I saw The Island a
few years ago and noticed that it was on TV again so decided to give it a
second watch. It didn’t make a huge impression on me the first time around but
I remembered being interested by the opening act and Scarlett Johansson is in
it so… I had a vague recollection of her in a tight, white jump suit so had to
watch it again. As it transpired I was correct about the costume and Johansson
looks incredible. I also correctly remembered the opening half an hour and it
was still an interesting concept even though it was slightly diminished due to
knowledge of any potential twists. What I’d forgotten though were the seemingly
endless car chases and explosions which accompany the second hour of the movie.
These were almost unwatchable due to the quick cutting and despite everything
going on, felt really boring.
In the years following an untold natural disaster the world
has become too contaminated for humans to live outside. The few survivors live
in a deeply regulated and controlled facility in which every aspect of their
life is measured and organized by those in charge. One of the few survivors is
Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) who begins asking questions about his
surroundings and the rules he is forced to follow. He becomes friendly with
Jordan Two Delta (Johansson) who is the winner of a lottery to live out the
rest of her life on ‘The Island’ the last uncontaminated place on Earth. Lincoln is worried though
that not everything is as it seems and tries looking for answers.
