Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
In 2019, Lincoln Six-Echo is a resident of a seemingly "Utopian" but contained facility. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully-controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to The Island — reportedly the last uncontaminated location on the planet. But Lincoln soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie.
The Island recycles familiar dystopian/clone sci-fi premises (Logan's Run, Parts: The Clonus Horror) without adding much fresh perspective. The setup is reasonably engaging and the core premise has emotional potential, but the second half devolves into a conventional Bay action spectacle that undermines the philosophical threads. Acting is serviceable but McGregor and Johansson aren't given much depth to work with. Bay's cinematography is slick and technically competent but aesthetically formulaic — all lens flares and kinetic editing. The ending resolves predictably with little resonance, squandering the more interesting ideas raised in the first act.