing society, where everybody expects to win the lottery. The prize is to move to a paradisiacal island outside the domes that protect the dwellers against the contaminated environment. Jordan wins the lottery, and Lincoln accidentally finds the scary truth behind the utopist award.

"The Island" is an original, intriguing and scary view of science, ethic and society in a near future. Using elements of "Logan's Run", "Matrix", "Gattaca" and "The Thirteenth Floor", among other sci-fi movies, and non-stop action, it is a surprisingly great film. I liked very much the amoral behavior of Dr. Merrick (Sean Bean), with a total lack of ethic, and the possibility of replacement parts raised in the story. Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor shows a good chemistry, and watching this sci-fi / action movie is worthwhile, even to think how cloning process shall be discussed by the society and controlled through well-studied laws. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Ilha" ("The Island")

Critics hate this movie and who knows why, maybe the expectations for it were huge, but I am telling you The Island is an amazing time.

Normally I shy away from Michael Bay movies or anything of his material but The Island is like his rare dime of the pile.

There is great acting and chemistry between McGregor and Johansson and Steve Buschemi was near flawless in his short cameo appearances.

The plot is sci-fi, action and some great drama. I really REALLY enjoyed the story as it surprised me at times. I thought the plot was bold and risky but it definitely payed off and it's too bad Bay hasn't gone this direction with a lot of his movies. He always seems to ditch stories and focus way too much on action to fill in the time. The Island succeeds because it's a strong blend of those 3 genres.

It wouldn't be surprising if you have never heard of this movie. I never see it on tv and I don't know many people who have seen it. It is sadly very underrated. This is an excellent movie and I strongly recommend it to anyone.

After the movie, I asked myself, how can we know if are not cloned versions of some people maybe outside our planet? What if the Earth is just a big lab?

The other thought is: what if there is already labs like that, that we have no idea about? What about old people that we see that are passed 80 and are close to 90 years old, but still have a good body and mental health?

During the movie I also wondered, what ethics can rule such idea, even if it applied to animals?

I have a thought and a fear that this movie is not science fiction any more. I think the things that we do not know about science experiments are more than what we know!

I absolutely love the dialogue and wild action! Among one of few Micheal Bay films that is awesome, I forgot how enthralling The Island is. Ewen Mcgreggor did so good throughout along with everyone else like Sean Bean he's a great villain in most anything. I imagine the budget was wildly expensive especially with destruction, cars, and the special effects. Quite a unique Sci-Fi very original, mind blowing cat and mouse on a large scale.