CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPECIFIC FILMS › Films in Release or On Video › The Island (2005)
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The Island (2005)

post #1 of 18
7/25/10 at 4:45pm
Thread Starter 
So I just watched this again today. Michael Bay gets a ton of shit and he deserves all of it and more but can it be that this movie actually has substance? Seriously I had not seen it since it came out but seeing it again I actually gave a fuck about the characters. The movie was like 2 hours and 16minutes but it really flew by. From the start it had a nice build and when the action started I was invested. It actually raised some insteresting questions, had a believeable relationship between Ewan and Scarlett and real heart breaking scenes with Michael Clarke Duncan and the woman having her baby. Also comically this is also Michael Bay's lowest grossing movie.

Now don't get me wrong there was still some of Michael Bay's typical bullshit. Fat sassy black characters with funny lines(although semi balanced out with Djimon's character and Duncan's), the "never give a woman your credit card" line(not so balanced out) and way over the top action. But overall I feel it deserves a nod and a watch especially when you stack it up against everything else Michael Bay touched.
Reply
post #2 of 18
7/26/10 at 11:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waaaaaaaalt View Post
Now don't get me wrong there was still some of Michael Bay's typical bullshit.
Don't forget about that XBOX fighting simulation that the clones play.

I don't hate this, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it has substance. Bay understands pacing and decently shot action (well, he used to), and his cast is more than competent, but conceptually, I don't think theres anything you'll find in this movie that you won't find in that Clonus movie from MST3k.
Reply
post #3 of 18
7/26/10 at 12:18pm
This is really boring. Bay trying to make a serious movie doesn't work.
Reply
post #4 of 18
7/26/10 at 12:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca S. View Post
This is really boring. Bay trying to make a serious movie doesn't work.
I was more bored by 'Pearl Harbor', but yeah...Bay in 'serious' mode does not work.

I didn't hate this movie to the degree that some of you did. I was a bit more engaged with the characters than I usually am in a Bay movie, so I was able to get caught up in the story enough to give a damn in what happened to them.

I think it's funny that the plot didn't go any deeper than what was found in 'Parts: the Clonus Horror'.
Reply
post #5 of 18
7/26/10 at 12:26pm
I thought they actually had to buy off the makers of Parts at one point because of the similarities?
Reply
post #6 of 18
7/26/10 at 12:30pm
From what I understand, Dreamworks settled the lawsuit with the makers of 'Parts: The Clonus Horror'.
Reply
post #7 of 18
7/26/10 at 12:32pm
I actually enjoyed this in the theater. I haven't seen it since but this thread is making me want to revisit it. Glossy and shallow but generally well shot and enjoyable enough.
Reply
post #8 of 18
7/26/10 at 1:37pm
Thread Starter 
Well yeah I don't mean REAL substance. I understand this isn't Let The Right One In but for a summer action movie, especially one with Michael Bay there actually is SOMETHING there that worked for me. But considering people didn't go and see it Michael learned his story/emotion lesson and made Transformers 2.
Reply
post #9 of 18
7/26/10 at 1:59pm
I saw this on video after hearing terrible things about it and not being a Bay fan, but I liked it. It was more thought out than I thought it would be (in that I hadn't thought it would be thought out at all).

I liked when the Ewan clone met his original and the original was a pompous jerk. It looked like Ewan had fun playing the part.
Reply
post #10 of 18
7/26/10 at 2:14pm
This movie left no impression on me whatsoever.
Reply
post #11 of 18
7/26/10 at 2:33pm
The most enjoyable part of this movie was the two leads. Ewan was great and as always Scarlett was gorgeous.
Reply
post #12 of 18
7/26/10 at 5:49pm
I thought it was great untill Ewan and Scarlett made it to surface, then it got boring quickly.
Reply
post #13 of 18
7/27/10 at 12:15am
I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it, either.
Reply
post #14 of 18
7/27/10 at 12:44am
I totally forgot this movie exists. You can say a lot of things about Bay's oeuvre but very few of his films are unmemorable. I may hate Transformers 2 but I'll never forget the pain I was in while watching it.
Reply
post #15 of 18
7/27/10 at 3:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca S. View Post
This is really boring. Bay trying to make a serious movie doesn't work.
Its a failure for sure. Bay just can't direct this kind of film. Visually the film is nice to look at but the characters are cardboard.
Reply
post #16 of 18
7/28/10 at 7:12am
I think the chase scene is one of his best. Love those big dumbell construction things. And Bay tries to add depth to the characters but fails. At least he tries though.

The score is good. And you don't even have to buy it, as it can be heard in about a hundred trailers.
Reply
post #17 of 18
7/28/10 at 8:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca S. View Post
I thought they actually had to buy off the makers of Parts at one point because of the similarities?
Here's the whole story here:

http://www.agonybooth.com/agonizer/A...nd_Clonus.aspx

and here:

http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Par...rror_1979.aspx

Basically, The Island ripped off every single key plot point from Parts from start to finish. In fairness to Michael Bay, it seems like he had no idea that this had happened (and it may have something to do with why the original screenwriter has no more imdb credits).
Reply
post #18 of 18
7/28/10 at 9:37am
It's not Bay's best film but it does get a lot more crap than it should. There is nothing wrong with a director branching out and trying something new and Bay did achive that (if nothing else) in this flick.

It actually has some great scenes in it, the above mentioned Micheal Clark Duncan being dragged back into surgery for example is pretty powerfull.

A failed experiment for sure but a great attempt.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Films in Release or On Video
CHUD.com Community › Forums › SPECIFIC FILMS › Films in Release or On Video › The Island (2005)