Review of The Island (2005) by Jaye. — 10 Jan 2008
The film is like a watered down of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Watered down int the sense that it borrows many of scenarios of the Huxley's book but avoids the deeper political, social, educational, philosophical, class division themes that Huxley uses so skillfully - replacing them with a pretty shallow narrative of the sanctity of human life and the corruption of those who would exploit it.
The villains of Huxley's novel are far more complex. They are not motivated by petty greed but by a philosophical conviction in the appropriateness of their actions. This makes their actions and the world they create all the more macabre and compelling.
As entertainment not so bad a movie. But I was just left feeling - wow wouldn't it be great if Huxley's novels were reproduced properly and not just squeezed in to the Hollywood formula. Entertainment does not have to be mindless.
Deep social commentary does not have to be boring.
This review of The Island (2005) was written by Jaye. on 10 Jan 2008.
The Island has generally received positive reviews.
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