The opening of The Island is powerful and pays tribute to the beauty of film-making. The overall look and background music (props to Steve Jablonsky) applied have been done near-perfect. It's a short but powerful introduction to the feature and...
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The opening of The Island is powerful and pays tribute to the beauty of film-making. The overall look and background music (props to Steve Jablonsky) applied have been done near-perfect. It's a short but powerful introduction to the feature and probably one of the most memorable scenes I have seen in a while.

At the first part of the movie, we learn about the lives of "clones." Clones are the "insurance plan" for people who can afford to have them. It's a good concept but not something unique. I have no problem with that and am always appreciating ideas being used if they are executed successfully. In this case, for the most part, it is.

The place where the clones reside is very high-tech and certainly seems to have a lot of security. Set design has been greatly done - you can see various equipment such as televisions, tubes, furniture that all match a futuristic theme. Every so often, there is the so-called "lottery." The clone that wins think he or she is going to "The Island." Although, he or she would be disappointed if they were to find out the reality of this scientific breakthrough.

This lottery is fixed and specific clones win it for a reason (if the clone's client has fallen ill and needs their limb). Later on, we find out more about some of the questions we have been wondering. We start to find out more on what the memory of the clones are like and such. Later, the movie changes drastically from sci-fi to action.

SPOILERS AHEAD...
Michael Bay is notable for including action scenes in his movies. The Island doesn't contain as many as some of his previous works but still some pretty impressive ones. The later half revolves around two clones who have escaped. We're pretty much focused outside of the sci-fi environments we were used to at the first part. Although, there are some various futuristic vehicles driving by.

One other thing to point out is the various product placement in The Island. We see far too many logos (particularly Calvin Klein, MSN and Xbox), which do kinda detract from the experience. They're not "just there" but at a few points, there is direct focus on the product placement.

The Island presents some interesting ideas. Maybe nothing too unique but certainly something to make The Island watchable. The two lead roles do great and indeed have a good bond. Length is suitable and probably The Island is one of my favourite movies of 2005. The cinematography, ideas and soundtrack are excellent. Certainly strong points to make me consider watching The Island again in the future.

Mean Creek I found to be a very hard hitting and powerful story of revenge gone wrong. A group of teens are getting fed up with the meaner, bigger bully and decide something must be done when he finally pushes the limit. So, they decide to take...
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Mean Creek I found to be a very hard hitting and powerful story of revenge gone wrong. A group of teens are getting fed up with the meaner, bigger bully and decide something must be done when he finally pushes the limit. So, they decide to take revenge by bringing him to the creek.

This bully at first seems to be the most arrogant and annoying person you don't want to bump into. Now, these teens are fed up with his actions and persuade him to come to the creek to let them do their prank on him.

Now, things seem more personal and it shows that this tough bully really isn't so tough after all. He seems more friendly to the others. They all seem to think this matter has gotten out of control and have had second thoughts on carrying out this prank.

However, one guy doesn't want to give in and assists that they go ahead. As things progress, the truth of why they brought him there finally comes out and things get heated. The bully gets out of control and begins to go back to his old ways by insulting everyone around him.

You'll often feel like this movie has really hit you hard in the stomach because of the later events. It certainly poses a lot of questions once you've finished watching it. This drama is not to be missed as it provides a great meaning and a good plotline that will keep you gripped throughout.

Star Kid isn't necessarily the brightest star of films out there but it sure is worth watching for the family. The character Spencer meets "Cy," whom he enters and is able to become powerful. Spencer is a shy guy and finds it hard to...
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Star Kid isn't necessarily the brightest star of films out there but it sure is worth watching for the family. The character Spencer meets "Cy," whom he enters and is able to become powerful. Spencer is a shy guy and finds it hard to communicate with a girl he has a crush on. He's also the target for being picked on by the meaner, bigger bully kid.

The opening of Star Kid is great. You see a battle literally out of this world but the part that I found really great was the transition to Earth. When the shot focuses on Earth, it transitions to a marble on the ground (back on Earth). The effect from this is amazing and you would have to see it for yourself to understand.

So, the main character, Spencer doesn't want to upset anyone and tries to cope in awkward situations. However, things can just get too much for him at times. So, when he meets this Cyborg, he is able to get into him and take control. The differences between these characters is shown throughout the film (for example - not being able to understand jokes). It's your typical save the earth type-movie from invasion by the enemies.

There are plenty of funny moments and really well constructed scenes. This is something that hopefully the family can enjoy. With some added emotion and some decent acting - this makes it stand out that little bit more.

Now, Sacha Baron Cohen is great at doing different roles. I have known him for mainly being Ali G but now he takes up a new and promising role as a character from Kazakhstan called "Borat."

His role as this character called...
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Now, Sacha Baron Cohen is great at doing different roles. I have known him for mainly being Ali G but now he takes up a new and promising role as a character from Kazakhstan called "Borat."

His role as this character called Borat existed for a short time in his British television show. Now, Sacha Baron Cohen has brought this character into a more public view with his own motion picture.

The character of Borat comes from Kazakhstan. The country is made to look negative with prostitutes, poor people and such. Borat explains this in a documentary-type setting at the beginning of the film. The real action begins when Borat moves to the "US and A."

Borat's character is made to look stupid when it comes to interviewing other people in the USA. Even the simplest of tasks set by individuals from the USA can prove difficult for him. The question remains: How much patience will one have with Borat? In fact, many people became irritated by him and used many methods to try and get rid of them. A few ways of getting rid of him consisted of threatening him physically or calling the cops.

You will see at one point where Borat is stopped for no reason by the cops. Throughout the film, many cultural differences are made to be clear. For example - the way we speak, greet and treat people are put to the test. Where as in the USA, it is typical to be polite at the dinner table; in Borat's culture it seems to be typical to talk about sex.

The film is not there to educate. It is there for pure enjoyment and for you to see how one might react to Borat because of him not being American. Throughout you will be wondering if Borat can get away with doing this, if Borat will successfully push someone to their limits and whether he will fulfill his mission on finding Pamela Anderson. It's rude, it's funny and worth watching.