Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Island

Well, I've gotten another, smaller monitor to work with my PC (earlier it wasn't), so I'm back at my old computer, only with a much smaller screen.
Anyway, I watched the Michael Bay film, The Island, recently, and here some of my thoughts about it (and no, I didn't just watch it because Scarlett Johansson is a main character in it) .  There is a good review on Christiananswers.net/spotlight about the movie here (it contains some spoilers, so don't read it if you don't like those) :














I'm not a movie reviewer, so keep that in mind while you read.


There are several main messages the movie presents, but here are just a few:
1) The sanctity of life is a very important thing.
Basically, the movie has a pro-life message, since similarities can be seen between other ethical issues such as abortion..."what makes something human?" is the question, and it applies to unborn babies, human clones, the elderly (if someone is not "useful for production in society", are they no longer human and no longer possessed of human rights?), and others.  
God is the Creator of life, and although it's possible I may be wrong, I think tampering with human life (including experimenting with cloning and trying to create life) is playing God.    


2) While not explicitly Christian, there was another theme presented by the film, besides the pro-life one, that certainly is compatible with a Christian worldview.  As said in the review I linked to, a construction worker says "Jesus must love you" to Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor), and "I know that Jesus loves you" to Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson).  There is also the use of Christian symbolism, but I won't say more than the key words, "hooks" and "net" and see if you can see the connection - I don't want to give too much away.
  
3) There seems to be a little bit of the whole race thing (the "black liberator"), but I won't go into that; I didn't really notice it even though the review mentioned it (maybe because I'm not adept at analyzing movies) but read the review at the link above for more about that.


The suspension of belief factor:
I think that overall, the movie didn't have me rolling my eyes at the unbelievability of the whole thing.
Some things were fairly unbelievable, but I think most or all of those scenes were used to make a specific point, which I won't tell about so I don't spoil any surprises. 


The cars and other vehicles:
Something I previously thought was funny was the fact that the same model of cars such as the Dodge Magnum wagon are still used in 2019, but I think that the Magnums destroyed in the film were actually blown up, so that's understandable. 
As for the other "normal" cars that are shown, such as the Honda Element, I guess that's also necessary to keep the costs down; even though a Bugatti Veyron is shown, to have your movie full up cars like that wouldn't be unrealistic as well as outrageously expensive.  There are a few cool cars in the movie, including the awesome Cadillac Cien concept inspired by the F-22 stealth fighter, a Bugatti Veyron (even though I'm actually not a big fan of the Veyron), and what appears to be a modified version of the Lexus concept from Minority Report.
Lexus Minority Report concept car
Concept car from The Island
The "Renovatio" seen in the film is a very nice-looking boat, otherwise known as the Wallypower 118 yacht.  It costs 22-33 million dollars.  See here also for more info about it: http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/archive/wally118.html
Wallypower 118

Don't forget about the jet bikes, either; who wouldn't want one of those?


Common criticism:
First of, I'll say that I am not one of those people who bashes Michael Bay or the film, even though you'll find an awful lot of those people.  Many people criticize the movie for a variety of things, but I believe the most common criticism of it is the conspicuous product placement ("MSN Search", XBox", the Puma logo, etc.).  Although I did think that did seem like a bit much at times, I think it makes perfect sense, because Michael Bay said the money generated by product placement was needed to make the movie.  He said,
"We made about $850,000 on that,' he says. 'And we needed that money to get this movie made."   
Of course, it's probably preferential to have less obvious advertising, such as using cars from a certain brand and being paid for it (I think the makers of Iron Man were likely paid by Audi to show their cars in the movie), but that probably wouldn't generate as much money.   


OK, I've written probably too much of my unprofessional "review" - I've got to get to work watermarking my photos.  So go watch the movie.

-Max out

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH, loe the cars!!
My family really likes "The Island" - I can't wait to see it.
Scarlett Johansson is beautiful *grins*
And I love Ewan MacGregor. Not as much as Choi Seung-hyun, of course.
Have you seen Iron Man?
~ Mirriam

Maximillian said...

Sweet, another girl who likes nice cars. :)
The Cadillac Cien concept is not just shown in the movie, it's driven (or at least it appears to be driven), which is even cooler, considering it has a 750 hp V12 and is probably very fast in real life.

It seems many people think that Scarlett Johansson is beautiful (I would say one of the most beautiful women I know of), so that's why I said that. Of course, beauty isn't everything, especially when you're an actress, but fortunately, Scarlett Johansson's acting is pretty good, in my opinion.
I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said the actors in a movie have nothing to do with whether or not I like it. Of course, if the plot is confusing and weird, like Inkheart's, it doesn't really matter what the actors are like that much, but if the rest of the movie is well-done, having good (and attractive) actors makes me like the movie more.

Also, I like actors with cool accents, and Ewan McGregor and two of the other actors I consider "cool guys" - Clive Owen and Daniel Craig (British) have them. I'd say Christian Bale is another "cool guy," but he doesn't have as cool of a voice.
Haha, is that guy Korean, by any chance?

I have watched Iron Man, but not Iron Man 2 (yet).

Just a reminder (I don't know if you read this before or not):
You don't have to, but you can log in with your Wordpress account to comment, so it'll have your account name instead of "Anonymous" (and then you won't have to put your name at the bottom of your comment). If it takes too long or you simply don't want to, you don't have to; I just wanted to let you know, in case you weren't aware of the option.

Well, my long reply is finished...I don't like to go on for too long, but I often like to say what I have to say, and that sometimes makes the post/comment long.

Anonymous said...

Ha! Cool, a long reply.
Yes - cool cars are awesome.
I like big cars rather than fast ones - although if you can have both, more's the better!
I like the Dodge Ram 1500, with a Daytona pack, brace on the front, and a Hemi engine.
Oh yeah. *grin*
I like Hummers, but they're not much for comfort...
Hey, I bet you're looking forward to Iron Man 2 due to the actress it has *grins*
Yeah, I think she's beautiful - but as of yet, have never seen her in anything.
I can't wait to see the Island and Iron man 2 - have you seen Paycheck?
I like that movie, too - I love thrillers.
Korean? Whatever gave you the idea he was Korean? *grins* I have such a major crush on him, it's not even funny. *laughs*
Wait...
yeah, I knew about the Anonymous thing - but when I'm doing a quick comment and am not signed into WP, it's faster.
I'm lazy in that respect *grins*
~ Mirriam
p.s. Although if I was *going* for a sports car, I'd have to say I like the Ultima Spyder...

Maximillian said...

Big AND fast...look up the Dodge Ram SRT-10 (the Ram 1500 with the old, 500 hp Viper engine).
Speaking of which: one time a guy had a friend who had a M-B SLR McLaren and wanted to not only beat his friend in a race (drag race, I think) but make him look bad as well, so he went to Hennessey.
They got him a Ram SRT-10 that they tweaked a "little bit" so it produced 800 hp. He beat the other guy every race.
Let me think of some others...if you're talking only about trucks and SUVs, hm...
The Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG and various tuned versions, the Lingerfelter-supercharged Hummer H2...there are a bunch more, but you can take your Yukon or whatever to Hennessey and make it faster.
Here are a few "big" and fast vehicles:
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/09q1/2010_brabus_g_v12_s_biturbo-auto_shows

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/03q3/2003_kleemann_m-b_g55_amg_vs._lingenfelter_hummer_h2-comparison_tests

http://www.roadandtrack.com/racing/motorsports/tuners-in-search-of-maximum-velocity/page_3_-_tuners_in_search_of_maximum_velocity_page_3
(this one talks about the world's fastest van - it reached 193+ mph)
There are a bunch of fast SUVs and crossovers, including the BMW X5M and X6M; Porsche Cayenne S, Turbo and Turbo S; Infiniti FX50; and more, but I'm not sure if they're what you had in mind.

Well, there are a bunch of reasons why I'd like to watch Iron Man 2, but yes, that's one reason.

So that guy is Korean, right? His name sounds Korean. And yes, it's pretty obvious that you like Korean stuff, just like Hannah likes Korean and other Asian things.

The Ultima Spyder?
If that's the one like the Ultima GTR made by the British company, Ultima (they make kit cars), I do NOT like them. Sure, the Ultima GTR and probably the other Ultimas have incredible performance numbers, but not only are they kit cars, they appear to be "street-legal racecars" like the Dodge Viper and Viper ACR, Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 RS, etc. I like high-performance cars that you can drive comfortably on an everyday basis; some of the cars at the bottom of my blog are supposed to be like that, although there are some others I would choose for that, such as the Maserati GranTurismo S.
I would think most girls like cars because they're "cute", and guys like cars because they're fast. I know that generalization is probably often incorrect, but don't you know some girls that like sporty convertibles?
I'd better stop writing, before this gets to be as long as a blog post.

Anonymous said...

WHOA!
Okay, okay - some awesome cars there.
So just go to Hennessey to make your car faster... wonder if it would work with our minivan... probably not, though.
Oh, well.
Well, sometimes I do like cars just because they're cute - but I'm more for cars that look mean :) and that can go a substantial speed.
For sportscars, Tesla Roadster's pretty cool, and the Lamboroghini Reventon (love love love the looks) Enzo Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 (ooh yeaaah, 200+ MPH here I come. Take me to Arizona!!)
Pagani Zonda F CS, Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR,
Koenigsegg CCX,and the SSC Aero. 0-60 in 2.8 seconds!!!
I don't know that much about cars, really - but having a Mom and Dad who both really like cars, I'm a bit more 'into' cars than the average girl would be.
Yeah, most girls I know like sporty convertibles - and I wouldn't complain if someone gave me one, either *Grins* but, of course, I'd rather have one of the above mentioned.
Yeah, I like Korean stuff *grins*
I like JARVIS in Iron Man - he's hilarious.
~ Mirriam

Maximillian said...

It seems you've heard about quite a few cool cars...
Well, since the "world's fastest brick" would take around $225,000 to build, it would be a whole lot cheaper to get a slightly-less-powerful sleeper van: the 2007 Mercedes-Benz R 63 AMG. It has 500 hp and does 0-60 in less than 5 seconds. It would be fun to surprise people with that when your pass them in your minivan. Speaking of surprising people by having a much faster car, the Streetfire video interview with VRAlexander is pretty funny.
VRAlexander has a tuned Porsche Carrera GT with about 2800 hp. Once he was at a stoplight and a guy in a Ferrari F430 Spider pulled up in the lane next to him with his girlfriend in the passenger seat and started poking fun at his car for some reason (considering his car should be faster, and it costs at least twice as much).
"Nice Boxster." VRAlexander says he kind of laughed and replied "That's a Ferrari? Is it fast?" When the light turned green, he took off down the road, and his car went sideways. At the next stoplight, the guy in the Ferrari didn't take his head from above the steering wheel. :)

I generally prefer Ferraris to Lamborghinis, but that's just my personal preference. A friend of mine said he saw some photos of Lambos online: one had a hitch on the back and was pulling something and another had a bicycle rack on top of the engine window.

The Ultimate Aero needs to make a top speed run on a longer road than they used before so it can beat the Veyron. If the Dagger GT can live up to its claims, the Veyron will have gotten pounded in terms of performance. Koenigseggs are awesome-looking (but the rear windshield needs to be bigger than a porthole)...

Mean-looking? How about getting a blacked-out car (with a matte black paint job) that's very fast and having a license plate that reads, "GRM REAPR" ? It wouldn't look as cool but would add more to the macabre effect if the blacked-out car was a hearse.
The other day, I saw a blacked-out Dodge Magnum with one of those ramming front bumper guards that some police cruisers have, as well as "Punisher" and a skull (Punisher symbol) sticker on it. You might not want to get in the way of that car.

Go to Arizona to test top speed?
If I am correct, the speeding ticket given for the highest speed was the first Koenigsegg CCR in the US, at more than 240 mph.
I'm not sure if it's true, but someone said that Montana has a Autobahn-like area with no-speed limits.

It's cool that both your parents like cars.
I think I may have seen a Tesla Roadster on the highway, but it may have been something else.
Something funny happened last year or a couple of years ago: a girl drove down our neighborhood's main road in a Lamborghini spyder (I assume it was a Gallardo) - Vroom! and then turned around and drove away. Sever minutes later, she did the same thing. She did that at least twice...it was kind of funny, like she was trying to impress someone or learning how to drive or something.

Sorry about the long reply...I haven't talked about cars very much recently and there hasn't been anyone else who really likes cars to talk to.

Anonymous said...

HAAA, love the mean car thing - I love the front bumper rack thing. I would want a black car with tinted windows - preferrably a Dodge Ram or a Chevy/Honda Avalanche... and I would sit inside and point a hair dryer at anyone passing... he he he... sorry. ^_^
I love to think up pranks to play on people - although I don't really ever do them.
A few of the ones I really want to do (although Mom says I have to do them when she is NOT in the elevator) are go into an elevator and stand there, smacking my forehead and saying "Shut up, all of you, just shut UP!"
2. Get in the elevator, stare at one person, go "You're one of THEM!" with a horrified look, back up into a corner, and see how many people joined me
3. Look in my purse and go "You got enough air in there?" and smack it a few times.
XD
Yeahhhh...
Well, hey, I don't mind car talk! Though trust me, I probably wouldn't come across so car-knowledgeable face-to-face *grins* I can take the time to write it down on the computer.
I'm going to have to look up that video! I need to ask my Dad the name of it, but we watched an advertisement for this one car that the driver was driving down a cleared tunnel - it went so fast he drove up the walls, ceiling, and back down. It was SOOOOO cool!!!! I want that car *grins* Talk about FAST.
Dad says once he was in... eerrr, California? I can't remember - and there was a looong, flat, empty, straight stretch of road and he just floored it for miles! Lucky :) I wish I'd been in the car *wistful sigh*
I'd love to pass people in our minivan *laughs* Now THAT would be HILARIOUS.
Do you have your own car?
Ha - I love the girl in the Lamborghini. That was hilarious.
And hey, even if I can't get my own awesome car, I want a motorcycle. I love big, black motorcycles. Oh yeah!
And the plus side is, everyone says I look good in black leather jackets. *grin*
~ Mirriam

Maximillian said...

Those are pretty funny. :D

I've only tried it once on an interstate highway, but my van can only get up to 90...or so said the speedometer. I believe the actual speed in the "Great White" is about 4 mph slower than the speedometer shows. I only tried that once, and I learned that 12-passenger vans aren't the most aerodynamically stable at higher speeds...it vibrated quite a bit (even though I only went at top speed for a tiny bit).

That commercial sounds pretty good.

Well, the black 1991 Nissan 240SX in some of my photos is was technically mine, but I don't need it right now since I don't have a job, and paying for it and all the related costs would put me into debt a good deal. When I buy a car, I'd like a find a car that's not as old as I am (or at least if it is, to be in very good condition) and not have high mileage...like 173,000+.
It looks kind of sporty but it is very slow.
There were JDM (Japan Domestic Model) models with substantially more powerful engines that guys like to swap into their American cars, but they can be pricey, and engine swaps aren't the easiest things to do.
However, it's a RWD car, so I've always wanted to wait until the ground's wet or snowy (so I don't kill my tires on non-slick pavement) in some big lot somewhere and try drifting.

Some bikes are cool, fuel-efficient and very fast, but I think they're too risky. You at least stand a semblance of a chance in a car (well, a non-micro car) if you get hit or hit something, but on a bike, not so much. There was the guy who was just going down the road, but someone in a truck ran a red and hit him, and that was the end for him. Simply too dangerous. Besides, you can't carry stuff on them like you can in a car; you can only sometimes carry one passenger, and even then not very comfortably; and I think some cars are cooler than any bikes...unless they're those jet bikes! I've seen trikes with two wheels in front and one behind - those looked pretty nice.

Black leather jackets, hm...

Anonymous said...

Well hey, 90 in a van is nice :)
Our van - it's a Dodge something, I can't remember. Green. Plain-looking.
Seven seats.
Hey, it's a Nissan, though - I like Nissans. :)
And it's black! YAY!
DRIFTING! THAT would be FUN. Tell me if you do it :)
When I learn to drive, we have a police course here where they teach you to drift and spin 360 degrees and stuff - I am SO taking that class after I learn to drive!
Yeah - bikes aren't the best for safety.
But I love them :) I like smaller, sleeker ones, but I also love big ones (Harley-Davidson-ish).
Thanks for your tip on my blog, BTW! I fixed it :)

Maximillian said...

You're right; even if it was only about 85, in a big van that's still ok.
Dodge...Grand Caravan?

Black is kind of cool sometimes, but on "my" car the scratches on the hood show up very easily and boy, is it hot in there after it's been baking in the sun.

Sounds like a cool class...you haven't learned to drive yet?

You're welcome.

Maximillian said...

Sure, Mirriam, if I go drifting or doing anything else like that (donuts, etc.), I'll be sure to tell you. ;D

Anonymous said...

GRAND CARAVAN!
THANK YOU! That's it.
Yeah, but I'd live with heat if it only meant i could live with a black car. *grins*
No, I haven't... *groans*
I'm 16 and don't even have my learner's permit. Dad's in Insurance - and the statistics for teen drivers aren't good. Therefore, I probably won't get my license until I'm 18.
And yeah, you'd BETTER let me know if you go drifting - or donuts - or around the bend.
~ Mirriam