"Messianic Hero Defeats Greedy Humanist Scientists"
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What You Need To Know:
THE ISLAND tells a provocative science fiction story about a messianic hero who puts his life on the line to protect the lives of others. The movie has a pro-life message against human cloning and against harvesting human tissue for selfish purposes, and is a slam-bang action thriller with jaw-dropping effects. THE ISLAND also has some funny lines that make the journey worthwhile. There are a few obscenities, however, and brief sexual elements. Thus, this is one science fiction journey for adults not children.
Content:
(CC, BBB, H, Ev, AB, Ho, LL, VVV, S, N, A, DD, M) Strong allegorical Christian worldview with a very strong pro-life message against cloning and against harvesting human beings for body parts wherein a messianic hero delivers people from a humanist scientist who mentions evolution at one point, and cynical man makes a joke defining God as someone whom people keep asking things of but God never responds, but another man tells two people, “Jesus must really love you” and adds “I know Jesus really loves you”; joke is made about a homosexual innuendo when one man tells another man, “It’s not what you think”; seven obscenities, including one “f” word, and three light profanities; lots of action violence such as car chases, many car crashes where cars are obliterated and cars tumble and trucks tumble, helicopter destroyed, large building structures are destroyed, people are shot dead, operation to harvest organs includes trickle of blood running down prone man’s shoulder, pro-cloning villains try to commit genocide, miniature metal bugs crawl inside a man’s eyelids to monitor his brain, holographic boxing and martial arts, two men stuck with harpoon guns, man stuck in neck with sharp point of small harpoon, pregnant woman given a deadly injection after giving birth, and another man killed by injection; implied fornication, passionate kissing (including on top of a bed), jokey homosexual innuendo, and man says he’s got a deadly sexually transmitted disease from his promiscuous lifestyle; upper male nudity and implied nudity of couple in bed (although woman wears a bra) and woman wears a bikini in the background at a pool; alcohol use; doctor uses drugs to kill two people; and, lying, fraud, cloning, joke is made about the President of the United States in 2019 being stupid, and villains pose as police and attack real police when they show up.
More Detail:
At times, THE ISLAND is a provocative science fiction story. At other times, it is a slam-bang action movie, with all the spectacular set-pieces one has come to expect from Michael Bay, the director of such action movies as BAD BOYS, THE ROCK, ARMAGEDDON, and PEARL HARBOR.
THE ISLAND opens in a mysterious group of futuristic buildings where thousands of human beings dress alike, work similar (but mysterious) jobs and are monitored by cameras, computers and guards every single moment of the day. The first scene shows one of the inhabitants, Lincoln Six Echo, having a strange nightmare about a boat, a girl and drowning. Lincoln awakes to news of a new winner of something called “The Lottery,” a twice daily game where two people can go to “the Island.” Viewers learn that a disaster has contaminated most of the world, except for the Garden of Eden called the Island, where some residents are chosen to go and repopulate the planet.
Because of Lincoln’s continuing nightmares and constant questioning of his surroundings, the doctor running the isolated utopian complex, Dr. Merrick, orders a brain test for Lincoln. The doctor doesn’t know, however, that Lincoln has befriended a man called Mac, who works on the machines servicing the buildings. On his own, Lincoln explores the maze of machines surrounding his building and learns a terrible truth. The rest of the movie shows Lincoln running for his life, being chased by mercenary soldiers hired by Dr. Merrick to keep the truth hidden.
Lincoln has also befriended Jordan Two Delta, a beautiful blonde woman living in the utopian complex. Lincoln learns that her life is in even more immediate danger, so he takes Jordan with him.
The opening sequence to THE ISLAND is quite clever and often funny. The movie keeps viewers guessing what’s really happening, and we sympathize with the hero’s own frustration in wanting to know more.
All this is a prelude, however, to the continuous chase that occurs when Lincoln learns the truth about Dr. Merrick’s schemes and tries to stop him. Some may object to Michael Bay’s typical action sequences, but the action is tense, exciting and fun, especially since Lincoln is such a likeable hero. A little humor in the action scenes helps move the plot along.
Once again this year, Ewan McGregor (ROBOTS and STAR WARS III) is a standout as the messianic hero of THE ISLAND. He is ably supported by Scralett Johansson, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Djimon Hounsou, and Ethan Phillips.
THE ISLAND delivers a pro-life message that attacks the idea of cloning, especially cloning used to provide body parts for other people. The villains in the movie are like modern-day Nazi scientists. In fact, they even commit a genocide at one point and try to commit another Nazi-like genocide. Few other movies from Hollywood make this connection between Adolf Hitler’s National Socialists and the pro-choice, pro-euthanasia and pro-embryonic stem cell research ideology of today’s liberal, humanist movements. The head villain is clearly a humanist scientist trying to play God. One character even accuses him of trying to play God.
Thus, THE ISLAND has a strong Christian worldview. It’s a story about a messianic hero who sets the captives free. The penultimate scene in the movie even plays Bach’s strains of “Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” Finally, although there is a cynical joke about God in one scene, another scene has a funny, but positive, comment about Jesus.
That said, the action violence in THE ISLAND is intense and includes some mean acts by the story’s villains. There are also a few obscenities, including one “f” word, and a scene showing the hero finally beds the girl. Thus, parents should leave the children at home.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
