Aug 04, 2005 05:39 PM
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(Updated Aug 05, 2005 01:35 AM)
South Korean scientists clone first dog
Man can now reproduce his best friend. S.Korean scientist Woo-Suk Hwang and his team of researchers at the Seoul National University created Snuppy, the first dog cloned from adult cells by somatic nuclear cell transfer. Hwang said the breakthrough in cloning dogs may advance work on combating diseases by therapeutic cloning with stem cells.
(Times of India, Aug 2005)
There, you have it. Earlier, it was the world's first mammal Dolly, now Snuppy the dog. Tomorrow, Manoj the human perhaps? With my billions, I will illegally clone Mallika Sherawat and keep her as my housemaid, Bush as my PRO, Saddam Hussein my cook, Osama my security-in-charge and Gates as my financial consultant. Manoj will fool my family while I swagger around the globe with my cloned troupe. Yes!
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Anyway, that's in the future. Today, let me share my two dollars on a recently released Hollywood action thriller, The Island.
Plot
Thousands of men and women living in a mammoth complex built deep inside a deserted land somewhere in America are led to believe by Dr.Merrick that they are survivors of a horrible contamination that wiped the existence of life on earth. They live in perfectly clean surroundings and their daily regimen including their lifestyle, the chores and education are well-planned and strictly implemented (to ensure a 'healthy well-developed personality') no questions asked. However, they have a golden opportunity to gain freedom. At regular occasions, a lottery is conducted and the lucky winners will live for the rest of their lives in an island, the only uncontaminated and beautiful, scenic haven on earth. Lincoln Six-Echo and his love Jordan Two-Delta are among the thousands of hopefuls who pray to win the lottery and get away to a dream lifestyle.
Misled by their bizarre names? They are products you see, hence such identification. Their rich sponsors (their original lookalikes) spend money to develop them so that, as years pass by, the latters' body parts can be used to replace the failing ones of the former. In other words, when the time comes, these innocent men and women are killed and their internals taken off for the biological use of their sponsors. Technically speaking, Lincoln Six-Echo, Jordan Two-Delta and the others are clones. This is the ultimate American dream - Live forever. Have a heart failure? Don't fret. Get an 'insurance policy'(clone) today ! But, obviously, these clones aren't aware of that. They will never know that there is no island and the chosen ones are silently exterminated and their body parts transplanted on their sponsors.
However, Lincoln is very inquisitive. One day, he discovers the ghastly reality and escapes with Jordan. A helpful systems maintenance worker James share to both that none of the sponsors (or the government) are aware that the clones are grown-up humans who live like they do. The outside world does not know that it's impossible to breed clones in a vegetative state. So Lincoln and Jordan decide to seek their sponsors and reveal the truth. But will they reach there alive? Dr.Merrick hires a deadly professional security team led by Albert to hunt them down, giving them the right to use whatever force is necessary to 'contain the situation'.
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The Review
It's heartening to watch the clones learn things that the world outside take for granted. Stealthily adding 'barred' words like -dude- to their vocabulary, discovering a bug in the building, Lincoln and Jordan's tryst with credit cards, rattle snake and local pubs make for hilarious moments.
The actions and special effects are absolutely brilliant. As fantastic as it sounds, I think, it's only a matter of time when the world will witness technology as shown in the movie - trains zipping across cables set over 100ft high in the air, super-sleek bikes zooming above the traffic and other smartly styled vehicles flashing across the roads.
Ewan McGregor as Lincoln is a very talented actor. As Lincoln Six-Echo the clone, he is hilarious and endearing. As Tom Lincoln the billionaire sponsor, he acts repulsive, greedy and flirtatious.
Scarlett Johansson as Jordan brightens the movie with her beauty and performance. She's especially cute during the funny scenes.
Steve Buscemi (who rocked in Armageddon and Con Air) as James the worker is wasted. Yet, he is like the Johnny Lever of the movie!
Black actor Djimon Hounsou as the security guy Albert gives another intense performance. Here is a man who held his own against the legendary Anthony Hopkins in the Steven Spielberg flick, Amistad.
Another black actor, the powerfully built and versatile Michael Clark Duncan has a guest appearance here. Yet, he never forgets to steal our hearts before he leaves!
The villains are getting away with the maximum whistles these days. The Doom in Fantastic Four and now Sean Bean as Dr.Merrick in this movie. As the business-minded, cold-blooded scientist, he makes a searing impact.
The climax is disappointing once again (groan). If not for the lukewarm finale that involves the destruction of the complex, the Island deserves 5 stars.
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Anyway, director Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, Rock, Bad Boys) ensures that Island is worth a dekho for the fast & furious action and the presence of the hot pair Ewan & Scarlett Johansson. Easily the sexiest cloned couple that has graced the silver screen !
