"The Island" starts off an aggressively derivative sci-fi thriller, then morphs into an above-average chase melodrama. With a pair of classy actors, Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, aboard for the ride and director Michael Bay injecting high-octane fuel into the story's engine, the movie kicks into gear through a series of implausible though fun sequences of pursuit that utilize nearly all the movie action toys from digital effects to daunting stunts to massive sets and locations. While entering the marketplace with less noise than "War of the Worlds" and "Fantastic Four," "The Island" should soak up much boxoffice coin in the coming weeks, both domestically and internationally.

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