This week on Starz, the number 1 movie on the platform is the sci-fi action drama starring Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor, “The Island.” According to FlixPatrol, a specialized website that collects viewership data, the film is at the top of the most streamed list, surpassing the sports drama “Bobcat Moretti.”
“The Island,” which was directed by Michael Bay, follows Lincoln Six Echo (McGregor), who lives in an isolated compound. When he discovers that all inhabitants are clones used for organ harvesting as well as surrogates for wealthy people in the outside world, he attempts to escape with Jordan Two Delta (Johansson).
The film was written by Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. While the premise is interesting and it’s clearly enjoying a second life on streaming, at the time of its release, the film was received with mixed reviews, bombed at the box office and was hit by a copyright lawsuit.
The controversies surrounding ‘The Island’
Bay’s directing style is mostly known for his bombastic action sequences, that might or not be to your taste. However, in this film, he mixes those big explosions and high-speed chases with a more nuanced approach to philosophical themes such as identity, bioethics, class and more.
However, as we said, his attempt was more or less successful, and it was received with mixed reviews. Many critics thought that the premise was interesting and the acting was good, but the resolution of the film leaned too much on the action, instead of the ethical issues.
For example, Roger Ebert wrote that the film was divided in two halves: “[the first half] is a spare, creepy science fiction parable, and then it shifts into a high-tech action picture. Both halves work. Whether they work together is a good question.”
On the other hand, Dreamworks was also hit with a copyright lawsuit by the producers of the 1979 film “Parts: The Clonus Horror,” alleging that Bay had essentially recreated their movie without permission. Ultimately, the case was resolved through an out-of-court settlement.
