Yi chu hao xi

I had no idea what I was getting into here when I sat down to watch the 2018 movie "The Island" (aka "Yi chu hao xi"). In fact, I hadn't even heard about the movie prior to now in 2021, as I sat down to watch it. Needless to say that of course I would watch it, given the fact that it is an Asian movie that I hadn't already seen.

And when I saw that the movie had Qi Shu and Bo Huang on the cast list, I must admit that I got thrilled, because these are some very good Chinese performers. So with them on the cast list, I believed that I might be in for a good movie. Not only did the story have a good pacing, but it also had a very nice flow to it.

Turns out that "The Island" was a rather enjoyable movie. Sure, it was running at about 2 hours and 15 minutes, but the movie had a great pacing to it, and the storyline was nicely constructed by writers Siwei Cui, Junli Guo, Bo Huang, Zhanzhong Huang, Aina Xing, Muchun Zha and Ji Zhang.

Now I am impressed to find out that Bo Huang not only starred in the movie, but he also was one of the writers and he also directed the movie. So color me impressed here.

"The Island" is a movie in the likes of "Castaway", except with a bit more people marooned on the island. And the drama, friendships and love that develops on the island helps carry the movie greatly along.

I was genuinely impressed with director Bo Huang's 2018 movie here, and if you get a chance to sit down to watch it, you most certainly should do so. My rating of "The Island" settles on well-deserved seven out of ten stars.

Zhang Yixing was praised by his real name. He was able to become an actor among a number of senior actors. Thanks to Huang Bo's script and trust, he gave him a role to play. Back to the film itself, the whole viewing process fluctuates like an electrocardiogram. Whenever you feel good, it will collapse soon, but when the insufficient places pass, new highlights will appear. After all, it's a debut. You can't ask Huang Bo for super high standards because he is the director. The first play dares to challenge a large group of plays with such rich elements. I'm afraid Jiang Wen doesn't have this courage. Jiang Wen's fifth film was only one step away, while Huang Bo's first film was shot. The scene of falling from a cliff at the end was too similar to the scene of Ma Zori jumping down, leaving enough room for the audience to interpret. Therefore, we can foresee the terrible polarization after the official release of the film, but I can say for sure that this is one of the most courageous attempts of 2018 Chinese film. Finally, I want to say that the next drama is not implanted in any advertisement. In the last days of fables, what Kwai is fun and fast is really too low.

For the most part, The Island is both charming and inoffensive, but it isn't particularly memorable. I won't be recommending it to others.

A stranger darkly-comic satire than The Island will not come your way this year and maybe ever. Like an amalgam of Lord of the Flies and The Tempest, it is uncompromising about humanity's ability to screw each other over given a chance to attain power at others' expense.

As the formula would have it, a group of co-workers is stranded on an island after a cataclysmic storm seems to lay waste to the world. Faced with the daunting task of setting up a new world, they experience every form of survival strategy, mostly of a capitalist kind (lending, stealing, hoarding, bartering, etc). most of the time it is not pretty.

Lurking in the wings is Love, the great pacifier, and after scores of days, they seem to get its importance, not only for their mental health, but also for creating heirs should the world have been devastated. Getting to harmony is as difficult for these islanders as it is for those stranded in life.

Speaking of which, and argument and a strategy take place as they struggle what is real and what is fake in their new culture. The audience will take only a split second to make the connection with today's stranded politicians who excoriate "fake news" while they make it.

Although The Island's first part is a slog through hysterics and fast subtitles, the second part settles nicely into satisfactory allegory about the human condition. This little film will never do the business the much slicker and more class-conscious Crazy Rich Asians does; yet, it has its own charms about life as we commoners experience it.

Suffice it to say, we need to see more of these entertaining and culturally rich films because I think Asians are here to stay in our lives.

It's good. It's not a comedy. It's more about reflecting human nature. It's not bad. Huang Bo's acting skills are good