7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
A man living in a futuristic sterile colony goes on the run after he discovers that his existence is a fraud.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve BuscemiAction | 100% |
Thriller | 58% |
Sci-Fi | 43% |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, German, German SDH, Italian, Italian SDH, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
If there is one thing no one can deny about Michael Bay, it is the fact that his work is always an easy target for critics and film snobs. And we all know why – Michael Bay’s films are loud, flashy and full of mindless action. Simply put, they are difficult to swallow if one isn’t particularly interested in the type of entertainment they offer. Region-Free.
Welcome to the future!
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Michael Bay's The Island arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Brothers-UK.
This yet to be released in the US film has received a very pleasing treatment by Warner Brothers in the UK (actually, this is a Pan-European release that has been available in a number of countries for quite some time now). The VC-1 encoded transfer reveals a terrific color-scheme where blues, yellows, reds, whites and blacks look fantastic. There are a number of futuristic scenes from the first half of The Island that have the marquee "popping" look many Blu-ray enthusiasts are looking for as well. Furthermore, contrast is about as good as one could expect it to be on a 1080p transfer. Clarity and detail are also very strong – during the second half of The Island, where there are quite a few outdoor scenes (the desert footage in particular), you will notice that Michael Bay and cinematographer Mauro Fiore have opted for a very heavy yellow tint that eases the transition from the more futuristic first half of the film. As a result, even though the film isn't as edgy-looking, its color-scheme is still quite wild. This being said, edge enhancement and macroblocking are not a serious issue of concern with this release (I did spot a bit of edge enhancement during the incubator scenes, but it did not bother me at all). The actual print used by Warner Brothers is very healthy – I did not detect any debris, scratches, or stains to report here. (Note: Even though this Blu-ray release is marketed as Region-B, it is in fact Region-Free. This means that those of you in North America with Region-A PS3s and SA will be able to play The Island just fine).
There are six different audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, German Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Descriptive Audio 2.0.
Obviously, it is somewhat disappointing to see that this very early Warner release did not include an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Given how impressive the action scenes are in The Island, I have to conclude that Warner missed an opportunity to have a reference-quality Blu-ray disc. This being said, the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track is actually very pleasing. There is plenty of movement in the rear channels, the bass is very potent and balance appears quite well handled. For example, the first highway scene (where cars and trucks are flipped over) is quite impressive; the bass in particular is so powerful that I had to adjust my audio system. Yet, I could clearly tell that the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track did not possess the type of depth we have come to expect from excellent loseless audio tracks. Still, the dialog was crisp and very easy to follow. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report here. Once again, though, I cannot but think that any loseless track would have been a great addition to this film. For the record, Warner have supplied optional English, English HOH, French, German, German HOH, Italian, Italian HOH, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles.
The only supplemental feature on this Blu-ray disc is a standard Making Of featurette where Michael Bay and members of the cast and crew share their thoughts on the production history of The Island (it is in fact quite interesting to hear and see how many of the big action scenes in the film were shot, what type of equipment was used, etc). The "Making Of" arrives with optional English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles. For the record, the supplemental feature is in 480/60i (which means that it is perfectly playable on US PS3s or SA).
Visually, The Island is a stunning film. It offers plenty of Michael Bay's marquee high-octane action with a distinctively futuristic flavor unseen in his previous works. Yes, there are quite a few issues with its script, but, if you could ignore them, The Island has more than enough to offer. This being said, the Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Warner Brothers-UK, looks very good. I certainly think that the distributors could have added a loseless track of some sort, but given that The Island never made it on Blu-ray in the United States, this Region-Free disc looks mighty tempting. Recommended.
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