Movie Review: The Island

The movie starts in humanity's last remaining refuge after some sort of vague calamity has left the Earth "contaminated" . The society is filled with mostly good-looking survivors (dressed in white) overseen by a humorless and slightly less good-looking security force (dressed in black). Our hero, Lincoln Echo Six, is becoming increasingly uncomfortable in his Orwellian life, hoping that one day he will win the lottery and be allowed to emigrate to "the Island", the only habitable part of Earth left. In the mean time he keeps himself busy with strange dreams, a regimented diet, a repetative job, and an asexual relationship with his friend Jordan Two Delta.

When Jordan wins the Island lottery, Lincoln soon discovers the truth about his home. He and the others are actually clones grown to provide organs for their wealthy 'hosts'. Lincoln and Jordan soon escape and find themselves in the New Mexico desert, running from a team of mercenaries in a world they don't understand.

Overall, this is a surprisingly good action movie. The cloning is standard movie 'let's make a full grown clone' stuff, but it makes sense in this context, except for the part where they grow the clone to nearly the same age as the 'host'. I mean, if you're sixty and want a new liver, wouldn't you want the liver of a twenty year-old instead of a sixty year-old. The head honcho of the cloning company is the stereotypical Hollywood villain, a combo mad scientist/heartless businessman that seems popular these days. The movie also has some great chases and action scenes.

Rating: 5 stars - 1 star (no Salma Hayek) - 1/2 star (stereotypical villain) = 3.5 stars.