Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Myers
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cheesy action film has little plot, lots of fighting, blood.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Island
What's the Story?
THE ISLAND centers around Los Angeles police detective Mark (Michael Jai White), who, during a drug bust, learns about the death of his younger brother. Mark flies back home to the island he's from to attend the funeral, determined to investigate how his brother died. He learns that his brother was working for a rich man named Manuel (Edoardo Costa), who owns most of the businesses on the island, including the bank. Mark suspects that Manuel had something to do with his brother's death. Mark's ex-wife, Akilah (Gillian White), tells him more about Manuel and provides a contact who may help him learn more. Mark goes to his old friend, island police chief Wayland (Wayne Gordon), to get help putting a stop to Manuel's reign of power and terror. While they're trying to formulate a plan, Akilah gets kidnapped even though she puts up a good fight using her martial art skills. Mark's LAPD partner, Phil (Jackson Rathbone), comes to the island to help out. Can they save Akilah and rid the island of Manuel and his tyranny once and for all?
Is It Any Good?
While it has the makings of a fun action adventure movie, the plot holes and mediocre acting make this film rather unbelievable and tedious. Many of the chase sequences in The Island don't make sense and seem extremely unrealistic -- like when the villains drive up to the front of the house to try to take Mark by surprise. And at one point in the film, Mark just decides that he's going to be the chief of police, since it seems like there's no chain of command or laws on the island. It feels like everything was written around the fight scenes, as opposed to fitting those scenes within the narrative. That said, those scenes are impressive enough, and both Michael Jai White and Gillian White demonstrate impressive martial arts skills.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Island's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What's the appeal of revenge? Was Mark justified to take the law into his own hands, even if it was to stop the corruption of the island?
Have you ever been in a situation where you went along with something even though you didn't think it was right? What happened?
Akilah teaches martial arts and is able to defend herself. When is it good to stand and fight, and when is it a better idea to walk away?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 21, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : July 21, 2023
- Cast : Michael Jai White , Jackson Rathbone , Edoardo Costa , Gillian White
- Director : Shaun Paul Piccinino
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Saban Films
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 27, 2024
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