MovieChat Forums > The Island (2005) Discussion > Another movied ruined by the 'action sce...

Another movied ruined by the 'action scenes'.

posted 12 years ago by konam
15 replies | jump to latest

Instead of going full scale sci-fi, director decides to appeal for the masses and pack it full of (unnecessary) action scenes. Results: The local retard will love it, but it wont mark the history of film-making.

Even tho, I see a lot of elements from "Logan's Run (1976)" here, I believe this had potencial, if only it was focused more on what matters - Ideas - Instead of nerds generating CGI.

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- He moves his lips when he reads. What does that tell you about him?

[–] JannTosh 12 years ago

How do you know it was the directors fault 100%? I am pretty sure this movie was designed as a summer blockbuster from the beginning

[–] David_Blue 12 years ago

Michael Bay had the movie completely re-written so that it could be filmed on a possible budget, and so it would include lots of Michael Bay action, like the truck scene. This was definitely his choice and the choice of his pet re-writers.

And a good thing too. The "original" script was terribly bad, and unknown to Michael Bay it was a ripoff of a bad horror movie: Clonus Horror. Because of this ripoff, the production was exposed to legal action, and the "original" writer has never worked in Hollywood again, because big companies don't like being exposed to lawsuits like that. And, let me emphasize this again, the "original" script was really, really bad.

Everything you probably like in the movie, like likeable Lincoln and Jordan and McCord and Dr Merrick and Gandu and his friends and Laurent, and the "mass winnings" and the incinerator scene and Jordan's deception and escape and how the underground world works, and above all the plot-line with Lincoln's recovered memories, was a creation of Bay's re-writers.

They went over the top with the action, but the action was going to be bad anyway (and really dull, in the "original" script).

[–] gmansi 12 years ago

I come to the board to say the same.

The actions scenes, you know, the one of the building's logo ruined the movie for me.

Come on....

Clonus Horror + Logan's Run + Farenheit 451

[–] mdcordova-1 12 years ago

Hey you guys, the multitude of death/injury defying lucky breaks were all explained from the black consturtion worker when he said "Jesus must love you two" -(roll eyes here)

.....and the additonal "I know he MUST love you" said to Jordan, I guess shows Jesus loves sexy woman more than everyone else?

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] gmansi 11 years ago

yep the logo building sequence was too much , when they were filming it, didn't they even think to themselves -- wtf?

yes, I think the same...

[–] buckaroobanzai50 11 years ago

...and above all the plot-line with Lincoln's recovered memories, was a creation of Bay's re-writers.

And...the creation of the writers of Blade Runner. And most of the movie, was the creation of the writers of THX-1138...and Logan's Run...And, I could go on...

They didn't seem to worry about being sued by those people at all.

[–] philoj 8 years ago

and unknown to Michael Bay

I don't buy this at all. There is no way two people come up with that story independently. Growing clones to harvest organs - sure.

But the things "The Island" has in common with "Clonus":

- Growing clones to harvest organs
- A central plot point being that it's for the very rich
- Clones have strict workout regimens
- "Win the lottery, go to (The Island | America)"
- ...and get harvested
- One clone is a malcontent
- Malcontent clone is fascinated with "outside"
- Malcontent clone falls in love
- Malcontent clone escapes
- He tells his story to get help, but the people he tells have a vested interest and turn him in

Only the conclusion is different.

Either Bay bought a spec script and it turned out it was a copy of Clonus, he stole it directly, or perhaps he (or the scriptwriter) saw the movie on some midnight showing thirty years ago and didn't even realize they were copying a movie instead of it being a story they thought up. If it was lifted directly, I wonder if the person who stole the idea figured "Nobody is going to remember this piece of drek movie" not realizing it had a second life on MST3k.

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Philo's Law: To learn from your mistakes, you have to realize you're making mistakes.

[–] koffeenkreame41-1 8 years ago

How do you know it was the directors fault 100%? I am pretty sure this movie was designed as a summer blockbuster from the beginning

This.

"I'm the ultimate badass,you do NOT wanna f-ck wit me!"Hudson,Aliens😬

[–] flurng-1 12 years ago

I see, so I'm "retarded" because I enjoy action films. Well then, so be it, because I don't go to movies to watch paint dry - I'd like to see something exciting, thrilling and new. Certainly, I enjoy cerebral plot lines ( Wow! How'd a retard like lil' ol' ME know a big ol' HONKIN' word like "cerebral"? ), but here's a news flash for you; IT'S A MOVIE! OF COURSE everything's going to be over the top! - After all, it's got to compete with all the other blockbusters out there vying for your hard-earned entertainment dollar! You go right ahead and watch re-runs of "My Dinner With Andre" ( Which, by the way, I greatly enjoyed myself! ), but I personally believe there are good and bad examples in ANY film genre, and this happens to be a very good action film, set in a Sci-Fi environment.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] spookyrat1 11 years ago

Instead of going full scale sci-fi, director decides to appeal for the masses and pack it full of (unnecessary) action scenes. Results: The local retard will love it...

Agreed! The first 45 minutes had the makings of a half way interesting film, but then it soon ended up just running off the rails. And much of the so called action scenes were just so over the top...no wonder the film went belly up at the box office.

[–] EurasianEyes 11 years ago

I have the same opinion. The first half was interesting. Then the movie lost me with all that action that never ended. What a waste of something that could have been good.
I gave Gattaca a chance yesterday, it was worth watching.

The Island 5/10
Gattaca 7/10

[–] ComicNerd 10 years ago

The 1st half created a great mystery which fell apart when the movie turned into a Bay action movie in the 2nd half.

[–] JohninVegas 10 years ago

This movie has so much editing - every two seconds there is cut.