The Island

The Island is Michael Bay's summer blockbuster of 2005, but as his first effort without heavyweight action producer Jerry Bruckheimer, he's made sure this ain't no Pearl Harbour – and the plot actually almost makes sense. Basically it is the story of Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor), a resident of a seemingly utopian but contained facility in the year 2019, where no-one has ever breathed fresh air as a result of a disease contaminating the entire outside world. 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 wealthy 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.

All the traditional Bay flourishes are still here – cars disintegrating, being sliced in half, or exploding and falling to the ground are just some of the action spectacles that have come to typify his "master of mayhem and destruction set pieces" approach. Then there's the stand-off between McGregor's Lincoln Six-Echo clone and the real Tom Lincoln – but how can the guards tell who is who? A dynamite cast adds to the film's already explosive appeal, with McGregor and Johansson on excellent form in their dual roles as clones and their real life counter-parts. The line up is further beefed up by the likes of Djimon Hounsou, Steve Buscemi, Sean Bean and Michael Clarke, who all contribute in typical but effective roles to give the film depth and further style. It all adds up to an incredibly enjoyable summer blockbuster, for Bay fans and cynics alike.

Mark Gibson