Reviews

Sadly The Island ends just as you expect it to end (thanks to its spoilerific trailer) and if you've ever seen Logan's Run, you'll know just how big an influence it was on this film. The Island comes off as being a wasted opportunity; the clone idea is an interesting moral dilemma that modern scientists are contemplating as we speak but such concerns are sidestepped here in favour of gun fights and jet bikes.

McGregor is blander in this than he was in the Star Wars prequels, but does come to life briefly upon meeting his sponsor face-to-face, and is happy to send himself up as a sleazy rich kid with the biggest yacht you've ever seen (which Lincoln promptly pinches). This was Johansson's first 'big' movie after Lost in Translation, but the role merely requires her to look sexy and confused rather than give the sort of layered performance we've come to expect from her.

Even Michael Bay fans have to admit that The Island is his weakest film to date. There is some mindless fun to be had from the clones' naive view of the real world and Bay can do spectacle with both hands tied behind his back, but he never releases the full potential of the source material. Luckily for him Steven Spielberg took pity and offered him Transformers as his next project. The rest is box office history.

DVD Special Features:

'Making of' Documentary

Trailer

(dead) Link to Michael Bay web commentary