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You have been chosen.

It’s 2019; Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson) and Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor), along with the rest of mankind live and work in a gender-segregated, sterile indoor metropolis that is one of the last inhabitable places left on earth. After an environmental disaster devastated the world, the last survivors gathered and built the last city and refuge of human kind. This, however, did not come without a price. Deprived of their individuality and freedom, the only thing left to give them hope is to be chosen. To be lucky enough to win the lottery and be sent to the island, the only remaining inhabitable outdoor land, is the only way to escape this Orwellian dystopia. When Lincoln begins to have nightmares, which he is not supposed to have, and when he begins investigating his environment and his existence, which he is not supposed to do, he will make some horrifying discoveries about what is really going on in this brave new world. He abducts Jordan and escapes to the outside world.

In all fairness, one has to point out that despite the remarkable premise, The Island soon (give or take half an hour) drifts off into a flamboyant action-packed chase movie that carries the director’s signature car chases, shootouts, flashy camera angles and unforgettable pyrotechnics. Yes ladies and gentlemen lots of ‘cool shit’ gets blown up here because after all, The Island is helmed by Michael Bay, the guy who brought you The Rock, Armageddon and Bad Boys. Even though Bay may have been inspired (sounds better than stole, doesn’t it) by previous sci-fi flicks à la Logan’s Run, Coma or even Minority Report, he perfectly understands to blend the futuristic dystopian elements of the beginning with overwhelmingly entertaining chase sequences during the rest of the movie. The casting of Ewan McGregor and the amazing Scarlett Johansson, whom we love since the first frame of Lost in Translation, adds emotional weight and a soul to this $120 million action blow-out.

The Island awaits you. (3 out of 4 annoyingly bad in-your-face product placements)