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You're reading a really old version of matt-thornton's website. For example, if you're looking at the movie reviews... you'll notice that none of them are of recent films. Indeed, I leave them here for posterity's sake, but I doubt very much that they'll get updated anytime soon. So have a giggle.
You might, if you're lucky, find something recent from Matt at his blog matt's debates. Kernow bys vyken.
The Island
the one line review:
interesting thriller that doesn't entetain
the overview
The concept was first raised in The Matrix, a film which is widely recognised as revolutionising DVD film making in the 1990's. Sadly, this film is nowhere near as good.
the plot:
It's a simple "humans being grown for the benefit of others" principle - in this case, rich people pay a company to grow an exact clone of themselves so that if anything goes wrong in their lives, they have replacement organs and so on.
The clones are told that they have been rescued after the whole world was contaminated, and that they are living underground until it's safe to go up to the surface. This is true in part - they are underground - but they're kept there under the premise that a lottery is the mechanism used to select the people who go to The Island - a place that hasn't been contaminated. Of course, when people "win" the lottery, it's nothing more than the real version of them needing parts from their clone.
Ewan and Scarlet are two such clones, and when they one day escape from the compound, set about figuring out what's going on.
the verdict:
The concept is fine, the acting's good and the cine is slick - they've spent a lot of money on this.
But for whatever reason, it just didn't capture me. I didn't care what The Island was, I wasn't bothered why they were underground and when we're told what is going on, I was even less enthused.
It's a good enough film - good enough run of the mill action flick that tells a story then finishes. Worth watching if you fancy Scarlet Johansson (and who doesn't?).
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