This page was created on June20, 2005
This page was last updated on November 21, 2005

—Overview
—Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections

—Review by Kevin Miller
—Review by Jacob Sahms
—Review by YO
— Review by Tim Spanburg

Dial up modems will take a few moments

Directed by Michael Bay
Story by Caspian Tredwell-Owen
Screenplay by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and Caspian Tredwell-Owen

Cast (in credits order)
Ewan McGregor .... Lincoln Six-Echo
Scarlett Johansson .... Jordan Two-Delta
Djimon Hounsou .... Laurent
Steve Buscemi .... McCord
Sean Bean .... Merrick
Michael Clarke Duncan .... Starkweather
Max Baker .... Carnes
Tom Beaver .... Worker
Troy Blendell .... Laurent's tech
Yvette Nicole Brown .... Desk Nurse
Joe Bucaro III .... Window washer
Regan Burns .... Johnny Rockets Guy
Mary Castro .... Sexy Dancer at Bar
Matthew Cieslinski .... Waiter
Kevin Daniels .... Censor
Whitney Dylan .... Customer Service Rep
Svetlana Efremova .... Midwife
Gloria Grant .... Woman with Wrinkled Face
Kenneth Hughes .... Elevator Censor
Robert Isaac .... Agnate
Jerry Kernion .... Johnny Rockets Guy
Mark Kubr .... French Soldier
Richard V. Licata
Christina Lindley .... Clone
Mark E. Lindsey .... Male Agnate
J.P. Manoux .... Seven-Foxtrot

Produced by
Kenny Bates .... associate producer
Michael Bay .... producer
Ian Bryce .... producer
Matthew Cohan .... associate producer
Heidi Fugeman .... associate producer
Laurie MacDonald .... producer
Josh McLaglen .... associate producer
Neil Morrissey .... associate producer
Walter F. Parkes .... producer
Steven P. Saeta .... associate producer

Original Music by Steve Jablonsky
Cinematography by Mauro Fiore

Film Editing by
Roger Barton
Paul Rubell
Christian Wagner

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexuality and language.
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM, and MPAA.ORG.
Parents, please refer to PARENTALGUIDE.ORG

International Teaser Trailer:
QuickTime, Full Screen
QuickTime, Hi-Res
QuickTime, Med-Res
QuickTime, Lo-Res

International Trailer:
QuickTime, Super Hi-Res
QuickTime, Hi-Res
QuickTime, Med-Res
QuickTime, Lo-Res
Windows Media Player, Super Hi-Res
Windows Media Player, Hi-Res
Windows Media Player, Med-Res
Windows Media Player, Lo-Res
Real Player, Super Hi-Res
Real Player, Hi-Res
Real Player, Med-Res
Real Player, Lo-Res

Featurette:
QuickTime, Hi-Res
QuickTime, Med-Res
QuickTime, Lo-Res
Windows Media Player, Hi-Res
Windows Media Player, Med-Res
Windows Media Player, Lo-Res  

Michael Bay ("Armageddon," "Pearl Harbor") directs the futuristic action thriller "The Island," starring Ewan McGregor ("Star Wars: Episodes I, II & III," "Moulin Rouge!") and Scarlett Johansson ("Lost in Translation," "Girl With a Pearl Earring").

Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) is a resident of a seemingly utopian but contained facility in the mid-21st century. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to the "The Island"—reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet—until he makes a terrible discovery that everything about his existence is a lie…and that he is actually more valuable dead than alive. Together with a beautiful fellow resident named Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson), Lincoln makes a daring escape to the outside world he’s never known. Now, with the forces of the institute that once housed them relentlessly hunting them down, Lincoln and Jordan engage in a desperate race for their lives.

Rounding out the main cast of "The Island" are Oscar® nominee Djimon Hounsou ("In America," "Gladiator") as the leader of the security team pursuing Lincoln and Jordan; Sean Bean ("National Treasure," "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) as the head of the Institute; Steve Buscemi ("Ghost World," "Armageddon") as a man who befriends Lincoln despite working for the institute; and Oscar® nominee Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Green Mile," "Armageddon") as another resident who is elated and envied when he is selected to go to "The Island."

It is ironic and yet not altogether surprising that a film about cloning seems to have been derived from so many of its predecessors. Minority Report, THX-1138, Logan’s Run, and The Matrix all form part of The Island’s exemplary DNA. Whether this rich heritage enhances or takes away from your viewing experience depends on whether or not you’ve already enjoyed the original films. If not, then welcome to a brave new world. If so, then The Island can’t help but suffer under the law of diminishing returns.


—Continue on the blog

Review by
JACOB SAHMS

—Comment on the blog

By Michael Bay standards, The Island was everything I expected: lots of stuff blew up, the bad guy was formidable, and in the end, the good guy walked away with the girl (okay, sailed away…) But this movie was more than that, because included in it were questions and commentaries about our society: What would we do to prolong our lives? How do we measure what our life is worth? How do we define “human?” I think that it does succeed on asking these questions, but if you are looking for exact answers, then you better skip this one.

Our hero, Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) has many questions but few answers are provided by his ‘supervisor,’ Dr. Merrick (Bean). Lincoln serves as our prototype for adolescence, as he comes into consciousness of his situation within the Institute. He wants more than to wait for his number to be called so that he can leave for “The Island,” and to leave his meaningless existence working in the “Labor Department.” You see (and if you’ve heard any buzz on this one, you know), Lincoln is a clone and his life is about to get turned upside down.

—Continue on the blog

If you’re looking for some fun, thrilling, intense action this summer, you won’t find a better a destination than The Island. Sure Michael Bay’s latest film has its share of problems, but then you weren’t expecting an Oscar contender, were you? (I mean, c’mon, it’s Michael Bay.) However, The Island is loads of fun and full of exactly what you expect from Michael Bay (i.e. lots of stuff blowing up). In fact, this is perhaps one of his best films to date.

Without giving too much away, The Island focuses on two escaped clones, Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) and Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson). These clones have realized that their perfect, utopian society is nothing but a sham and that they are nothing more than parts for the people who purchased them. Of course, this discovery doesn’t sit well with them, and so they run…and run…and run. In fact, after awhile I got tired of the characters yelling at each other to run. It seemed like an obvious thing to do, especially since things keep blowing up around them as they run. The whole film as a very Logan’s Run like feel to it, and if you’ve liked other chase films such as The Fugitive or Minority Report, you should find plenty of enjoyment in The Island.

—Continue on the blog

The Island
Reviewed by Tim Spanburg

—Continue on the blog

In terms of Sci-Fi thrillers, The Island finds its way somewhere between Minority Report and The Matrix. Its plot, somewhat implausible (Do you think people with the minds of 3 year old clones could escape two Black Hawk helicopters full of Navy Seals? Probably not.), still has enough substance to make this a worthwhile movie.

The Island begins with a ‘fake’ reality (here comes another Matrix plot where your reality is not ‘real’) where clones are living in a safe haven from the rest of earth which has been contaminated and is no longer safe to live in. However, there is one unaffected piece of the earth still remaining. This ‘Garden of Eden,’ as it is referred to in the movie, is the last remaining uncontaminated part of the earth, and all of the survivors are entered into a lottery system, with the winners being awarded a place to live on this ‘Island.’

The rest of the movie deals with the questioning of ‘the reality that you are presented,’ something which is natural to ‘humans,’ to use some of the interesting lines in the movie. Although The Island will not win many hearts with its extremely long ending and its inability to answer all of the questions it raises, it opens an interesting door to the way that God views the world.

—Continue on the blog

I will not post these comments. I welcome your spiritual concerns and prayer needs.  I will correspond with you, usually within two weeks.
Email David Bruce