Netflix Weekend Wrap-Up #1
I'm pleased to announce a new reoccurring feature here at The Shapiro Files. Pretty much every weekend, Marcie and I watch a movie or two from Netflix and I thought it would be fun to do mini-reviews on Mondays of what we watched.
This weekend, we only had time for one film, The Island (2005), directed by Michael Bay. While most Michael Bay films are excruciatingly bad, the premise (clones in the future) of this film seemed interesting enough to warrant a rental. As it turns out, the first 30 minutes or so really were quite interesting with a some particularly beautiful photography and impressive set design. The film's first act (read this for more about the three-act structure of most movies) concerns a futuristic colony of child-like adults who have a single wish: to go to "The Island" (a utopia of sorts). Part of the pleasure of this section of the film is discovering the true nature of why these people really are there and what the island in question really is.
And then came the rest of the movie.
Wow, did that movie take a turn for the horrible. Once the Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johanson characters learn the truth about their existences, the film turned into another ridiculous big-action, big-explosion, big-yawn Michael-let's-throw-logic-to-the-wind-Bay mess. Add to that a bunch of plot holes bigger than Mariah Carey's ego, a distractingly large amount of obvious product placement, and a completely nonsensical ending, and you have one pretty rotten — albeit well-filmed — movie.
My Netflix rating (on a five star scale): 2 stars
This weekend, we only had time for one film, The Island (2005), directed by Michael Bay. While most Michael Bay films are excruciatingly bad, the premise (clones in the future) of this film seemed interesting enough to warrant a rental. As it turns out, the first 30 minutes or so really were quite interesting with a some particularly beautiful photography and impressive set design. The film's first act (read this for more about the three-act structure of most movies) concerns a futuristic colony of child-like adults who have a single wish: to go to "The Island" (a utopia of sorts). Part of the pleasure of this section of the film is discovering the true nature of why these people really are there and what the island in question really is.
And then came the rest of the movie.
Wow, did that movie take a turn for the horrible. Once the Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johanson characters learn the truth about their existences, the film turned into another ridiculous big-action, big-explosion, big-yawn Michael-let's-throw-logic-to-the-wind-Bay mess. Add to that a bunch of plot holes bigger than Mariah Carey's ego, a distractingly large amount of obvious product placement, and a completely nonsensical ending, and you have one pretty rotten — albeit well-filmed — movie.
My Netflix rating (on a five star scale): 2 stars
posted by Steve Shapiro at
10:37 PM
4 Comments:
LOL, I'm not a Netflix user - but I have a good excuse! My college library has a HUGE video section! : ) Thanks for warning me against the movie... I'll be sure to avoid it!
By
Irina Tsukerman, at 1/10/2006 1:57 PM
A free college video library certainly is better than a paid rental service! Incidentally, despite my strong criticism of The Island, I don't want to dissuade anyone who likes big action type of movies from seeing it. The film definitely has its fans and just because I found the second two acts highly disappointing, that doesn't mean others might not have the complete opposite reaction. :)
By
Steve Shapiro, at 1/10/2006 5:03 PM
The Island was horrible...but I also loved the first 30 minutes and the premise of the story...they could have mnade such a better movie with that underlying idea!!!
Bradley
The Egel Nest
By
The Egel Nest, at 1/13/2006 5:02 AM
Great minds think alike, Brad!
Interestingly, I've heard that even the premise that we both liked so much was largely ripped off from the films THX 1138 and Logan's Run. I've added both to my Netflix queue and will report back!
By
Steve Shapiro, at 1/13/2006 1:15 PM
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