The Stop Button

I know The Island bombed but I can't believe anyone thought it wouldn't. It's incredible such a large budget was given essentially to a future movie--it takes place in 2015 or something, it's never clear, but there's a lot of future stuff--and I had no idea it was a future movie. Bay's got future cars and future trains and future motorcycles and he's the worst person to do a future movie, because he's incapable of wonderment. The Island plays out like Freejack on overdrive.

The plot is ripe for all sorts of metaphors--this island paradise, whatever--and the film ignores all of them. Instead it's a wholly competent, completely unexciting summer action movie. Scarlett Johansson plays a twit well and Ewan McGregor's a solid lead in a vapid role--it'd have been really funny if the pair had been cloned from their actors, who they then had to duke it out with.

Djimon Hounsou is wasted, as he always is, cast as the tough black guy with the accent. Sean Bean's good as the villain, even if his dialogue is crappy. Steve Buscemi's awesome in a small role; he really has fun, maybe more than anyone else, just because he's not pretending about what kind of movie he's making.

It's really cool looking--the future designs and all--and Bay does a decent job. But when the music (a good score from Steve Jablonsky) comes up, it doesn't matter what the movie is--Bay's directing another commercial.

CREDITS

Directed by Michael Bay; screenplay by Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, based on a story by Tredwell-Owen; director of photography, Mauro Fiore; edited by Paul Rubell and Christian Wagner; music by Steve Jablonsky; production designer, Nigel Phelps; produced by Walter F. Parkes, Bay and Ian Bryce; released by DreamWorks Pictures.

Starring Ewan McGregor (Lincoln Six Echo), Scarlett Johansson (Jordan Two Delta), Djimon Hounsou (Albert Laurent), Sean Bean (Merrick), Steve Buscemi (McCord), Michael Clarke Duncan (Starkweather) and Ethan Phillips (Jones Echo Three).

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