New trailer up here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/the_island/
The trailer seems a bit vague right now, but my guess is that this is more of a teaser and we'll see something more substantial later. This could be interesting to see how he manages without Bruckheimer controlling the editing room.
Cygnet74
03-18-05, 07:46 PM
:lol: looks like a big-budget remake of Parts: The Clonus Horror. but seriously, i saw enough in the teaser to know that no matter how good the mystery is, Michael Bay's overwrought, shock and awe brand of cinema will ruin it for me. i know that's a terribly predictable thing to say. sorry.
jaeufraser
03-18-05, 08:09 PM
Well, anybody who watches this shouldn't expect anything but some pretty shots and some big explosions. If you want intelligent cinema, this ain't the place to look. As for this movie...eh, I'll probably watch it, doesn't look that spectacular. Bay is best when he sticks to violent, blow everything up movies. Not to sound too basic, but hopefully he sticks to high volume action in this flick. He really isn't good with much else.
Cygnet74
03-18-05, 08:24 PM
i don't think anyone would make the mistake of expecting "intelligtent cinema" from The Island... it's almost too much to expect competent storytelling, but it would be a nice surprise if the guy would give us "a good story, well told" for once.
BizRodian
03-18-05, 08:40 PM
A cliched action trailer for a Michael Bay movie, I am utterly shocked.
Good cast, I'd love for it to kick ass, and be a good story, but I just can't see how this guy could do anything good.
He has some talent, and it sure would be nice to see him do something with it one day.
conscience
03-18-05, 08:44 PM
It's got the ultimate "beyond her years" babe Scarlett Johansson in it so I am there. :up: :drool:
fumanstan
03-18-05, 10:12 PM
Looks cool to me. Of course, i'm a big fan of Michael Bay. :)
Steve Buscemi :up::up:
scott shelton
03-18-05, 10:14 PM
i know that's a terribly predictable thing to say. sorry.
Why do you consider the truth predictable?
troystiffler
03-18-05, 10:20 PM
I like Michael Bay a lot, and will surely see this. They guy has an intuition for action. I'm expecting two and a half hours of sensations goosebump-driven action intertwined with melodramatic romance that puts a personal sense of urgency into those action sequences. Doesn't get better than that.
And he often sticks to physical effects, which is a very honorable thing. Well, with all the lazy crap that is released these days. I get incredibly bored with all of this Matrix-inspired action bullshit. I want helicopter sequences, complete with with lens flares all over the place. And vehicles flying everywhere. Escapistic-police policies. So on and so on.
I hope he can hold onto his shots a little longer than normal. It's quite possibly my only problem with his movies.
pdinosaur
03-18-05, 10:34 PM
i haven't seen this trailer - damn work not having QT - but i'm not sure why he's being almost unilaterally trashed.
i've never understood what was so horrible about pearl harbor either.
the rock, armageddon, bad boys, they may not be movies you walk out of that fundamentally alter the course of one's existence, i think he has made movies that consistently succeed in theaters.
and many critics of the academy awards have said that *successful* movies need to be more considered. (insert plug for the incredibles as best picture!)
ok. now to go home, check on kansas!
Cygnet74
03-18-05, 11:06 PM
Why do you consider the truth predictable?well, i didn't really say anything about him that a million people before me haven't said.
maingon
03-18-05, 11:08 PM
you gotta admit his movies are always entertaining though
Cygnet74
03-18-05, 11:16 PM
you gotta admit his movies are always entertaining thoughTo be completely honest, I've seen every feature film (and one Got Milk ad) that the man has directed, and consistantly, without fail, his direction ruined the experience for me. And by 'direction' I am referring to a number of shot compositions, editing choices, and performance decisions that are so distracting that I cannot stay immersed in the film for more than a few minutes at a time.
jaeufraser
03-18-05, 11:16 PM
you gotta admit his movies are always entertaining though
Well, I'll admit parts of his movies are entertaining. And only some of his films. I don't really consider Pearl Harbor or Armageddon entertaining (or good, or any positive thing you'd call a movie).
I'm only hoping this movie has lots of explosions and is shroter then 2 hours...and is violent. Cause, when they have those thigns his movies are more fun.
scott shelton
03-18-05, 11:21 PM
you gotta admit his movies are always entertaining though
No.
BizRodian
03-18-05, 11:30 PM
you gotta admit his movies are always entertaining though
No, his movies are a pain to watch, at least the two I've seen. They are just not enjoyable. I love action movies, I own a bunch, but his movies are a total mess. It's like he sits down, plans out everything, decides what the most simple, uninspiring, generic, cliched, gimicky, movie he can make, and then does it.
He does it very well, but it's just not entertaining. Terminator 2 is entertaining, Jurassic Park is entertaining, Escape from New York or True Lies, or whatever is entertaining. Pearl Harbor is Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer trying to meld Titanic with a war movie and dumbing it down to the lowest common denominator in order to maximize film profits.
Look, a lot of what I just said is totally subjective though... I'm sure people could say the same thing about someone I like... that's cool... that's just how I see things.
Basically though, I just don't like watching them. I watch Armageddon, and thought it was crappy. Then I watched Pearl Harbor and felt like I was being practically insulted. So no, I can't admit I find them entertaining.
jaeufraser
03-18-05, 11:41 PM
Basically though, I just don't like watching them. I watch Armageddon, and thought it was crappy. Then I watched Pearl Harbor and felt like I was being practically insulted. So no, I can't admit I find them entertaining.
Well, I'll be honest, you watched his absolute worst films. His other R rated action movies are...well, they're still stupid, but they're fun in a juvenile blow everything up way (though each one is way too long for their own good). Bad Boys 2 for all its lame humor and idiotic plot still sports some impressive action sequences.
troystiffler
03-18-05, 11:59 PM
i've never understood what was so horrible about pearl harbor either.
Like I said before, I really like Bay, and what he's doing. Pearl Harbor had that escapistic, sometimes insincere feeling that all of his movies have. And it didn't translate very well in a war film, based on a true story, which events is a staple in American history. Too much gloss, and not enough grit. It was just too much of a summer movie for it's own good.
Additionally, it had a few grossly misdirected scenes. All of which involve the love triangle. Especially that ending. It just seemed ... wrong. I think Bay was on a high after all of that stuff worked in Armageddon (the "leaving on a jet plane" scene, the animal cracker scene, etc.). But I just remember all of the snickers during the last minute. Not quite as ill-received as the death of Anikin's mom, or the giddy love scene. But Pearl Harbor is right up there.
The retaliation scenes were very intense. But it's the gimicky dogfights during the day that just seemed like too much.
I'd still give it 2.5/4 stars.
Third Baseman
03-19-05, 12:55 AM
I will watch it for the cast.
joeydaninja
03-19-05, 01:40 AM
I'm a Michael Bay fan. But that trailer didn't do anything for me. Hopefully, it's just a teaser as FinkPish said above. Coz if not, it would probably be the last Bay movie I'd see in a theater.
fryinpan1
03-19-05, 10:12 AM
Looks cool to me. Of course, i'm a big fan of Michael Bay. :)
Steve Buscemi :up::up:
:thumbsup: I like all of Michael Bay's movies, and this one looks pretty good too. I will probably wait for the DVD though.
lucasorion
03-19-05, 04:32 PM
:lol: looks like a big-budget remake of Parts: The Clonus Horror.
Dammit. I just watched the trailer, and came to this forum to see if there was a thread about the movie so I could post the exact same thing - silly me, I thought it would be an obscure reference.
TheNightFlier
03-19-05, 04:52 PM
I will watch it for the cast.
Same here, but I'll wait till the dvd.
Maxflier
03-19-05, 05:04 PM
Didn't look too interesting from the trailer.I hate when they make the trailers so damn small too.
Cygnet74
03-22-05, 08:48 PM
after seeing the trailer for The Island, I joked about its apparent similarities to Parts: The Clonus Horror. then, I read this...
The Island
Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) is a resident of a seemingly utopian but contained facility in the mid 21st century. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to the "The Island" - reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet. But Lincoln soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie. He and all of the other inhabitants of the facility are actually human clones whose only purpose is to provide "spare parts" for their original human counterparts. Realizing it is only a matter of time before he is "harvested," Lincoln makes a daring escape with a beautiful fellow resident named Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson). Relentlessly pursued by the forces of the sinister institute that once housed them, Lincoln and Jordan engage in a race for their lives to literally meet their makers.
Jay G.
03-22-05, 10:31 PM
The Onion just posted a review of Clonus for their "Films that Time Forgot" Series:
http://www.theonionavclub.com/fttf/index.php?issue=4112
Obviously it's not as forgotten as it seems, or at least to MST3K fans.
FinkPish
03-23-05, 03:52 AM
Saw this on Apple's site: a much better international trailer. Some cool new shots and a more interesting tone. This trailer makes me want to see it in the theaters instead of waiting for DVD.
Saw this on Apple's site: a much better international trailer.
That trailer looks like it might give away the ending.
devilshalo
03-23-05, 01:22 PM
I just got that whole 6th Day, Logan's Run, Matrix-y feel to it. But I'd probably go see it. Bay has a flair to put up things that I would want to watch on the big screen, big action, big explosions, just a larger scope.
animalmystic
03-23-05, 03:27 PM
Screw all you haters, I love Michael Bay and I am all over this movie :)
Scarlett and Steve too :thumbsup:
Dr. DVD
03-23-05, 10:00 PM
Liked the international trailer better. In all honesty, I have to say that thought provoking sci-fi premises and a Bruckheimer-less Michael Bay don't mix. Come to think of it, just about anything thought provoking or with the potential for intelligence and Michael Bay don't mix. :)
thephantom
05-20-05, 12:01 PM
The Island
Logan 5 is a resident of a seemingly utopian but contained facility in the mid 23rd century. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Logan hopes to be chosen to go to the "The Sanctuary" - reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet. But Logan soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie. He and all of the other inhabitants of the facility are actually human clones whose only purpose is to provide "power" for their robot overlords. Realizing it is only a matter of time before he is "Carouseled," Logan makes a daring run with a beautiful fellow resident named LUH 3417. Relentlessly pursued by the agents of the Matrix that once housed them, Logan and LUH engage in a race for their lives to literally meet their makers.
Fixed ;)
Just saw the trailer for this today thanks to a banner ad. It really does look interesting, even if it is a mish-mash of half a dozen other sci-fi movies. The scene with dozens of people in paper gowns running to freedom is pretty much the end of Logan's Run. The cast is outstanding, but with Bay directing, well, he's the real hangup I have.
I enjoy Michael Bay's films for what they are, so I'll be sure to catch this theatrically.
CC_DoubleDown
05-29-05, 08:40 AM
I'll see it for the true star of the film...
the City of DETROIT!
eedoon
05-29-05, 10:04 AM
you gotta admit his movies are always entertaining though
If what you mean by entertaining is getting motion sickness from crazy jump cuts and poor camera work, then yes.
Amel
05-29-05, 11:16 AM
wow, what a cast! I'm not a Bay fan, but his films can be kinda crappy, in a good way, although I've never made it through Pearl Harbor.
The first few seconds of this trailer and I thought it was for Leo's movie The Beach.
rexinnih
05-31-05, 10:02 AM
Saw the trailer before "The Longest Yard" yesterday. At first I thought it was going to be a remake of "Logans Run."
On the fence about this one.
FunkDaddy J
07-08-05, 09:08 AM
"The Island" will be sneaking this Saturday night (July 9).
(Anyone know if there's a list of theaters out there on the Web somewhere?)
Dr. DVD
07-08-05, 09:45 AM
From what I have seen, the lack of Bruckheimer has not hindered Bay's ability to blow up stuff and wreck cars.
jaeufraser
07-08-05, 11:07 AM
From what I have seen, the lack of Bruckheimer has not hindered Bay's ability to blow up stuff and wreck cars.
Well thank goodness! Not like anyone goes to his movies for the story or acting anyway. No explosions = no sale for me on a Bay film. Of course, never really had a problem with that either.
Matthew Chmiel
07-08-05, 07:26 PM
"The Island" will be sneaking this Saturday night (July 9).
(Anyone know if there's a list of theaters out there on the Web somewhere?)
Just check Fandango, Movie Tickets, whatever.
The film is a "wide" sneak, meaning a few hundred theaters or so will be sneaking the flick on Saturday night.
[However, according to what's been posted on Fandango's site, The Island is only playing in 2 theaters in Vegas tomorrow night. Both in BFE compared to where I am located.]
clemente
07-09-05, 01:17 AM
Just check Fandango, Movie Tickets, whatever.
The film is a "wide" sneak, meaning a few hundred theaters or so will be sneaking the flick on Saturday night.
[However, according to what's been posted on Fandango's site, The Island is only playing in 2 theaters in Vegas tomorrow night. Both in BFE compared to where I am located.]
You're average sneak plays in about 20-30 theaters in Chicago (I've noticed). This ones only playing in 12.
I unapologetically love Michael Bay movies, so I'll be checking this out at the sneak.
Dr. DVD
07-09-05, 08:49 AM
Can't seem to find the sneak in my area, Fandango doesn't have it listed if it's happening.
Matthew Chmiel
07-09-05, 07:55 PM
Can't seem to find the sneak in my area, Fandango doesn't have it listed if it's happening.
You may want to look in your local newspaper.
Fandango only listed two of the theaters playing the sneak, but when I looked in the newspaper (something I rarely do), two other theaters (that are much closer to me) are playing it as well.
vwbeetlvr
07-09-05, 10:14 PM
HOLY SH!T!! To me this was the Best movie ever!!! (for the type of movie that it is) Michael Bay is my favorite directer and Out of all his movies this is just perfect. The pacing was great except for a few minutes towards the end, the chase scenes were awesome. The special effects were just mind blowing. The cadillac was awesome, steve buscemi and his Chevy SSR were awesome. It was just perfect. Scarlett Johansson is a GODDESS, I just can't think of anything else to say other than PERFECT! It going to kill me to have to wait another 13 days to see this movie again!
RocShemp
07-09-05, 10:19 PM
I can't wait to see this! Michael Bay has only disappointed me once (Bad Boys II) so I have no hatred for him. I am definitely NOT waiting to see this on DVD.
mimi
07-10-05, 02:34 AM
Wow. This movie is good. Really good. I caught the sneak tonight, and I'm still kinda in shock by how much I enjoyed it. I had so much fun I'm practically giddy. I did not expect the movie to be this good from those lame trailers. The actors were all great, the action was amazing, and it was just so much fun!
This is like The Rock all over again. The Rock was the only Michael Bay movie I liked (I hated all his others). I remember coming out of the theatre back when it first came out all excited and wanting to see it again. I feel the same way about this movie. I can't wait to see it again.
I've caught all the big summer movies, thought ROTS was decent, liked M&MS, really liked BB, tolerated WOTW, and didn't even bother with F4, but this is the best time I've had at the movies this summer so far. At a frickin' Michael Bay movie!!! I am in shock...
darkside
07-10-05, 03:14 AM
Hmm, a Michael Bay movie that is good? I might have to see this with my own eyes.
Scott Weinberg
07-10-05, 03:41 AM
I saw it yesterday and I thought it was DAMN good. I'll admit that I was looking forward to seeing the movie -- but then again, I was also really looking forward to Pearl Harbor, and that movie made me want to pull my teeth out with a pliers.
Hardcore sci-fi fans will undoubtedly call The Island a mixture between Logan's Run, Gattaca, Minority Report, Blade Runner, and about a half-dozen others, and while I don't think it's better than any of those movies, I do think it's a damn good time. Lots of eye candy and just enough brain food to keep you from getting annoyed.
I'd say it's absolutely Michael Bay's best film yet, but that's not exactly high praise. ;)
Just for the sake of clarity, I'd give:
Bad Boys - 2.5 stars out of 5
The Rock - 4 out of 5
Armageddon - 3 out of 5 (but it's a BIG "guilty pleasure" of mine)
Pearl Harbor - 1.5 out of 5
Bad Boys 2 - 0.5 out of 5 (seriously)
The Island - 4 (or even 4.5) out of 5
It's as if someone told the guy: "Hey, look. You know how to do the visuals. Now go find a challenging and smart screenplay, and make THAT movie."
And he did!
Easily the most pleasant surprise of the summer season for me. (There are some damn entertaining popcorn movies out right now, but none of them "surprised" me by being good.)
Kal-El
07-10-05, 03:48 AM
I was "meh" on the first trailer for this but the one attached to F4 sold me on it. I'm in.
scott shelton
07-10-05, 12:16 PM
Can't seem to find the sneak in my area, Fandango doesn't have it listed if it's happening.
Fandango had the film listed in several cities the film did not end up playing in.
I've heard the sneaks were a bit of a mess for Dreamworks.
Matthew Chmiel
07-10-05, 03:22 PM
According to Fandango, there is another sneak preview on Thursday for the film that's playing in two theaters in Vegas -- one that screened the flick last night and one that hasn't yet (however, said theater is holding a press screening sometime early this week). In accordance to what Shelton said, it could be another big fuck-up on Fandango's part. I guess we'll see... or we won't...
I went to a sneak that I had to find in the local newspaper last night. My friend and I both dug it, however, we left the theater saying: "Yeah, Michael Bay's Gattaca was pretty good."
Now, as everyone knows, I dig the Bay. I liked Bad Boys, I loved The Rock, I think Armageddon is a fantastic cheese fest, I thought there was a good 90 minute film located in the three hour mess that was Pearl Harbor, and I thought if Bay chopped 30 minutes out of Bad Boys II that it would've been "the guilty pleasure of 2003" (that title ended up going to 2 Fast 2 Furious that year). The man knows how to entertain, and he does it well in my book. I'd pay money to see him make a film in which paint dries. I dig the man that much.
Thankfully, with The Island, he is actually given a decent script in addition to actors that can actually act (no Martin Lawerence or Josh Hartnett here). Sure, the script feels lifted from some of the best sci-fi films in the past thirty years; but there's more to it than that. I was talking to Scott about this last night and we both agreed on that the film's visual effects are fantastic, the set design is great, the action scenes are intense and entertaining, and Scarlett Johanson is beautiful. Come on, what is not to like in this film?
Easily *** out of ****. 2005 is shaping up to be a great year for genre films (I have not seen Fantastic 4 yet).
Dr. DVD
07-10-05, 03:33 PM
HOLY SH!T!! To me this was the Best movie ever!!! (for the type of movie that it is) Michael Bay is my favorite directer and Out of all his movies this is just perfect. The pacing was great except for a few minutes towards the end, the chase scenes were awesome. The special effects were just mind blowing. The cadillac was awesome, steve buscemi and his Chevy SSR were awesome. It was just perfect. Scarlett Johansson is a GODDESS, I just can't think of anything else to say other than PERFECT! It going to kill me to have to wait another 13 days to see this movie again!
How will someone who thinks Michael Bay has no talent other than to blow things up, is a total hack, but sees his movies for the spectacle value will take it? That's kind of how I think of him. I liked The Rock, but not much else. I would have liked Bad Boys II were it not so insensitive with its handling of violence.
Also, how bad does the movie lose steam towards the end? I seem to notice a pattern of a lot of this summers movies conking out in the last act.
EDIT: don't take this the wrong way, I want to see it. However, the weekend it opens I will be with a friend and he thinks Michael Bay is a bunch of suck. He still hasn't forgiven me for having his then GF and himself accompany me to a screening of Pearl Harbor. He also saw Bad Boys II on cable and thought it was a total pile of crap. Any advice on how to convince him to go to a showing with me?
Terrell
07-10-05, 03:33 PM
Pearl Harbor - 1.5 out of 5
Bad Boys 2 - 0.5 out of 5 (seriously)
Couldn't agree with you more on those, especially Bad Boys 2. Every in of that film was shite!
But I've never hated Bay all that much. I dig The Rock, and the attack in Pearl Harbor and a bit of the Japanese stuff. Though I liked nothing else in the film. Still, I'll check this out.
Dr. DVD
07-10-05, 05:11 PM
I saw it yesterday and I thought it was DAMN good. I'll admit that I was looking forward to seeing the movie -- but then again, I was also really looking forward to Pearl Harbor, and that movie made me want to pull my teeth out with a pliers.
Hardcore sci-fi fans will undoubtedly call The Island a mixture between Logan's Run, Gattaca, Minority Report, Blade Runner, and about a half-dozen others, and while I don't think it's better than any of those movies, I do think it's a damn good time. Lots of eye candy and just enough brain food to keep you from getting annoyed.
I'd say it's absolutely Michael Bay's best film yet, but that's not exactly high praise. ;)
Just for the sake of clarity, I'd give:
Bad Boys - 2.5 stars out of 5
The Rock - 4 out of 5
Armageddon - 3 out of 5 (but it's a BIG "guilty pleasure" of mine)
Pearl Harbor - 1.5 out of 5
Bad Boys 2 - 0.5 out of 5 (seriously)
The Island - 4 (or even 4.5) out of 5
It's as if someone told the guy: "Hey, look. You know how to do the visuals. Now go find a challenging and smart screenplay, and make THAT movie."
And he did!
Easily the most pleasant surprise of the summer season for me. (There are some damn entertaining popcorn movies out right now, but none of them "surprised" me by being good.)
Any chance of us getting an audio review from you?
mimi
07-10-05, 05:41 PM
How will someone who thinks Michael Bay has no talent other than to blow things up, is a total hack, but sees his movies for the spectacle value will take it? ... Also, how bad does the movie lose steam towards the end? ... the weekend it opens I will be with a friend and he thinks Michael Bay is a bunch of suck ... Any advice on how to convince him to go to a showing with me?
Like you, I only like The Rock and not much else of his, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I went in with low expectations, so I suggest you do the same. The fact that it was being sneaked got me curious - the studio must think it's good enough to generate good WOM.
There's nothing too innovative about The Island. What's new is that it's the coming together of a Bay movie with a sci-fi movie like Gattaca. And it friggin' works dammit, which is the surprising thing. Ewan and Scarlett have great chemistry and I liked them instantly. In fact, I like all the actors in this. Some casting choices are downright clever (Djimon Hounsou of Amistad fame is made to hunt the clones who are branded like slaves). There's just enough sci-fi to give this movie a decent plot. Kudos to Bay for having the patience to calmly set up the story properly at the beginning instead of jumping into action right away. The action - particularly one scene involving a highway car chase, then a flying bike chase, and then a falling building logo - was so well done it made me realize how lacking good heart-pumping action scenes were this summer. There are constant bits of humor to lighten things up and some of it is actually pretty clever (the way Tom Lincoln is modeled after the real Ewan McGregor for instance). The movie ended well, IMO. The endgame is more intimately staged than Bay's other movies. There isn't explosions for explosions sake. Bay ended the movie with some pretty memorable images there, as befits an action movie that's sci-fi at heart.
Anyway, just tell your friend it's Michael Bay meets sci-fi, which is kinda new, and that it's fun. But if you can go in with low expectations like me, you will come away very pleasantly surprised.
scott shelton
07-10-05, 06:03 PM
According to Fandango, there is another sneak preview on Thursday for the film that's playing in two theaters in Vegas -- one that screened the flick last night and one that hasn't yet (however, said theater is holding a press screening sometime early this week). In accordance to what Shelton said, it could be another big fuck-up on Fandango's part. I guess we'll see... or we won't..
I think Fandango is accidentally listing Thursday promo screenings for ISLAND on their site. I can't imagine Dreamworks would hold a public sneak on a Thursday night.
Matthew Chmiel
07-10-05, 06:13 PM
I think Fandango is accidentally listing Thursday promo screenings for ISLAND on their site. I can't imagine Dreamworks would hold a public sneak on a Thursday night.
The only promo screenings left in Vegas for The Island from what I know are on 7-13 and 7-20, not Thursday...
scott shelton
07-10-05, 06:16 PM
The only promo screenings left in Vegas for The Island from what I know are on 7-13 and 7-20, not Thursday...
Then the mystery deepens...
Rypro 525
07-10-05, 08:56 PM
saw it last night. great flick, and im a fan of bay's work also (yes also bad boys 2). i'm surprised as well that he indeed took his time with the story. the first big action scene isn't until at least into the first hour. surprised at how brutal some of the violence is given that this is a pg-13. (boy I wish this was R with a more say "explicit" sex scene.
REL77
07-11-05, 08:35 AM
I saw this Sat night, and was highly embresed with it. Not your typical Michael Bay Film (see my sig to see what I think of Bay). A good mix of SciFi and action. Nothing to over the top (but still enough to satisfy me). A very well written and well acted movie. I wouldnt have thought it was Bay if I didnt know. Well done Bay, you are getting much better. My Fiance who hates popcorn movies loved it as well.
Geofferson
07-11-05, 09:40 AM
Glad to hear some good words about this movie...I'm looking forward to seeing it myself!
RockStrongo
07-11-05, 10:14 AM
I saw it Saturday night....I thought it was very mediocre. I found myself entertained occasionally, bored sometimes and just not impressed after it was over.
Im also sick of PG-13 action movies.
matome
07-11-05, 10:21 AM
Good to hear a lot of people enjoying this. Looking forward to checking this out.
B.A.
07-11-05, 10:37 AM
You guys are starting to get my hopes up for this one. I was going to check it out anyway, but you have piqued my interest a bit.
scott shelton
07-11-05, 01:15 PM
VARIETY...
The Island
A DreamWorks release of a DreamWorks and Warner Bros. presentation of a Parkes/MacDonald production. Produced by Walter F. Parkes, Michael Bay and Ian Bryce. Executive producer, Laurie MacDonald.
Director, Michael Bay. Screenplay, Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, based on a story by Tredwell-Owen.
Lincoln Six Echo/
Tom Lincoln - Ewan McGregor
Jordan Two Delta/
Sarah Jordan - Scarlett Johansson
Albert Laurent - Djimon Hounsou
Merrick - Sean Bean
Starkweather - Michael Clarke Duncan
Jones Three Echo - Ethan Phillip
Carnes - Max Baker
McCord - Steve Buscemi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By JUSTIN CHANG
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Island" is no paradise. In his latest exercise in sensory overkill, producer-helmer Michael Bay takes on the weighty moral conundrums of human cloning, resolving them in a storm of bullets, car chases and more explosions than you can shake a syringe at. Frenetic actioner about refugees from a genetic cloning plant starts off intriguingly, burns up its ideas in the first hour and pads out the rest with joltingly repetitive action sequences. Given Bay's built-in, mostly male audience, DreamWorks and Warner Bros. look to harvest decent if not spectacular opening returns, though specimen's long-term viability is far less assured.
It's the year 2019, and Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) is one of several hundred survivors of a cataclysm that left the whole world contaminated, save one place -- the eponymous Island. This lush retreat, Lincoln and the other refugees are promised, will one day be their home. For now, they're kept in a lavish but sterile research facility, where authorities force them to wear identifying wrist bracelets; their moods, diet and metabolism are carefully monitored; and male-female "proximity" is strictly forbidden.
Suspicious by nature and prone to prophetic nightmares, Lincoln finds his worst fears confirmed after Starkweather (Michael Clarke Duncan), selected by random lottery to go to the Island, instead winds up on a slab. When his friend and burgeoning love interest, Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), is the next one to win the lottery, Lincoln grabs her and together they stage a jailbreak. Alarmed by the breach, sinister mastermind Dr. Merrick (Sean Bean, adding another to his gallery of villains) hires a mercenary (Djimon Hounsou) to hunt them down.
One of the small charms of "The Island" is that its test-tube protags, far from being hardened heroes, are a pair of brainwashed innocents, sealed off from the outside world and generally lacking in social smarts. McGregor exploits this most winningly, affecting an earnest gee-whiz streak and speaking his lines in a boyish, slightly higher register.
Faring not so well is Johansson, usually the subtlest of actresses, who in her first major action role has been encouraged to make a shrill, bombastic spectacle of her character's cluelessness.
Another downside of Lincoln and Jordan's ignorance is that by the time they realize what's up -- that they're walking "insurance policies," raised only to supply organs for their genetically identical owners -- auds will have long since figured everything out.
While the essentially surprise-free narrative plays catch-up, there's little to do but sit back and admire Nigel Phelps' gleaming production design; the biotech facility, in particular, suggests a cross between a day spa, a spaceship and a maximum-security prison. Yet even here, Bay's direction zips along at such an unmodulated rush, so eager to get on with the next set-piece or expository line of dialogue, that auds will have precious little time to soak up the images, much less allow their potentially troubling implications to deepen and resonate.
Setting and premise conjure countless visual and thematic echoes from other films, including "The Matrix," with its paranoid dystopian vision and roomful of sticky birth-pods, and even "The Truman Show," with its 24-hour surveillance cameras and megalomaniacal controller. One scene, featuring an army of mechanized, eye-scanning spiders, is lifted straight out of the more convincingly futuristic "Minority Report."
The references feel thoroughly secondhand; Bay ultimately is interested in the science and ethics of cloning only insofar as they provide a backdrop for all the vehicular chaos he's set to unleash. (Ancillary moral: Clones are human, too.)
In terms of spectacle, pic is a pileup of kinetic mayhem, as Lincoln and Jordan's first actions in the real world include dodging bullets, destroying several police cars and crashing a hovercraft into a skyscraper.
Yet for all the vertiginous camera movements and ace visual effects, the action remains tension-free and largely incoherent, thanks to attention-deficit editing by Paul Rubell and Christian Wagner.
Scribes Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci save their best lines for the superbly snarky Steve Buscemi, as a facility staffer who comes to the clones' aid (and has a priceless exchange with "Ghost World" co-star Johansson in the process). And pic has sly fun with Lincoln's and Jordan's "owners"; former is played by McGregor in an effective second role, while latter is glimpsed in Johansson's real-life Calvin Klein ad. Other product placements, particularly by Aquafina, are too numerous to mention.
Camera (Technicolor prints, Panavision widescreen), Mauro Fiore; editors, Paul Rubell, Christian Wagner; music, Steve Jablonsky; production designer, Nigel Phelps; supervising art director, David Sandefur; art directors, Jon Billington, Sean Haworth, Martin Whist; set decorator, Rosemary Brandenburg; costume designer, Deborah L. Scott; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS), Peter J. Devlin; supervising sound editors, Per Hallberg, Karen Baker Landers; visual effects supervisor, Eric Brevig; special visual effects and animation, Industrial Light & Magic; assistant director, Josh McLaglen; stunt coordinator, Kenny Bates; associate producers, Steven P. Saeta, McLaglen, Bates, Heidi Fugeman Lindelof, Matthew Cohan; casting,
hapgilmore
07-12-05, 01:10 AM
Couldn't agree with you more on those, especially Bad Boys 2. Every in of that film was shite!
But I've never hated Bay all that much. I dig The Rock, and the attack in Pearl Harbor and a bit of the Japanese stuff. Though I liked nothing else in the film. Still, I'll check this out.
Why is there so much hate on Bad Boys 2? I consider myself a big michael bay fan and i consider that to be his best film, along with armageddon. Surely the haters must recognize the technical skill that went into BB2?
troystiffler
07-12-05, 01:24 AM
Why is there so much hate on Bad Boys 2? I consider myself a big michael bay fan and i consider that to be his best film, along with armageddon. Surely the haters must recognize the technical skill that went into BB2?
Bad Boys II kicked ass. I missed the Mark Mancina score. And I think Mike and Marcus turned it to total fucking assholes (my subtle wordplay is that of a sailor, I know). It's TONS of fun. But the cockiness really takes away. As soon as they spoke a little sincerity (the police station scene where nobody wants to help save Marcus' sister), the movie definately turned for the better. But then it turned back, again. I'm always up for violent, physical-effect-laden, bad-mouthing, police escapism.
I'll be seeing The Island this weekend. Really looking forward to it, now that the general concensus is positive.
Terrell
07-12-05, 01:35 AM
Why is there so much hate on Bad Boys 2?
I'll give you two quotes from two critic reviews that sum up my thoughts exactly.
"Necrophilia, explosions, destroyed motor vehicles, gratuitous T&A and Martin Lawrence and Will Smith doing their lame Abbott-and-Costello act. What's not to hate?"
"... a nasty, mean-spirited movie."
Plus, Will and Martin's schtick got really tired, really fast. Throw in a weak, incoherent storyline, and that about sums up my feelings. If you like it, great.
Surely the haters must recognize the technical skill that went into BB2?
Um, no! That would be The Rock, which is easily superior to Bad Boys 2. BB2 may be his worst film. In fact, forget the "may be."
For what it's worth, I don't hate Bay at all. He's just out their doing his thing and I'm fine with that. I loved the Rock, and enjoyed Armageddon. I even think the bombing of Pearl Harbor in that movie was very well done. Just the rest of the film wasn't. I even look forward to The Island.
jaeufraser
07-12-05, 01:50 AM
"Necrophilia, explosions, destroyed motor vehicles, gratuitous T&A and Martin Lawrence and Will Smith doing their lame Abbott-and-Costello act. What's not to hate?"
The funny thing is, save for the last thing (I did find their schtick fairly lame at times) everything before that is exactly why I liked the film. It's a stupid action movie, but like Rambo 2 it's tons of destruction and over the top idiocy. It's fun, and only bogged down by...some bad comedy and melodrama. But the action is great imo...and as a fan of some really stupid action movies, I think it works quite well in that respect.
But I can see why people hate the movie too.
Dr. DVD
07-12-05, 09:36 AM
I was liking BB2 until they started the surgery on dead bodies and then started shoving cadavers out of the back of a vehicle in a high speed chase for laughs. While the scene where they mess with the date of Martin Lawrence's daughter was amusing, it was still mean spirited.
Matthew Chmiel
07-12-05, 11:34 AM
I was liking BB2 until they started the surgery on dead bodies and then started shoving cadavers out of the back of a vehicle in a high speed chase for laughs. While the scene where they mess with the date of Martin Lawrence's daughter was amusing, it was still mean spirited.
Pffft, that's what was fun about the film, it was completely mean spirited! Name me any other mainstream big budget blockbuster which would have the balls to pass off such tasteless and mean spirited humor?!?!
Then again, I'm a sick motherfucker, so maybe that's why I enjoyed Bad Boys II in those aspects.
Dr. DVD
07-12-05, 01:26 PM
Then again, I'm a sick motherfucker, so maybe that's why I enjoyed Bad Boys II in those aspects.
I don't doubt that...
Terrell
07-12-05, 01:32 PM
Pffft, that's what was fun about the film, it was completely mean spirited! Name me any other mainstream big budget blockbuster which would have the balls to pass off such tasteless and mean spirited humor?!?!
But I don't think the film was nasty and mean-spirited because Bay had the balls to make it that way. But like I said, that isn't the only reason I didn't like it. Honestly, Smith and Lawrence got very tired and grating after a mere 5 minutes. The plot was practically incoherent, etc. We've been down this road before, so I should just stop now.
Bay probably made her wear the bra for the scene, then took her home and had her take it off so he could snort cocaine off of her breasts...
Terrell
07-12-05, 02:23 PM
Why the long face Michael? ;)
Matthew Chmiel
07-12-05, 03:53 PM
Bay probably made her wear the bra for the scene, then took her home and had her take it off so he could snort cocaine off of her breasts...
I don't condone drug use, but if Michael Bay did that, then :thumbsup:. ;)
There's a few things I'd like to do with Johansson's breasts, but I'll save that for the Adult Talk forum. :)
riley_dude
07-12-05, 07:46 PM
I saw the trailer before WOTW's and it looks like One Big chase scene.
I'll skip it.
Rypro 525
07-12-05, 07:54 PM
I saw the trailer before WOTW's and it looks like One Big chase scene.
I'll skip it.
that trailer is very deceptive
Dr. DVD
07-13-05, 10:19 AM
I have heard that it's all about a build up to a big chase scene.
I have to give credit to the marketing team with the new spots I'm seeing; their soundbyte is "Nobody does Summer like Michael Bay." Quite accurate when you think about what a Summer movie is for the most part.
RockStrongo
07-13-05, 10:23 AM
I saw the trailer before WOTW's and it looks like One Big chase scene.
I'll skip it.
Yes, skip it....I liked The Rock and Bad Boys. Armageddon and Pearl Harbor were decent, but not great.
This one is very bland and mediocre IMO. I wish they did the money-back guarantee on it like AMC did with Cinderella man. They would probably go bankrupt though.
Matthew Chmiel
07-14-05, 04:38 AM
One of the theaters near my house had promotional screenings for both The Island and Wedding Crashers tonight.
Both started at 7 o'clock. By 6 o'clock, right before security started checking bags and letting people into the respective auditoriums, Wedding Crashers had around 150 people in it's line (compared to the almost 300 at the same time yesterday at the theater a few blocks down the street) whereas The Island had barely 60. Not a good sign... especially since it was a well known promotional screening (I've known about it for weeks now)...
I've only seen a promotional screening once that was not full... and that was The Girl Next Door (in which maybe only 1/5th of the theater was full).
scott shelton
07-14-05, 11:11 AM
Thankfully, with The Island, he is actually given a decent script in addition to actors that can actually act. Sure, the script feels lifted from some of the best sci-fi films in the past thirty years; but there's more to it than that. I was talking to Scott about this last night and we both agreed on that the film's visual effects are fantastic, the set design is great, the action scenes are intense and entertaining, and Scarlett Johanson is beautiful. Come on, what is not to like in this film?
I cannot help but respectfully disagree with this paragraph.
IMO, there’s nothing in the ISLAND that shows any particular technical prowess or artistic proficiency. Sure the special effects are good, but the majority of them just fly by in a blur. The production design at times looks like a swanky L.A. bar (or deodorant commercial) - not an interesting look 14 years into the future. You say there’s more to it, but I couldn’t see beyond all the shattered glass and the casting Sean Bean in role that he’s been playing for 10 years straight.
And a good script? I don’t see it.
Actually, again IMO, there’s a lot not to like in the film. It’s another Bay bruiser; empty calories for people who don’t know better. I wouldn’t call this entertaining. Punishing and dreadful is more like it. ;)
And I cannot believe nobody has really dived into the product placement in the film. It isn't just ads in the background, but entire shots devoted to Michelob and Aquafina bottles. It rivals GOLDMEMBER in sheer balls to be so blatant.
But yes, Johansson is a looker. Hell, this is the best McGregor has looked too.
Dr. DVD
07-14-05, 11:55 AM
One of the theaters near my house had promotional screenings for both The Island and Wedding Crashers tonight.
Both started at 7 o'clock. By 6 o'clock, right before security started checking bags and letting people into the respective auditoriums, Wedding Crashers had around 150 people in it's line (compared to the almost 300 at the same time yesterday at the theater a few blocks down the street) whereas The Island had barely 60. Not a good sign... especially since it was a well known promotional screening (I've known about it for weeks now)...
I've only seen a promotional screening once that was not full... and that was The Girl Next Door (in which maybe only 1/5th of the theater was full).
In your opinion, what is it that kept people away? Bad early buzz, or just a lack of interest? Seeing as how Wedding Crashers opens a week before The Island, then I don't think it will steal much of its thunder, and Island is PG-13, so there's that big divide right there.
scott shelton
07-14-05, 11:59 AM
In your opinion, what is it that kept people away? Bad early buzz, or just a lack of interest?
Neither. It's just simple ticket distribution.
The ISLAND screening I attended last night wasn't filled to capacity on purpose. CRASHERS has a New Line mandate that every seat be filled.
Promo screenings aren't about buzz 90% of the time. It's about ticket distribution.
Matthew Chmiel
07-14-05, 02:40 PM
I cannot help but respectfully disagree with this paragraph.
IMO, there’s nothing in the ISLAND that shows any particular technical prowess or artistic proficiency. Sure the special effects are good, but the majority of them just fly by in a blur. The production design at times looks like a swanky L.A. bar (or deodorant commercial) - not an interesting look 14 years into the future. You say there’s more to it, but I couldn’t see beyond all the shattered glass and the casting Sean Bean in role that he’s been playing for 10 years straight.
And a good script? I don’t see it.
Actually, again IMO, there’s a lot not to like in the film. It’s another Bay bruiser; empty calories for people who don’t know better. I wouldn’t call this entertaining. Punishing and dreadful is more like it. ;)
And I cannot believe nobody has really dived into the product placement in the film. It isn't just ads in the background, but entire shots devoted to Michelob and Aquafina bottles. It rivals GOLDMEMBER in sheer balls to be so blatant.
But yes, Johansson is a looker. Hell, this is the best McGregor has looked too.
1. Does The Island have any consistency with it's dates mentioned? In some parts of the film, people mention a date 14 years from now; but in other scenes, people mention bills that were passed in the year 2050.
2. I've never been to an L.A. bar that swanky. Next time I'm in the valley, I must find one that looks that nice.
3. The film is "smart" for a typical Michael Bay film. For Michael Bay to direct a film that actually has substance is a step up for the man. It also helps in his advantage that 80% of the films released this year have been total garbage. For a Michael Bay film to actually be liked and not be called a "guilty pleasure" (and I fully agree with Scott Weinberg on that point) is shocking. Sure, it's no Gattaca or Minority Report, but in terms of an action film it works well.
4. Sean Bean kicks ass despite him playing the typical bad guy.
Matthew Chmiel
07-14-05, 02:42 PM
Neither. It's just simple ticket distribution.
The ISLAND screening I attended last night wasn't filled to capacity on purpose. CRASHERS has a New Line mandate that every seat be filled.
Promo screenings aren't about buzz 90% of the time. It's about ticket distribution.
What's funny is that the theater I went to last night put The Island on it's second biggest screen.
What I find funnier is that I've known about last night's promo screening for weeks whereas I found out about the Wedding Crashers promo less than a week ago.
scott shelton
07-14-05, 03:19 PM
1. Does The Island have any consistency with it's dates mentioned? In some parts of the film, people mention a date 14 years from now; but in other scenes, people mention bills that were passed in the year 2050.
I must've missed that. Boy, that makes the XBox plug and Maxim Magazine mention even more depressing.
I don't want to be reading Maxim in 2050.
mimi
07-14-05, 05:10 PM
1. Does The Island have any consistency with it's dates mentioned? In some parts of the film, people mention a date 14 years from now; but in other scenes, people mention bills that were passed in the year 2050.
I'm sure it was 2015, not 2050. Maybe Sean's accent tripped you up?
Personally, I think the technology was a bit inconsistent for 2019. The hover rails ought to be at least 50 years away, yet we see ads and cars from 2005. Though honestly, none of it bothered me that much. Same goes for the product placements. I for one find it lame when films use generic brands...
scott shelton
07-18-05, 02:29 PM
Good ISLAND article...
"You call this paradise?" (http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-ca-michaelbay17jul17,0,5072740.story?coll=cl-home-top-blurb-right)
Dr. DVD
07-18-05, 02:44 PM
Interesting article, but lots of spoilers.
It sounds like he plans to blame the marketing department if his movie fails, like he can do no wrong. :rolleyes:
Grubert
07-19-05, 08:42 AM
James Berardinelli's review (http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/i/island2005.html) is up: 2.5 stars.
BJacks
07-20-05, 12:43 AM
The Island is one of the best films I've seen this year. I loved it. The first 30 minutes are admittedly slow, but when it picks up, it really doesn't let down. It's not the most intelligent or original feature ever made, but it's fun and entertaining and that's good enough for me. I highly recommend it, and our Film Editor, whose personal choices are far more sophisticated than mine, also thoroughly enjoyed it.
Geofferson
07-20-05, 10:08 AM
I attended an advance screening of this last night and was quite underwhelmed. The first 30 minutes - admittingly, the slow part - was the best part of the movie for me. It does take place in the year 2050 and it's of interesting note how many people in that year drive 2006 Dodge Magnums and Chrysler 300M's. :)
Dr. DVD
07-20-05, 11:25 AM
This might be Bay's first film not to crack $100 million. While I will see it and hope to enjoy it, I think Bay could use a strike against his ego. Like it will affect him anyway.
Rypro 525
07-20-05, 01:04 PM
in the new ew magazine, bay mentions specifically that Bad Boys 2 was made as the ulitmate fuck you to critics, that he can make a movie so over the top, that all critics will hate it, and it would still make money.
Terrell
07-20-05, 01:39 PM
in the new ew magazine, bay mentions specifically that Bad Boys 2 was made as the ulitmate fuck you to critics
Funny he didn't say that before the film was released and before critics mauled it. Sorry Bay, I don't buy it.
Matthew Chmiel
07-20-05, 03:51 PM
in the new ew magazine, bay mentions specifically that Bad Boys 2 was made as the ulitmate fuck you to critics, that he can make a movie so over the top, that all critics will hate it, and it would still make money.
:thumbsup:
I don't care what people say about it, Bad Boys II is a grand piece of summer popcorn fluff. Z-grade entertainment at it's finest.
BJacks
07-20-05, 04:33 PM
It does take place in the year 2050 and it's of interesting note how many people in that year drive 2006 Dodge Magnums and Chrysler 300M's. :)One thing that really bothered me was the over-the-top product placement. All of the futuristic cars were GM's, and everything else (aka the non-cool looking cars) were GM competitors. The MSN Search engine was incredibly annoying, as was the frequent showing of Aquafina. Takes me out of the film pretty fast.
Dr. DVD
07-21-05, 11:10 AM
I was checking listings and Nashville's paper isn't even advertising it and it only seems to have one screen at the biggest theater in town. Either this film isn't that great, or certain areas don't like its subject matter.
Personally, I would pick Devil's Rejects over this this weekend, but if I have time to kill, will see this as well.
Scotts35
07-21-05, 12:28 PM
Thats cause Dreamworks has pissed off Regal and they're giving it a small limited release in their theaters.
Dabaomb
07-21-05, 02:11 PM
One thing that really bothered me was the over-the-top product placement. All of the futuristic cars were GM's, and everything else (aka the non-cool looking cars) were GM competitors. The MSN Search engine was incredibly annoying, as was the frequent showing of Aquafina. Takes me out of the film pretty fast.
I agree with you on the product placement.
I thought that it was a good summer flick. Lots of action and suspenseful.
Plus, Scarlett looked her best yet.
Ewan's huge zit on his forehead was pretty distracting though :lol:
2.5/3 stars out of 4
riley_dude
07-21-05, 03:16 PM
I read the interview in EW as well. I think he said something to the effect that the movie was made for 20 year olds. That pretty much says it all. It also said that the movie did not test well and was not high on people's priority list this summer but he knows it will make a lot of money anyway. God I hope he is wrong.
The reviews are coming in and Rotten Tomatoes and they seem to be almost split down the middle.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/island/
I hate Bay Movies except for the Rock. Let's get shirts printed up that say, Bay Go Away.
Dr. DVD
07-21-05, 06:35 PM
Thats cause Dreamworks has pissed off Regal and they're giving it a small limited release in their theaters.
Really? I thought something was screwy for a big summer movie to only have about one screen per theater, but all of the theaters I checked were Regal, so I guess that explains it. Where did you hear that? I guess it had to do with the problems they had with the advanced showings that never came to pass in some cities.
BJacks
07-21-05, 07:26 PM
Let's get shirts printed up that say, Bay Go Away.If you don't like his movies, then don't see them. That's the beauty of a democracy.
Matthew Chmiel
07-21-05, 08:39 PM
Thats cause Dreamworks has pissed off Regal and they're giving it a small limited release in their theaters.
Did they happen to miss off more than just Regal? I say this because the film Hustle and Flow will be on more screens here in Vegas (a film that is opening on 1000 screens tomorrow) than The Island (which is a film opening on over 3000 screens). Unlike most other blockbusters, the film is only going to be on 2-3 screens per theater (and the film is only playing in 6-7 theaters here in Vegas, unlike the usual 10 or so that most blockbusters will play in).
Geofferson
07-22-05, 10:30 AM
Ebert's 3-star review here (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050721/REVIEWS/50711003).
Pistol Pete
07-22-05, 11:13 AM
I caught a screening last night and I have to say I was fairly impressed. I normally don't enjoy big explosion, action flicks and some of the chase sequences were over the top. But there was enough scifi background to create a continuous story. I also went in knowing absolutely nothing about the movie. I didn't even know the genre.
The product placement didn't really bother me. I actually chuckled when I saw the MSN search booth. MS would love to have such a kiosk on every corner. I thought it said more about MS world domination than product placement.
All in all a fun flick with scifi elements. Much more enjoyable than the mediocre WotW.
I spoke with the Dreamworks rep after the showing. She mentioned that they are trying to market it without giving away any of the story. They held 53 free sneak previews as a viral marketing technique. Remember this the next time you complain about a trailer giving away the best parts of the movie. If this movie flops at the box office, you can be assured that the next one will give away all the goodies in the trailer.
M Polo
07-22-05, 07:55 PM
Ahhh the Bay haters, lol. Have to love 'em....
They hate Bay but yet don't think they won't atleast rent it!!!
It's obvious that Michael Bay is nowhere near a high caliber Director. He will never be remembered as of yet for making anything that MOVED you, but he will be remembered for his big, action summer popcorn flicks and it seems from his comments he's cool with that. The Island is just that, it was a ALMOST mindless action flick that kept me entertained for the 2hrs it ran. I say almost because the Sci-Fi parts are excellent. You don't go into a Bay film expecting greatness, you go in expecting to be entertained by running, shooting, car chasing action fun and Bay almost always delivers (barring Pearl Harbor).
I can't stand when elitist critics, etc. go into an OBVIOUS popcorn action flick with either already a mindset that it's going to be bad or already knowing they are so called to high and mighty for this type of action fluff and then come out and bash it because they spent too much time analyzing the film instead of popping there hand in a box of junior mints and just enjoying the ride.
The Island was worth my $6. I caught it on the way home from work and it was a nice release after a stressful work week. It has obvious moments of "RIIIGHT" but it does what it needs to do, ENTERTAINS and does it damn good. I'd almost say this is Bay's best film and or equal to the Rock.
4 out of 5 stars for a great summer action fluff flick w/ a little sci-fi thrown in!
Patman
07-22-05, 10:37 PM
In 3 pretty distinct acts, Bay borrows liberally the most in the second act, which is an insane chase sequence that pays homage to The Matrix Reloaded and Return of the Jedi, and I couldn't help but laugh at the frenetic nuttiness on the screen. Say what you what about Bay's directorial efforts, at least the money spent shows up on the screen.
The film never quite has the balls to asks the really tough questions, given the subject matter, and sort of glosses over them in lieu of our 2 protagonist going on the run (some of it reminded me of Logan's Run on steroids). There are a few headscratching moments in the 3rd act, and while visually kinetic, it is more style over substance once again.
This is a popcorn movie, do leave your brain at the door (you really won't need it), and strap in, and try to have a little fun with the big action sequences. Oh, be prepared to see tons of product placement in this film, it got comical after a while for me.
I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.
Mr. Salty
07-22-05, 11:48 PM
It does take place in the year 2050 and it's of interesting note how many people in that year drive 2006 Dodge Magnums and Chrysler 300M's. :)
Actually, it doesn't. I have the press kit right in front of me and Bay says the original script was set in the late 21st century, but with cloning and stem-cell research moving so fast he moved the time frame up so it takes place in 15-20 years, because it would be much scarier if it takes place "right around the corner," so the movie is set in 2019.
The press kit also specifically makes mention of the "eugenics law of 2015."
As far as all the product placement, Bay talks about it in the EW interview. He said DreamWorks and Warner Bros. held him tight to a $120 million budget (which he did eventually exceed by $2 million), so he turned to product placement to raise another $850,000.
I hate product placement. It pulls me right out of the movie.
Filmmaker
07-23-05, 10:53 AM
But in the same way that product placement helped fund the film, wouldn't exclusive contracts with Aquafina, Puma and the like help fund this extraordinarily expensive clone factory? What's the gripe?
Personally, I really liked the film. It reminded me, in tone, of MINORITY REPORT, a balls-to-the-wall action film with real ideas at the core that stick with you after leaving the theatre. My only gripes--the music during the first hour or so, some kind of techno-rock nonsense that worked against creating an Orwellian feeling of tension and dread (the score got 1,000% better when the leads break out), and some of the MTV-style editing got extreme even for Bay. As someone who considers Kubrick a god, Bay's editing style really has its grating moments for me. It's amazing--of all the summer films I've seen (STAR WARS, Ep. III, CINDERELLA MAN, MR. AND MRS. SMITH, BATMAN BEGINS, WAR OF THE WORLDS, FANTASTIC FOUR, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and, now, THE ISLAND), the only one I wouldn't buy on DVD is CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (a decent film, though for reasons even I can't identify, it just has absolutely no replay value for me)...though FANTASTIC FOUR better be sold cheap...
scott shelton
07-23-05, 11:30 AM
But in the same way that product placement helped fund the film, wouldn't exclusive contracts with Aquafina, Puma and the like help fund this extraordinarily expensive clone factory? What's the gripe?...
When the plugs started getting their own close-ups. That's the gripe with me.
scott shelton
07-23-05, 11:43 AM
It also said that the movie did not test well and was not high on people's priority list this summer but he knows it will make a lot of money anyway. God I hope he is wrong.
With a 4.4 mil opening day, I think he is.
Patman
07-23-05, 02:45 PM
The plugs got embarrassing after a while with the camera slowing down for a nice static shot of each and every sponsor. Given how kinetic Michael Bay works the camera, the plugs really stand out in a bad way.
jaeufraser
07-23-05, 03:10 PM
With a 4.4 mil opening day, I think he is.
Ouch, those are awful numbers. I guess this is gonna be like Kingdom of Heaven and be one of the bombs of the summer. Of course, Weddings Crashers is on track to make something liek 150 million so I guess that makes up for this.
But Bay probably doesn't need to worry too much. His Transformers film is almost a guarenteed hit.
Inverse
07-23-05, 03:18 PM
But Bay probably doesn't need to worry too much. His Transformers film is almost a guarenteed hit.
Yeah, 'cuz TV nostalgia movies *never* flop!
jaeufraser
07-23-05, 03:24 PM
Yeah, 'cuz TV nostalgia movies *never* flop!
They often do. But with its 4th of July release date, Spielberg producing, and its particular subject matter, not to mention its surefire special effects frenzy and family friendly elements as Bay described...it just seems to me this'll be a big 4th of July movie. I suppose that could change, but this has the ability to be huge.
Patman
07-23-05, 04:56 PM
Given the size of the budget, Bay might have out-Gigli'd Gigli.
BJacks
07-23-05, 05:17 PM
Ouch, those are awful numbers. I guess this is gonna be like Kingdom of Heaven and be one of the bombs of the summer. Of course, Weddings Crashers is on track to make something liek 150 million so I guess that makes up for this.I think this is the sort of movie that will do well on word of mouth. I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers pick up dramatically over the next couple weeks.
jaeufraser
07-23-05, 05:25 PM
I think this is the sort of movie that will do well on word of mouth. I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers pick up dramatically over the next couple weeks.
We shall see. But with what is going to be a 12-14 million dolalr opening, even if it has great legs it'll still be a big money loser. There's no way in hell this film will pick up enough steam to reach a hundred million dollars. And with its cost of 120 million dollars, even if it manages 30% drops per weekend, it'll still be rough sailing for this film. Had The Island opened at 25 million, it'd still be considered disapointing, but it might've had a chance. With this opening, it's gonna lose money...pretty much no way around it.
On the flip side, I still plan on seeing it. But obviously the film lacked the star power or concept to be hit.
Patman
07-23-05, 05:51 PM
Oh, also, I guess we should factor in the Regal theater decision to only show this film on screen per Regal theater (I think Paramount or Dreamworks pissed Regal off).
At the 7:30 showing I attended last night at a Regal theater, it was packed, but it was only showing on that one screen.
outcastja
07-23-05, 06:06 PM
Good point, the big Regal theaters around my area isn't even showing it.
Jericho
07-23-05, 06:07 PM
Can't say I can pinpoint what went wrong box office wise. Bay's gotten some terrible reviews in the past, but has produced plenty of good earners, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys 2...
One could blame the stars of the film, but plenty of films make tons of cash without stars. I guess the concept was just not interesting, although I find that a bit surprising.
BJacks
07-23-05, 07:41 PM
I guess the concept was just not interesting, although I find that a bit surprising.I think a lot of people just aren't sure what the concept IS. Dreamworks' marketing dept took deep pains to avoid spoiling the plot for audiences, but unfortunately, in doing that was fairly vague in their advertising. That's one of the main reasons I think word of mouth may bump these numbers up a lot, but we shall see.
Dabaomb
07-23-05, 08:47 PM
Oh, also, I guess we should factor in the Regal theater decision to only show this film on screen per Regal theater (I think Paramount or Dreamworks pissed Regal off).
At the 7:30 showing I attended last night at a Regal theater, it was packed, but it was only showing on that one screen.
hey Patman, just curious but do you see every major release every week? Cuz you have a review for every major release.
Now, there's nothing wrong with that cuz I too like to see many movies on the big screen.
But, do you pay for every movie? Or do you movie hop? Just curious as to how you see so many movies.
fumanstan
07-23-05, 09:58 PM
Oh, also, I guess we should factor in the Regal theater decision to only show this film on screen per Regal theater (I think Paramount or Dreamworks pissed Regal off).
At the 7:30 showing I attended last night at a Regal theater, it was packed, but it was only showing on that one screen.
Wow, i didn't even realize that was the case! I checked my movie listings, and it currently isn't playing on ANY of the Regal theaters by me, which is pretty much all there is here in Irvine. At least 4 theaters and none of them are showing The Island, including the large 21 screen location with IMAX.
Theater counts are still 3,122 accord to BoxOfficeMojo too. Poop.
darkside
07-23-05, 10:03 PM
I hate most Michael Bay movies (like the Rock) and I hated House of 1000 Corpses, but I went and watched both The Island and Devil's Rejects the past two days.
I'm surprised to say I enjoyed both films. The Island was much better than I expected (had all the explosions I was counting on in a Bay film though), but probably not a DVD purchase down the road. BTW, it had a lot of endings. Editor needed to clean that up a bit as I thought I was watching Return of the King for a minute. However, I have a bit more faith that maybe without Bruckheimer, Bay can become a solid director. This was still a popcorn film at heart, but it was a much more enjoyable one than most.
Devil's Rejects which belongs in another thread obviously is a definite DVD purchase.
Anyhow my one comment about the Island is this. Did the writer of Parts: The Clonus Horror get a writing credit for this film? I have seen the MST3K episode many times and this is 50%-60% remake of that film. Granted with a real budget and better dialog. There were several scenes that I'm sure were taken almost directly from Clonus including the basic idea of the film. I'm going to read back through the thread, but I haven't seen it mentioned yet.
As far as the film bombing. I think Bay is paying the price finally for Pearl Harbor and Bad Boys II. Eventually you get a reputation as a crap director and that gets hard to shake even if you put out a decent film.
sinister
07-23-05, 11:39 PM
bad boys 2 was a good summer action film. it had one of the top 5 car chase scenes. now for pearl harbor, yeah that sucked a fat one. when it comes to pure action, bay is the best.
Mike Lowrey
07-23-05, 11:45 PM
I'm watching a "Making of" thing on HBO right now and it looks like The Island is THX 1138 meets Logan's Run meets Bad Boys II meets Minority Report. :D
Mr. Salty
07-24-05, 06:07 AM
As far as the film bombing. I think Bay is paying the price finally for Pearl Harbor and Bad Boys II. Eventually you get a reputation as a crap director and that gets hard to shake even if you put out a decent film.
I agree completely and suspect that may be exactly the case with "The Island." Bay has his fans who will lap up everything he does, but his reputation is dimishing with a lot of people after "Pearl Harbor."
While I generally liked "The Island" and will probably buy the DVD, it was awfully derivitive. I would have had a lot more respect if DreamWorks had just called it a remake of "Logan's Run."
animalmystic
07-24-05, 06:19 AM
I love most Bay movies (except Pearl Harbor I loathed) When I go in I don't expect much, I expect explosions, car chases, fancy camera work, nothing more. If I wanted quality I would see something else, moves are about having fun, and this is a fun movie.
I liked the Island, as mentioned it borrows from Monority Report, Jedi, Gattaca ect ect.
It also borrowed from Heat. Guys in the street with assualt rifles wearing hockey type masks firing at the other characters with loads of people around.
I enjoyed it, the product placement was annoying.
Not particularally strong performances from Scarlett or Ewan, Bean is awesome as usual, but as mentioned has been playing the same role for the past 10 years.
3/5
Scarlett I love you baby, you looked soooo fine in the movie, marry me? :drool:
hapgilmore
07-24-05, 05:24 PM
I agree completely and suspect that may be exactly the case with "The Island." Bay has his fans who will lap up everything he does, but his reputation is dimishing with a lot of people after "Pearl Harbor."
While I generally liked "The Island" and will probably buy the DVD, it was awfully derivitive. I would have had a lot more respect if DreamWorks had just called it a remake of "Logan's Run."
To blame the disappointing box office on Bay is foolish. The movie flopped because there are no A-list stars in the cast. If Tom Cruise would have played Ewan's roll, this would have opened with at least 40 mil. Most of the general movie going public don't know directors by name, aside from Spielberg and a couple others. Michael Bay is NOT that famous of a director, outside of film discussion message boards. I'm sure 98 percent of the country didn't say to themselves "hey, this is directed by Michael Bay, he sucks!"
jaeufraser
07-24-05, 05:38 PM
To blame the disappointing box office on Bay is foolish. The movie flopped because there are no A-list stars in the cast. If Tom Cruise would have played Ewan's roll, this would have opened with at least 40 mil. Most of the general movie going public don't know directors by name, aside from Spielberg and a couple others. Michael Bay is NOT that famous of a director, outside of film discussion message boards. I'm sure 98 percent of the country didn't say to themselves "hey, this is directed by Michael Bay, he sucks!"
This is very true. Sometiems people do overestimate the pulling power of a director. Though I don't think the actors alone were the problem, though they definately did little to help the box office. It is possible to have a success without box office stars, but obviously this film with this concept with this marketing campaign didn't work.
scott shelton
07-24-05, 06:02 PM
To blame the disappointing box office on Bay is foolish. The movie flopped because there are no A-list stars in the cast. If Tom Cruise would have played Ewan's roll, this would have opened with at least 40 mil. Most of the general movie going public don't know directors by name, aside from Spielberg and a couple others. Michael Bay is NOT that famous of a director, outside of film discussion message boards. I'm sure 98 percent of the country didn't say to themselves "hey, this is directed by Michael Bay, he sucks!"
I think you would be very surprised just how well known Bay is.
jaeufraser
07-24-05, 06:14 PM
I think you would be very surprised just how well known Bay is.
If you say "you know, the guy who made Armageddon and The Rock" yes, they would. Those happen to be fairly popular films.
If you say "Michael Bay," I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't know who he is. Outside of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and perhaps Tarantino, largely because he acts and is a public figure, most people couldn't pick out a director by name if you paid them.
B.A.
07-24-05, 08:22 PM
I liked it. ***1/2 out of *****. Ewan was great (and the rest of the cast did a fine job, too). Scarlett looked most excellent. :drool:
I thought it was a fun movie that moved along nicely. Can't wait to see how good it will look on my own television.
My only complaints w/ Bay - enough w/ the slow-mo already and get someone else to do your music.
hapgilmore
07-24-05, 08:50 PM
If you say "you know, the guy who made Armageddon and The Rock" yes, they would. Those happen to be fairly popular films.
If you say "Michael Bay," I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't know who he is. Outside of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and perhaps Tarantino, largely because he acts and is a public figure, most people couldn't pick out a director by name if you paid them.
agreed
pdinosaur
07-24-05, 10:09 PM
To blame the disappointing box office on Bay is foolish. The movie flopped because there are no A-list stars in the cast. If Tom Cruise would have played Ewan's roll, this would have opened with at least 40 mil. Most of the general movie going public don't know directors by name, aside from Spielberg and a couple others. Michael Bay is NOT that famous of a director, outside of film discussion message boards. I'm sure 98 percent of the country didn't say to themselves "hey, this is directed by Michael Bay, he sucks!"
agreed.
while some may make the case that ewan mcgregor is an A list star, scarlet johansson is most definitely NOT. dvdtalkers may adore her luscious ____, but she really hasn't been in a movie of this kind before.
i imagine this movie was really destined to fail. it was scheduled bad, didn't get wonderful reviews, didn't have a great cast that appeals to the masses, and probably didn't present that compelling a story. it's going to do pretty badly i imagine and hopefully demonstrate to scarlett she needs to rethink her career's direction.
jaeufraser
07-24-05, 10:11 PM
agreed.
i imagine this movie was really destined to fail. it was scheduled bad, didn't get wonderful reviews, didn't have a great cast that appeals to the masses, and probably didn't present that compelling a story. it's going to do pretty badly i imagine and hopefully demonstrate to scarlett she needs to rethink her career's direction.
Well, it's not like she has a slate of big budget action movies lined up. She's got a Woody Allen movie, a Brian De Palma adaptation of The Black Dahlia, and a Brian Levinson drama. I don't think her career is going to hurt that much off this one film nor that she needs to really change any of her future products. I doubt she was really thinking about doing a lot of action films anyway. She's a girl after all.
pdinosaur
07-24-05, 10:32 PM
Well, it's not like she has a slate of big budget action movies lined up. She's got a Woody Allen movie, a Brian De Palma adaptation of The Black Dahlia, and a Brian Levinson drama. I don't think her career is going to hurt that much off this one film nor that she needs to really change any of her future products. I doubt she was really thinking about doing a lot of action films anyway. She's a girl after all.
she needs to get out there. not sure if woody allen is the way to get out there anymore. maybe the others'll work out. might scarlett need to duke it out with emily watson? lol.
MasterCXtreme
07-24-05, 10:49 PM
For some reason... now that it's tanked... I wanna see it.
jaeufraser
07-24-05, 10:59 PM
she needs to get out there. not sure if woody allen is the way to get out there anymore. maybe the others'll work out. might scarlett need to duke it out with emily watson? lol.
Well, I suppose if her plan is to try and be a major box office mega star. truth be told, she's probably made more then enough money to last her life. And will continue to do so. Not every actor needs to be a top lining, mega budget number one grossing box office star. For women, that's a lot harder and often times pegs you into playing the same types of roles over and over.\
Scarlett is doing excellent in her career and looks to have good stuff ahead. Doing a Woody Allen movie might not give you a massive paycheck, but it never hurts your career and usually offers a good acting opportunity.
chanster
07-25-05, 02:59 AM
Just saw it. Kinda liked it actually. The setup is good, and given the state of movies nowadays, all I ask for is a decent setup for the big booms/
joeydaninja
07-25-05, 04:14 AM
For some reason... now that it's tanked... I wanna see it.
:lol: I know the feeling.
Grubert
07-25-05, 04:32 AM
For some reason... now that it's tanked... I wanna see it.
So, how did you like Gigli? :rimshot:
cfloyd3
07-25-05, 04:46 AM
Wow, $12 million opening for a $122 million dollar film. Good job not allowing Scarlett Johansson topless scenes to get your PG-13 Professor Bay. I would've even went to it then and Bay films are the equivalent to lighting myself on fire for 2 hours.
Mr. Salty
07-25-05, 05:03 AM
To blame the disappointing box office on Bay is foolish. The movie flopped because there are no A-list stars in the cast.
That's also a foolish argument. Most of the top grossing movies of all time lacked A-list stars in their title roles. "Titanic," the "Lord of the Rings" movies, "E.T., "Star Wars," I could go on.
I could list even more movies that had A-list stars that tanked.
A big-name star can help, but when it comes down to it, people go to movies because the plot/story appeals to them. Blame DreamWorks for a lackluster marketing campaign, but also blame the fact the movie just looked like a noisy mess. And I think more people know who Bay is than you give them credit for.
Grubert
07-25-05, 05:12 AM
From a boxofficemojo piece:
Gone from the equation were an appealing premise and savvy marketing. The Island had a genre identity crisis, crudely mixing futuristic sci-fi with present-day action in what looked like a cross between Logan's Run and The 6th Day. Since sci-fi can be a tough sell, the ads quickly dispensed with any sense of mystery, and they didn't develop characters to draw audiences into the movie's world. Instead, they showcased the generic spectacle. The plot seemed to be revealed in the trailers with the refrain that there is no Island—and the fact that there's no island in a movie called The Island was pounded into potential moviegoers. The natural reaction was indifference.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1854&p=.htm
The Bus
07-25-05, 09:49 AM
$12MM?
OUCH.
The Island was not that bad. It wasn't even mediocre. I thought it was about as good as I, Robot (say, a B-), not as good as Minority Report. What got to me where the gigantic Mack-truck sized plotholes, for example:
OK so they can track urine and have holograms but they can't tell when Ewan McGregor goes into the women's section?
Also, a lot of the sequences were direct rehashes of Bay's earlier work.
I think what was missing was some of the humor that you see so often in Bruckheimer-produced flicks. Also, the trailers for this movie were terrible.
Still, I was pretty much at the edge of my seat the whole time. The movie is fun, if not totally satisfying.
neiname
07-25-05, 11:05 AM
$12.1 million, I can't believe it made so little money. Checking the box office for the weekend I first thought I was mistaken that the Island came out this weekend as I didn't see it in the first 3 spots. Beat out by a fast sinking Fantastic Four, wonder how Michael's feeling.
Numanoid
07-25-05, 11:41 AM
Numanoid points and laughs at Michael Bay.
sabre
07-25-05, 11:50 AM
12.1 million, a box office disaster. I went to see this movie and enjoyed it. Overall I have liked most of bay's movies not pearl harbor and bad boys 2 was okay except for the corpses scenes which were kind of sick and Martin Lawrence, hate him. his editing sometimes is not good, too fast. I can understand why people don't like his films though. I guess his next movie will be made with bruckheimer. I thought the island was an above averagebig budget film. Nothing too innovative but very entertaining. I think dreamworks marketing department has to take the blame. most people who saw the film like it which means the marketing for the film sucked. By the way scarlett looked gorgeous in this movie. Never hotter. In lost in translation she looked okay. I always thought that commercial in the film was her but then was not sure because the women looked a lot better then scarlett generally looks.
slop101
07-25-05, 12:35 PM
Compared to Bay's previous movies, The Isalnd is practically Tarakovskian in it's pace and mood.
It's box office performance is unfortunate though, as it's one of the better films of it's ilk. Much better than dreck from Emmerich/Devlin, and on par with Spielberg's blockbusters like Minority Report and WoW. I didn't care for all the product placement - but I really liked McGregor, Johansen, Bean and Buschemi. The movie was fun and it didn't really insult... much.
exm
07-25-05, 01:00 PM
I enjoyed this movie a lot - and the theatre was packed. Not sure what's going on with the numbers. This movie deservers a lot better!
slop101
07-25-05, 01:42 PM
Oh yeah - BTW, the huge theater complex I went to (AMC 30 screens, with 4 HUGE ones), only had The Island in 2 smaller theaters, meanwhile, the huge screens had WotW, Charlie, and Wedding Crashers - The Island theater was sold out and packed because it was so small. There's something weird going on when a huge movie like this get so few screens, not to mention low-capacity theaters. It's like it just coudn't even DO good numbers even if every single showing sold out, just because there weren't that many seats to go around. Meanwhile movies that are 2 weeks old are playing in the huge theaters and on way more screens than Island. What's up with that?
B.A.
07-25-05, 02:46 PM
slop - the theater I regularly attend (a Kerasotes 12-screener) had The Island stuck in their smallest theater in the corner of the building. It was kind of annoying actually.
for those in the know - Do they do that based on its tracking numbers or did they do that after a poor performance on Friday and Saturday (I saw it on a Sunday)?
Numanoid
07-25-05, 02:49 PM
My colleague is a huge Bay fan. He predicted that The Island would open bigger than Episode III. :lol: I finally got him to put his money where his mouth is and he bet that it would make at least $70 million on opening weekend. Guess who's getting a free lunch this week? :D
RockStrongo
07-25-05, 02:57 PM
I thought this movie stunk....im not surprised that it tanked.
My advice, save your money or use it to see one of the following (if you havent seen one)....
Batman Begins
Cinderalla Man
Star Wars Episode 3
Wedding Crashers
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
War of the Worlds
Those are the best movies of the summer in my opinion (in order).
fumanstan
07-25-05, 03:26 PM
Oh yeah - BTW, the huge theater complex I went to (AMC 30 screens, with 4 HUGE ones), only had The Island in 2 smaller theaters, meanwhile, the huge screens had WotW, Charlie, and Wedding Crashers - The Island theater was sold out and packed because it was so small. There's something weird going on when a huge movie like this get so few screens, not to mention low-capacity theaters. It's like it just coudn't even DO good numbers even if every single showing sold out, just because there weren't that many seats to go around. Meanwhile movies that are 2 weeks old are playing in the huge theaters and on way more screens than Island. What's up with that?
I'm incredibly curious about that as well. The fact that here in Orange County it was difficult to find The Island playing anywhere makes me wonder about that 3,100 theater count. I'm not saying thats the reason for its poor performance, but there's something going on there. I can easily see casual movie goers heading to the theater without realizing that it's not even playing.
Anyone see any articles regarding the distribution of the film?
pdinosaur
07-25-05, 03:44 PM
Oh yeah - BTW, the huge theater complex I went to (AMC 30 screens, with 4 HUGE ones), only had The Island in 2 smaller theaters, meanwhile, the huge screens had WotW, Charlie, and Wedding Crashers - The Island theater was sold out and packed because it was so small. There's something weird going on when a huge movie like this get so few screens, not to mention low-capacity theaters. It's like it just coudn't even DO good numbers even if every single showing sold out, just because there weren't that many seats to go around. Meanwhile movies that are 2 weeks old are playing in the huge theaters and on way more screens than Island. What's up with that?
according to rotten tomatoes....
war of the worlds: 72% fresh
wedding crashers: 73% fresh
charlie and the choc. factory: 81% fresh
the island: 42% fresh
this might hint at a simple 'supply meets demand' situation for how screens were alloted for these movies.
Dabaomb
07-25-05, 05:46 PM
I thought this movie stunk....im not surprised that it tanked.
My advice, save your money or use it to see one of the following (if you havent seen one)....
Batman Begins
Cinderalla Man
Star Wars Episode 3
Wedding Crashers
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
War of the Worlds
Those are the best movies of the summer in my opinion (in order).
I agree with your first 4, but I totally disagree with your last 2 selections. I thought that Charlie & The Chocolate Factory was over-rated and I thought that War of the Worlds was TERRIBLE. But that's just my opinion.
Inverse
07-25-05, 08:29 PM
[QUOTE=fumanstan] I can easily see casual movie goers heading to the theater without realizing that it's not even playing.
QUOTE]
How many people these days just head to a theater without at least checking times first? Not many, I'd wager. Yeah, once upon a time people would ignore what's playing and walk in right in the middle. But that era ended about the same time they stopped showing newsreels and a cartoon before the feature.
The Island had a very anemic Per Thearer Average--about $1,300 for Friday vs. $2,300 for Charlie, which was in its second week and in many more theaters to boot. Nothing about that number indicates that The Island was in too few theaters.
William Fuld
07-25-05, 08:53 PM
How many people these days just head to a theater without at least checking times first?
Plenty, especially teens.
jaeufraser
07-25-05, 09:29 PM
according to rotten tomatoes....
war of the worlds: 72% fresh
wedding crashers: 73% fresh
charlie and the choc. factory: 81% fresh
the island: 42% fresh
this might hint at a simple 'supply meets demand' situation for how screens were alloted for these movies.
They have these theaters picked out and deals in place before the reviews come in. Major critics in general do not release their reviews until the friday of release, and the RT number doesn't really settle in until then either.
But, on the other hand, I did read that prerelease tracking on this film was terrible. People weren't interested, people didn't know what it was, and overall enthusiasm for the film was poor. This might've played a mighty hand in how the film was placed.
But as Inverse pointed out, with a per screen average of 1,200 dollars on friday, it's very obvious the theaters made the right decision in putting it in the smaller theaters. There just wasn't much demand for this film, and putting it in bigger theaters surely wasn't going to help it.
Inverse
07-25-05, 09:44 PM
Plenty, especially teens.
I think by "plenty" you mean "probably less than 10% of the audience." ;) Think about a 12 screen+ megaplex, then think about how relatively few people you see outside debating about what they want to go see when compared to the number of people who walk right up and buy their ticket.
There aren't enough floaters to save The Island in any case. It would have had to more than double its take to come in first for the weekend!
fumanstan
07-25-05, 10:17 PM
[QUOTE=fumanstan] I can easily see casual movie goers heading to the theater without realizing that it's not even playing.
QUOTE]
How many people these days just head to a theater without at least checking times first? Not many, I'd wager. Yeah, once upon a time people would ignore what's playing and walk in right in the middle. But that era ended about the same time they stopped showing newsreels and a cartoon before the feature.
The Island had a very anemic Per Thearer Average--about $1,300 for Friday vs. $2,300 for Charlie, which was in its second week and in many more theaters to boot. Nothing about that number indicates that The Island was in too few theaters.
I think there's more then you think, and there's also those who will just catch another flick if their intended film was sold out. Plus, the fact that you can check for a movie time and not even see The Island listed is worth considering as well. I'd venture its pretty easy for casual movie goers not to remember release dates, and just glance online or in the paper for the movie times and decide on what to see. "Oh look, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came out, let's go see that!" And in front of my 21 screen theater, I actually do see more people standing outside staring at the movie times then I do people rushing up to get in line.
Again, not trying to make an excuse for The Island, as I haven't even seen it yet, but I still think it's incredibly odd that it isn't showing up in that many theaters or screens. Arguing that it's based on reviews doesn't make any sense. I'd bet anyone that Catwoman was playing on more screens and theaters in my area then The Island.
jaeufraser
07-25-05, 10:21 PM
[QUOTE=Inverse]
Again, not trying to make an excuse for The Island, as I haven't even seen it yet, but I still think it's incredibly odd that it isn't showing up in that many theaters or screens. Arguing that it's based on reviews doesn't make any sense. I'd bet anyone that Catwoman was playing on more screens and theaters in my area then The Island.
It's still playing on a lot of screens though.
But, I did read the film was not tracking well at all before release, which could've been a deciding factor in its screen count and placement. But 3,100 screens is still a lot.
Deftones
07-25-05, 10:39 PM
Got to see this flick today. Not great, not horrible. I think the chase scenes were fantastic. I don't see why this didn't open that well. Certainly isn't as bad as everyone thinks it is.
fumanstan
07-26-05, 12:37 AM
[QUOTE=fumanstan]
It's still playing on a lot of screens though.
But, I did read the film was not tracking well at all before release, which could've been a deciding factor in its screen count and placement. But 3,100 screens is still a lot.
Yeah, which is why its so weird to me that a film can be playing in 3,100 theaters, more then Wedding Crashers, yet it's hardly playing at all here in Orange County and seemingly ignored entirely from a large chain like Regal. That's what has my curiosity, more then why it may have actually bombed. Perhaps it isn't on a national scale then, but at least locally i'm still befuddled :p
RockStrongo
07-26-05, 09:51 AM
I agree with your first 4, but I totally disagree with your last 2 selections. I thought that Charlie & The Chocolate Factory was over-rated and I thought that War of the Worlds was TERRIBLE. But that's just my opinion.
Yeah, the last 2 were the weakest that Ive seen this summer. Though, I did enjoy them both, just not as much as the first 4. Charlie was actually a surprise to me...I wasnt expecting much going in and I ended up liking it.
The Island was the only movie this summer that I actually was checking my watch during the movie. Like Charlie, I wasnt expecting it to be much and it met those expectations.
Over all Ive enjoyed the summer though. The only movie that I wanted to see and missed was Land of the Dead. Ill catch it on DVD though.
Giles
07-26-05, 11:10 AM
I saw this last Friday at the Rio in Gaithersburg in DLP and the image was all screwed up, the film's OAR is 2.35:1 right? cause the projectionist couldn't project it correctly, the entire film ran at 1.77:1, essentially everyone looked like match sticks. Loved the chase sequence other than that it was truly a flawed movie - not a total disaster but not great either.
darkhawk
07-26-05, 12:11 PM
The Seattle Times reports that a writer from The Clonus Horror is trying to take legal action against DreamWorks and Michael Bay after watching it.
I'm kind of suprised that Speilberg didn't pick up on something like that. Other producers or financers can be passed off as unknowledable, unethical, or even incompetant. Guess he should watch more Misty3K.
The director says he's not in it for a settlement. But I'm sure the lawyers are. They probably put a neck brace on him.
TCG
07-26-05, 04:00 PM
The director says he's not in it for a settlement. But I'm sure the lawyers are. They probably put a neck brace on him.
rotfl i dont feel bad for michael bay, if it ever gets that far where it would affect him. i'm not trying to bash MB here, but i recently listened his director's cut commentary for Pearl Harbor (dont laugh), and although he started out with rather meaningful stuff, it soon deteriorated and by the end he was cursing, criticizing actors, and kinda criticizing the script. i'm not sure what my point is, i guess it's just that maybe he should read these scripts before signing onto the projects.
btw, he also says how a pepsi placement in the movie paid for a wrap party. and he thought it was a great idea. maybe he should have spent the pepsi money on better actors.
darkside
07-27-05, 12:25 AM
The Seattle Times reports that a writer from The Clonus Horror is trying to take legal action against DreamWorks and Michael Bay after watching it.
Knew this had to happen. I was having Clonus flashbacks all through the film. Too bad it flopped so bad. Maybe he doesn't want his name associated with this film after all. The original Clonus was bad enough to be associated with.
Grubert
07-27-05, 04:32 AM
btw, he also says how a pepsi placement in the movie paid for a wrap party. and he thought it was a great idea. maybe he should have spent the pepsi money on better actors.
I read all the product placement plugs combined gave him a measly $850,000. Talk about false economy.
ianholm
07-27-05, 11:28 AM
I thought it was a decent flick. The train wheel scene was awesome though, even if it seemed, um, a little similar to the one in Bad Boys II.
riley_dude
07-27-05, 07:37 PM
Knew this had to happen. I was having Clonus flashbacks all through the film. Too bad it flopped so bad. Maybe he doesn't want his name associated with this film after all. The original Clonus was bad enough to be associated with.
There's an article in this weeks EW with the comparisons between the two movies.
maingon
07-27-05, 08:04 PM
I thought it was pretty good. the first half was very cool. How they control the people etc. Loved the bar scene once they escaped, very funny. First time i seen a movie with Scarlett Johansson on the big screen. Damm that women is gorgeous. As always the Vechicle Chases were amazing. Too bad it only did 12 million opening weekend. Maybe it will have legs, cause its a pretty good flick.
Lots of product placement, but i didnt mind, maybe it he placed more in, since Lincoln and Jordan are "products". I dont know, the thing that was wierd was the xbox logo. its the future but they are using the current xbox logo. Should of made it futuristic or something.
over good flick, i'd give it a B.
Brent L
07-27-05, 10:03 PM
The Seattle Times reports that a writer from The Clonus Horror is trying to take legal action against DreamWorks and Michael Bay after watching it.
I've never heard of The Clonus Horror, so I thought that it was some sort of movie review website or something when I read the above. From that, when I clicked on the link, I thought it was going to be about a movie reviewer who is trying to take legal action because he thought the movie sucked so bad.
Fincher Fan
07-28-05, 03:21 AM
I caught this earlier today and thought it was pretty fun. It didn't always feel like Bay behind the camera though (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). I noticed that X-Box logo as well and thought it was a bit odd.
matome
07-28-05, 08:45 PM
Bay blames subject matter, marketing and lack of stars for the box office flop:
LA Times article (http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/cotown/la-fi-island26jul26,1,6054900.story?coll=la-headlines-business-enter)
Director Calls 'Island' Opening Haul 'a Debacle'
By Chris Lee, Special to The Times
Anticipating that the heat would be on in Hollywood this weekend, "The Island" director Michael Bay slipped away — to sweltering Arizona.
"I didn't hear the numbers all weekend," he said. "I relaxed, called my agent Sunday and said, 'Give me the bad news.' "
When he heard the film finished in fourth place with $12.4 million, it was clear: "It's a debacle, it's my worst opening weekend ever," Bay said.
This summer's box-office doldrums has claimed numerous victims: "Rebound," "Lords of Dogtown," and the bigger budget films "Cinderella Man" and "Kingdom of Heaven." Now moviegoers have crowned the biggest opening belly-flop so far: Bay's "Island."
Paul Degarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co., said the film's opening comes as a major disappointment for distributor DreamWorks SKG.
"There's a lot riding on a tent pole movie like that," he said.
Bay bemoaned that the movie had low awareness. Even before it opened, he had sharp words for the marketing campaign, complaining in a Times interview that the effort wasn't generating interest and that a poster made costar Scarlett Johansson look like "a porn star."
DreamWorks marketing executive Mike Vollman said the studio mounted its biggest-ever print, online and broadcast marketing campaign for "The Island," an effort that included five trailers, a screening campaign, three websites and numerous Internet ads.
Bay cited other possible factors for the movie, which stars Ewan McGregor and Johannson as clones.
"It could be the subject matter, the lack of stars," he said. "I'm not blaming the whole thing on the marketers."
The opening for the $124-million film means "The Island" grossed just 10% of its production budget — placing it ahead of "Cinderella Man" and "Kingdom of Heaven" as the most expensive dud of the summer so far.
Bay's previous five films opened at No. 1, grossing $1.7 billion combined worldwide, according to Boxofficemojo.com.
"Everyone from [Steven] Spielberg to [Robert] Zemeckis to [Stanley] Kubrick — they've all had big flops," he said. "I was five for five. You know it's going to happen."
"It hurts," Bay added. "It's always the director's fault."
Wow, I'm sure Ewan and Scarlett must've loved reading that :lol:
jaeufraser
07-28-05, 08:51 PM
Wow, I'm sure Ewan and Scarlett must've loved reading that :lol:
Well, in all fairness they're not big box office stars and the presence of a real major movie star would've made for a much bigger OW. So, in reality he is correct about that.
sundog
07-29-05, 03:08 AM
This was pretty close to worthless. Though, the excesses of the film amused me. For example, the semi-trailer carrying the train axles; did it really need to have 12+ axles of its own?
The first act had some wit about it, portraying the community as a type of farm for consumers with all the product placement. Of course, that whole aspect is discarded as quickly as it was suggested.
Ewan MacGregor was watchable, but Johannsen (sp?) looked and acted like a typical Bay zombie.
matrixrok9
07-29-05, 05:38 AM
Bay should've known that the subject matter would bomb, especially in the summer. He might be right about marketing though. If there's one thing, Bruckheimer does very well, it would be marketing. He knows how to hype up his movies.
Fincher Fan
07-29-05, 06:14 AM
Come to think of it, since the trains in the movie ran on some sort of hover technology, why was there a trailer carrying those old-style train wheels?
Grubert
07-29-05, 06:22 AM
Come to think of it, since the trains in the movie ran on some sort of hover technology, why was there a trailer carrying those old-style train wheels?
Hellooo... Because otherwise there'd be no chase to begin with. :D
Mr. Salty
07-29-05, 07:08 AM
Come to think of it, since the trains in the movie ran on some sort of hover technology, why was there a trailer carrying those old-style train wheels?
Clearly they were taking them to the recycling center!
RockStrongo
07-29-05, 09:38 AM
Well, in all fairness they're not big box office stars and the presence of a real major movie star would've made for a much bigger OW. So, in reality he is correct about that.
WTF??
Ever heard of Mister Steve Buscemi?????
;)
buckee1
07-29-05, 10:31 AM
I didn't even know this was 0ut yet. color me -confused-
RockStrongo
07-29-05, 10:51 AM
I didn't even know this was 0ut yet. color me -confused-
Yeah, I dont think the marketing was as much as Dreamworks claimed. I dont remember seeing a whole lot of ads or trailers.
Cygnet74
07-30-05, 01:14 PM
this michael bay article is causing all kinds of havoc at work. dreamworks is putting the heat on their marketing dept, who in turn is blaming the company i work for because our trailers failed to sell tickets. down the line, everyone is being an asshole to the people working under or for them.
btw, michael bay had final approval over the trailers and poster design before they went to finish. if he knows so god damn much, why didnt he speak up then?
bhk
07-30-05, 03:38 PM
Of course, it is everyone else's fault. That's just the way things happen when there's a dud. The movie itself was enjoyable though and both leads were fine.
maingon
07-30-05, 05:48 PM
I think this movie was just hard to market. The trailer did give away pretty much the movie though, but i seen the trailer and it still made me want to see it, and i did and enjoyed it
Cygnet74
07-30-05, 07:49 PM
I think this movie was just hard to market. The trailer did give away pretty much the movie though, but i seen the trailer and it still made me want to see it, and i did and enjoyed it
test research has indicated over and over that the more a trailer can convey a full story (which often involves revealing alot of the movie), the more likely people are to say they would definitely see it after watching the trailer. you may not realize this but anywhere from 5 to 15 trailers and 25 to 50 tv spots are cut for any major studio release expected to make big money. they are tested in the market just like the movies themselves. and the studio often goes with the best performers -- those that got the most "definitely would see" responses.
scott shelton
07-31-05, 01:54 AM
btw, michael bay had final approval over the trailers and poster design before they went to finish. if he knows so god damn much, why didnt he speak up then?
This is the same guy who is comparing himself to Kubrick. There's no way he'll take the heat for this one.
Jadow
07-31-05, 10:21 AM
saw it yesterday. I really liked it, I only put it behind Batman and Sin City as far as this year's quality goes, I liked it better than ROTS.
Too bad it did so bad at the BO, but Logan's Run didn't do anything at the BO either, this movie will have more life after the box office and long term rememberance than The Wedding Crashers.
Inverse
07-31-05, 01:32 PM
test research has indicated over and over that the more a trailer can convey a full story (which often involves revealing alot of the movie), the more likely people are to say they would definitely see it after watching the trailer.
I have no doubt that people say this; why marketeers obey them is the part I've never been able to figure out. When it comes to showmanship, asking people to explain what they want is the worst form of feedback. Most people have zero imagination--that's why they're looking for entertainment in the first place. It's like a contracter asking his client to draw up the plans for the house.
I suspect that if test reseach were allowed to prevail, the trailers would have given away the end of THE SIXTH SENSE, because, y'know, it would make it easier to follow.
pdinosaur
07-31-05, 01:52 PM
i just watched this. lol.
the product placements are hilarious. especially budweiser. it reminded me of the selling out conversation between wayne and garth in the first wayne's world.
i've learned from this that action sequences can only go so far before you ge to a point of 'ok, this is just stupid.' i've seen someone realize this at MI-2 when tom cruise popped a front wheelie on his motorcycle. but for me, falling 80 stories on a huge R and surviving it by landing in a net is just a bit much.
scarlett looked completely non-descript in this movie. there's probably 300 thousand big breasted bleach blond bimbos in california who could've played that role.
all the friends, the star trek guy and the five year guy were horribly annoying and inexplicably so.
the movie needed popcorn. it wasn't bad, maybe C or B on a good day.
scott shelton
07-31-05, 02:01 PM
i've learned from this that action sequences can only go so far before you ge to a point of 'ok, this is just stupid.' i've seen someone realize this at MI-2 when tom cruise popped a front wheelie on his motorcycle. but for me, falling 80 stories on a huge R and surviving it by landing in a net is just a bit much.
True, but it had a good punchline.
Cygnet74
07-31-05, 10:01 PM
I have no doubt that people say this; why marketeers obey them is the part I've never been able to figure out. When it comes to showmanship, asking people to explain what they want is the worst form of feedback. Most people have zero imagination--that's why they're looking for entertainment in the first place. It's like a contracter asking his client to draw up the plans for the house.
I suspect that if test reseach were allowed to prevail, the trailers would have given away the end of THE SIXTH SENSE, because, y'know, it would make it easier to follow.
you misunderstand how the marketing is done. no one seriously considers feedback from an open ended question. there really is only one question that anyone pays attention to. that is, after the trailer is shown, they are asked "how likely are you to see this movie?" there are five options from definitely to definitely not. and time and time again, trailers that reveal more of the plot perform better. whether you like it or not. and you know, it makes sense to me. the more familiar a person feels with a movie, the more they understand what theyre getting into, the more likely they are to choose it over something they can't quite get a handle on.
Cygnet74
07-31-05, 10:02 PM
there's probably 300 thousand big breasted bleach blond bimbos in california who could've played that role.
true. and it seems like they all live on my block.
Deftones
07-31-05, 10:53 PM
this michael bay article is causing all kinds of havoc at work. dreamworks is putting the heat on their marketing dept, who in turn is blaming the company i work for because our trailers failed to sell tickets. down the line, everyone is being an asshole to the people working under or for them.
btw, michael bay had final approval over the trailers and poster design before they went to finish. if he knows so god damn much, why didnt he speak up then?
Which is pretty ridiculous, if you ask me.
It's not the trailer that failed to sell the tickets. It was the content, and the bad word of mouth this got.
scott shelton
08-01-05, 12:35 AM
true. and it seems like they all live on my block.
That sounds like a good ass block.
Matthew Chmiel
08-01-05, 01:21 AM
That sounds like a good ass block.
I don't agree with Shelton that much, but that comment deserves two thumbs up. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Cameron
08-01-05, 03:54 AM
saw this on saturday. Didn't hate it by any means (and I usually loathe bay movies) However I had a long lunch break and needed to kill some time. Since there is no way in hell i was going to see Stealth, and every other movie i had either seen or started to late...i took it in.
THe story didn't seem so bad, but It felt like I had seen it before...Logans run, thx 1138, and a few other old sci fi movies came to mind. I was confused about what the date was...
1. Does The Island have any consistency with it's dates mentioned? In some parts of the film, people mention a date 14 years from now; but in other scenes, people mention bills that were passed in the year 2050.
I thought I heard the same things and it confused the hell out of me. When they got out, and into the world especially. I kept seeing cars that i see on the road now...even Buscemi's truck I have seen in magazines, (and i don't read car magazines) The Bar felt the same, most of the architecture felt the same...then some new cable cars were there, and a crazy ass speeder bike.
It was nothing to write home about, but better than being on my feet for another 3 hours..
mmconhea
08-01-05, 10:32 AM
I saw it in the DLP theater. Not bad. Some amazing crashes and some interesting technology. I'm not going to defend the movie, but there are certainly some other movies it should be beating at the box office. I don't think Bay is a great director, but he certainly knows how to spend money blowing shit up.
pdinosaur
08-01-05, 10:47 AM
I thought I heard the same things and it confused the hell out of me. When they got out, and into the world especially. I kept seeing cars that i see on the road now...even Buscemi's truck I have seen in magazines, (and i don't read car magazines) The Bar felt the same, most of the architecture felt the same...then some new cable cars were there, and a crazy ass speeder bike.
i would disagree with most of this being a problem. even in 40 years, i wouldn't expect a major overhaul of a city. the amtrak stuff seems feasible, as does the railroads. but something outrageous like what you saw in Minority Report or Back to the Future is far less plausible, certainly in a short time span.
the reality is, major transitions in which we have a substantial investment in are difficult to enact. and in a short time span, i'd expect everything to look substantially the same. while movies that guess the future to be something wildly different end up looking horribly dated when the future proves them wrong, this one likely will stand up over time fairly well (even tho it does suck for other reasons. lol)
Cygnet74
08-01-05, 12:20 PM
That sounds like a good ass block.
i live right off Melrose Ave, AKA the "good ass" block.
rennervision
08-01-05, 05:50 PM
Wow, I'm sure Ewan and Scarlett must've loved reading that :lol:
Agreed. What a horrible thing for a director to say about the stars of his movie. Would he like to accept any part of the blame???
iggystar
08-03-05, 01:02 PM
Please, Ewan and Scarlett were hardly the bad parts of this movie! I thought the movie was not bad. I'd give it a C+. The actors were great, namely Ewan, Djimon and Sean (Scarlett was not horrible, but served mainly as eye candy).
I was either cracking up or rolling my eyes at some of the Bay-signature action scenes, the weakest points of the film.
riley_dude
08-03-05, 03:29 PM
Bay blames subject matter, marketing and lack of stars for the box office flop
From the quotes I read from Bay before the movie, he was pretty cocky about his success and was pretty much saying fuck you to everyone for making another mindless piece of crap Summer movie. If you ask me, he got what he deserved. The news that The Island and Stealth have done bad this Summer gives me hope in humanity.
NatrlBornThrllr
08-03-05, 03:44 PM
Supposedly Scarlett wanted to do the sex scene topless. She didn't like the "fucking cheap ass bra" the wardrobe department set her up with, and called Bay into her trailer. She then asked that he let her do the scene topless. Bay's response was something to the effect of, "the movie is rated PG-13, so um, no can do."
...and now we know the real reason the movie flopped: karma. That's what you get, Mr. Bay.
-JP
maingon
08-03-05, 08:00 PM
I gotta defend Micheal bay he blows shit up better then anyone else. Hes great at action scenes, and his movies always look amazing. He is a pretty good director, just needs to slow down. I thought he showedthis in the beginning of The Island, I thought it showed that he can make a great movie if he just slows down, dont get me wrong i love his action scenes. and i liked the island, the first half i thought showed he is more talented then most of the directors out there and could make a great movie and the second half showed how good he is at blowing crap up just as Ebert said he does it really well here (blowing crap up)
Giantrobo
08-09-05, 05:18 AM
Saw it. Enjoyed it. I was on the edge on my seat all the way through.
High points:
Scarlett :drool: She looked amazing in this movie. I swear she's getting better with age. Unlike other young stars....
Short seen with Shawnee Smith :drool:
Action scenes
Ewan
Sean Bean
Djimon :up:
Neelix ;):up:
Lows:
Not enough Shawnee Smith
Not enough Buscemi
The letter "R" -ohbfrank-
Not showing the ramifications of the big secret being exposed. I woulda rolled credits with some news flashes of congressional hearings or something showing clones being introduced to society and some of the good and bad that would come of it. Then show our heroes having a life together. But that's just me
muggins
08-09-05, 05:23 AM
:up: Giantrobo. I am in complete agreement with you.
Original Desmond
08-21-05, 07:58 AM
this was a damm fun movie and Scarlet was hot as hell, she looks horrible in tv interviews etc cos of the way she does her hair. In this movie, she had it down and she is gorgeous
I wouldn't pay to see this movie and hate putting money in Bay's pocket but i did enjoy the just about dvd quality telecine which is on the net.
maingon
09-01-05, 01:45 PM
Movie's doing pretty well over seas. so far world wide B.O. is at around 140 million.
exm
09-01-05, 02:08 PM
Movie's doing pretty well over seas. so far world wide B.O. is at around 140 million.
Good. I enjoyed it.
maingon
10-16-05, 11:09 AM
its now at almost 160 million and its not even on dvd yet, so its no longer a flop. Glad cause I thought this was one of the better movies of the summer
scott shelton
10-16-05, 12:24 PM
its now at almost 160 million and its not even on dvd yet, so its no longer a flop. Glad cause I thought this was one of the better movies of the summer
A different studio distributed overseas.
So, sorry, in America, the film still flopped.
atlantamoi
11-27-05, 04:39 PM
I think I may have hated this movie more than any I saw this past year. Mainly because it was wasted talent and wasted effects. There just wasn't enough decent acting or a compelling storyline to make it rise above what it wanted to be. The idea was very cool. The execution was not.
matrixrok9
11-27-05, 10:09 PM
I think I may have hated this movie more than any I saw this past year. Mainly because it was wasted talent and wasted effects. There just wasn't enough decent acting or a compelling storyline to make it rise above what it wanted to be. The idea was very cool. The execution was not.
I disagree. If you want wasted talent and wasted effects, go check out Episode 3. I thought acting was decent and it was interesting until they got to the city. Then it became a typical Bay flick, non stop action. I hated the action scenes the most from this movie because it took away the serious tone of it. I still enjoyed it, love the shot of Djimon walking on the tunnel at the end of the movie.
belboz
11-27-05, 10:34 PM
For what it was, I thought the movie was ok. I wasn't too disappointed given that it met my expectations based on Bay's prior work. However, I agree that much of it seemed like a wasted opportunity. Both Johansson and McGregor are capable of much more than what was asked of them and there were definitely several aspects of the story that could have been explored thoughtfully and made for a much more interesting film.
maingon
11-28-05, 12:59 PM
I disagree. If you want wasted talent and wasted effects, go check out Episode 3. I thought acting was decent and it was interesting until they got to the city. Then it became a typical Bay flick, non stop action. I hated the action scenes the most from this movie because it took away the serious tone of it. I still enjoyed it, love the shot of Djimon walking on the tunnel at the end of the movie.
i really liked both parts. First part was really well done, acted good, shot well etc. Second half is all action but I really liked it, Micheal Bay does action pretty good and he doesnt resort to pure CGI like most would now days.
jaeufraser
11-28-05, 08:39 PM
i really liked both parts. First part was really well done, acted good, shot well etc. Second half is all action but I really liked it, Micheal Bay does action pretty good and he doesnt resort to pure CGI like most would now days.
I agree. It was a fun movie. Interesting setup, fun action in the end.
Is it everything it could've been? Probably not, in terms of challenging scifi. But as a mixture of scifi and balls to the walls action, it most certainly did entertain.
valkyrie
11-29-05, 07:55 PM
I think I may have hated this movie more than any I saw this past year. Mainly because it was wasted talent and wasted effects. There just wasn't enough decent acting or a compelling storyline to make it rise above what it wanted to be. The idea was very cool. The execution was not.
Funny, I thought the same thing about Episode 3. The Island, I liked it...
Sierra Disc
12-29-05, 02:12 PM
Definitely wasted potential. Mcgregor was good, as he pretty much always is, but Scarlett was kind of given nothing to do. It wasn't absolutely terrible, but it could've been a lot better. The first half before they got out was better than the rest.
Legolas
12-29-05, 02:16 PM
For what it was, I thought the movie was ok. I wasn't too disappointed given that it met my expectations based on Bay's prior work. However, I agree that much of it seemed like a wasted opportunity. Both Johansson and McGregor are capable of much more than what was asked of them and there were definitely several aspects of the story that could have been explored thoughtfully and made for a much more interesting film.
You would've needed a completely different director for that to have happened. Michael Bay is as Michael Bay does. When he was being considered for Phone Booth, the first thing he wanted to do was take it out of the phone booth and make it balls to the wall action.
ruk
12-29-05, 07:23 PM
i enjoyed this movie.
PJsig08
01-20-06, 02:32 PM
Saw this yesterday on DVD finally. Not great, but a pretty good movie. Glad it wasn't like Bad Boys II throughout. Some questionalbe scenes/plotlines here and there, but it was a pretty smart and different movie.
I'm sure it wasn't a huge success, but it has to be about even now with overseas and DVD sales.
mndtrp
01-22-06, 02:23 AM
I enjoyed the movie as well. Good visuals, decent storyline, attractive women. I'd recommend it to others who haven't already seen it.
silentbob007
01-22-06, 10:24 AM
The movie was worth a rental for me as it did a decent job entertaining me, though after it was over, I became less and less satisfied because it seemed to have much more potential than ending up an action flick. Oh well, Michall Bay ....
Squirrel God
04-03-06, 05:55 AM
I thought this film was a joke :lol: I sat through the first third thinking "Coma" + "The Matrix" + "Logan's Run" + "THX 1138" + . I was on the verge of turning it off. However, once they actually
get out into the real world
the film is more watchable as the action sequences are entertaining. The film essentially descends into your typical Michael Bay nonsense. Though watching the film try to achieve plot closure is painful.
It's amazing how Bay managed to get such bad performances from pretty much the entire cast. Sean Bean and Michael Clarke Duncan were especially appalling. Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi just about managed to maintain their dignity which is admirable considering how beneath them the script was.
Bay clearly got ideas above his station and tried to make an [i]intelligent sci-fi action movie. Lesson learned: stick to dumb ass action movies, dumb ass! :lol:
maingon
04-03-06, 11:29 AM
I thought this film was a joke :lol: I sat through the first third thinking "Coma" + "The Matrix" + "Logan's Run" + "THX 1138" + . I was on the verge of turning it off. However, once they actually
get out into the real world
the film is more watchable as the action sequences are entertaining. The film essentially descends into your typical Michael Bay nonsense. Though watching the film try to achieve plot closure is painful.
It's amazing how Bay managed to get such bad performances from pretty much the entire cast. Sean Bean and Michael Clarke Duncan were especially appalling. Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi just about managed to maintain their dignity which is admirable considering how beneath them the script was.
Bay clearly got ideas above his station and tried to make an [i]intelligent sci-fi action movie. Lesson learned: stick to dumb ass action movies, dumb ass! :lol:
most people thought the exact opposite of the beginning, most critics liked the first half, if you listen to Roger Ebert and Roper they both give praises to the first half. I though the first half was really well dones so was the second half
Josh H
05-14-06, 10:16 PM
Got this from Netflix and watched it tonight.
I loved it. Great brainless sci-fi action flick. Pretty much what I expect from Bay. I've liked most of his films sans Pearl Harbor.
It was a bit cheesy and way over the top, but I like that in a mindless action flick. The plot was more interesting than most of his films as well, and McGregor and Johannson turned in pretty good performances for this genre. I'd give it a 4/5 (I rank based on genre).
Dr. DVD
05-14-06, 10:24 PM
Saw this a while back on rental. The first part plays really well, then they find out the truth and it turns into a typical Michael Bay no brainer.
You know, I can be forgiving of some overlooked details when it comes to this kind of movie, but I at least to expect it to play by the logic of the world in which it takes place. There is no way in any action movie that the bad guys would not bother to search a captured heroin for a weapon, much less place her on a table to be killed and not restrain her in some way. When she whipped that gun out of her pants and knocked that guy out, I actually said "What the Fuck?!?" out loud in my home.
valkyrie
05-15-06, 12:09 AM
Saw this a while back on rental. The first part plays really well, then they find out the truth and it turns into a typical Michael Bay no brainer.
You know, I can be forgiving of some overlooked details when it comes to this kind of movie, but I at least to expect it to play by the logic of the world in which it takes place. There is no way in any action movie that the bad guys would not bother to search a captured heroin for a weapon, much less place her on a table to be killed and not restrain her in some way. When she whipped that gun out of her pants and knocked that guy out, I actually said "What the Fuck?!?" out loud in my home.
Maybe she had it REALLY well hidden. ;)
FiveO
05-15-06, 07:17 AM
Saw this a while back on rental. The first part plays really well, then they find out the truth and it turns into a typical Michael Bay no brainer.
You know, I can be forgiving of some overlooked details when it comes to this kind of movie, but I at least to expect it to play by the logic of the world in which it takes place. There is no way in any action movie that the bad guys would not bother to search a captured heroin for a weapon, much less place her on a table to be killed and not restrain her in some way. When she whipped that gun out of her pants and knocked that guy out, I actually said "What the Fuck?!?" out loud in my home.
This happens in real life though too...
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=465171
Giantrobo
05-15-06, 07:28 AM
Maybe she had it REALLY well hidden. ;)
You see, She never would got it past me...because I woulda searched her aaaaall over. Several times. ;)
FiveO
05-15-06, 08:06 AM
Just to be sure...eh Robo?
:lol:
Michael Corvin
05-15-06, 08:25 AM
I thought it was a good film. It would have been GREAT if they hadn't fucking ruined the plot in the previews. I would have been on the edge of my seat, however since I knew going inabout them being clones the first hour was a waste of time, despite it being well done. All build up and no payoff.
The endless parade of product placement was ridiculous as well. Xbox? Come on.
Giantrobo
05-15-06, 10:17 AM
I wonder if you found out by way of <b>broken spoiler tags</b> ;)
Buy: