The Island
Director- Huang Bo
Cast- Huang Bo, Shu Qi, Wang Baoqiang
Country of Origin- China
Distributor - Well Go USA
Number of discs – 1
Reviewed by - Tyler Miller
Date- 07/31/2019
A group of overworked employees of a small business go on a team-building trip. Ma Jin (Huang Bo) goes on the trip to try to boost his self-worth and to shake his reputation as the company loser. On the way, he soon discovers that he has won the mega jackpot of the lottery. But the trip is soon cut short when a meteorite lands on the coast of China and sends their boat bus hybrid onto a deserted island. As the group tries to survive, Ma Jin snaps and tries to reclaim order in his own mind. As the time passes and the days slide into another, they soon wonder if the world has in fact ended.
THE ISLAND (2018) marks the directorial debut of Huang Bo (EUROPE RAIDERS). Bo has been acting for some time and has arrived in various types of films, but THE ISLAND has a lot more to offer than some of the other big Chinese blockbusters. While not a perfect film, Bo is able to make the most of the runtime and deliver a sharp satire on capitalism and human nature.
Mainland Chinese censorship has left many films feeling soulless and stale. Thanks to all the rules and government control biting stories that do challenge the state are usually derailed by last minute plot developments or a forced “China friendly” ending. This has been a huge obstacle for filmmakers to overcome. And with the large market in China, it’s even made many Hong Kong directors turn their products into safe product.
Somehow Huang Bo and company are able to deliver a smart take down of human greed and the almighty dollar. At a step 2 hours and 15 minutes, the story unfolds in an epic scale with plenty of twists and turns. The character of Ma Jin being in the center of the madness that soon covers the island. At first the group elect the savage busdriver as their leader in a form of caveman brutally. But soon two groups are formed when their former boss discovers a cruise ship with plenty of supplies. He soon starts to use a trading system and control his loyal employees. By the last 30 minutes things start to really boil over with some truly shocking twists.
THE ISLAND does suffer from some pacing issues and some questionable directing choices. There is some comic relief with an older woman that falls flat. As for directing, Bo makes some odd emotional beats and one subplot with a religious cult comes off as laughable.The visual effects are also over the top with one bad cgi humpback whale that jumps over a tidal wave. Despite these issues its a solid first time behind the camera. The cinematography by Jian Zeng captures all the grace and mystery of the island. The lush greens of the forests and the milky blue of the beach.
Well Go USA brings THE ISLAND to the US with a handsome Blu-ray. The 1080p HD transfer showcases all of Jian Zeng’s cinematography with sharp blacks and focus. There is no motion blur or digital noise. The color scheme usually looked great on my home theater setup. The Mandarin 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track sounds fantastic with plenty of depth in the ocean scenes. There is no hiss or pops. English and Chinese subtitles are included. There are no extras included.
THE ISLAND is a nice survival drama that proves that Mainland Chinese films can still hold an edge and move around state censorship. This Well Go USA Blu-ray comes highly recommended.
