ISLAND ESCAPE

For my latest Philm Phreaks review I'm looking at a Blu-Ray release of a movie called "Island Escape." This review is going to be a little tricky because in order to talk very deeply about it, it will require spoilers, so my main review will be short. Then I'll give you an opportunity to stop reading and I'll get into a review that has more spoilers. 

This movie centers around a mercenary team hired to go in and rescue the daughter of a wealthy businessman. They have to take a helicopter onto an island that's being used for classified scientific research. It's obvious the people recruited have their own skill sets and histories, all of which make them the kind of "tough and ready" paramilitary team that would be needed for such a mission. 

All of that set-up makes this sound like an action adventure movie, and that is one aspect of it. There are definitely monsters on the island, though, so the horror feature is definitely present. In addition, there are science fiction elements at play here. 

This movie does have some indie textures to it, but it feels closer to a big budget movie than it does a production on the cheap. The one complaint  I do have is that some of the dialog is hard to hear. Beyond that, the acting is all solid. Makeup and effects work well, and the movie definitely kept me watching. This jumps in at the start and doesn't really slow down. It's quite a thrill ride. 

Since that's all I can say about the movie without spoilers, I'll address the bonus features now. This includes some deleted scenes, the usual commentary and a making of film. There are also some trailers and things. It's nothing Earth shattering, but much of it is worth having. Then again, you don't buy a movie for the bonus features usually. So, let's just conclude the first part of this by saying that this movie is inventive, exciting and has some serious scares. 

Now, if you don't like spoilers, you should probably stop reading right here. That is your only spoiler warning. 

Alright, if you are still reading, I assume you are okay with spoilers. This movie is a real mind-trip on a lot of levels. The whole island is locked into some kind of time warp that resets every three days. It has the effect of trapping anyone who goes there. It also means that you wind up with multiple versions of the same team showing up over and over again, every three days. 

And, those who survive beyond that three day window begin to mutate every three days, gradually turning more monstrous, more aggressive, larger and more powerful. It's almost like a cross between The Hulk and some kind of zombie thing. So, you can easily wind up being attacked by a mutated version of yourself who has been there for a few days. 

That whole aspect of the film is so cool and mind-boggling. It's another reason I really love this movie. Sure, it's not without its issues, but overall it is so entertaining. It's also the kind of thing that sticks with you even after the movie is done. I'd consider this film to be a hidden gem that deftly combines action/adventure with horror and science fiction.