Apologies for the long title, but I felt it was the best quote from the film I went to see. Well, moreso than the morbid “I’m not ready to die” or the sleazy “Hey, you sticking your tongue down my throat is pretty good.”. So, I stand by my decision.
Earlier on tonight, I went to see The Island with Goz and Sibley. I had been intreagued by it, as I’m a sucker for Sci-Fi films (though I find anything more Sci-Fi than Red Dwarf on the box boring - I hate both Star Trek and Dr. Who). Either way, I didn’t know what to expect, but the paper had a screen in it with Scarlett Johannsen in a tight fitting suit, I was sold.
The plot of the film is relatively simple. Well, it is, before you know the twists. Basically, the year is 2019 or something like that. Men and women who survived Earth’s “contamination” are placed into a utopic society where life is work, exercise and nutrition. The only escape from this couch potato’s nightmare is winning a lifetime trip to “The Island” - the last uncontaminated place on Earth. The way to win? Either win the random lottery draws or by giving birth.
Of course, all is not what it’s meant to be, and the film switches from the creepy - even gory (for a 12A, anyway) Sci-Fi flick in the utopic society to an all action flick on “The Island”. It’s kind of like the plot of Final Fantasy VII, where you are thrown into two different worlds: one in Midgar and the other one when you leave.
With two distinct halves to the film, it came the first problem: it’s too bloody long. 126 minutes is pretty hefty for a non-epic. Admittedly, it wasn’t quite Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which dragged on. You were entertained, but it’s kind of like the ending of The Return of the King: the last half hour dragged on a bit too much. The same was with this film, it just dragged on a little. It feigned endings two or three times also, which I don’t like. I like my films linear, dammit!
The film is actually very very good though. I loved it. It’s a less camp Logan’s Run, and the bastard of a few other films: Equilibrium (Sean Bean is also in this one too, and - suprise suprise - he dies in it too), The Matrix, THX and Farenheit 451. It’s the old story of opressive future society that simply utopic and getting over-run. It’s probably on par with Equilibrium in that respect (a film which I love), the story’s more believable and there’s some nice twists, but it’s too long and the action is a bit weak. Still, it’s worth a watch!
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Rhys Wynne, the author of this blog, is a 20 something web designer from Colwyn Bay.
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