Clearly inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or rather it needs to be since D & B weren't providing a large budget, Po Chih-Lung does sporadically well for himself in capturing the dirty and rundown nature of the island. The cinematography offers up some striking images from time to time but the first hour isn't an easy one to get through. Firstly, it does what Dennis Yu's The Beasts did wrong a few years before. Namely that of portraying the murderous island inhabitants in the most outrageous ways possible. That choice quickly destroys any notion of shock or terror and one wonders if this is comedic relief, in a twisted way. Hong Kong filmmakers often seems desperate to include laughs whenever they can so it's not a far fetched notion. Leung Po-Chi also pads out the various encounters with the freaky family way too long and it's not until the hour mark that the horror truly begins. Po hits a decent stride that includes effective detours into violence where the effect is of importance, not the special effect. Now if those pesky villains actually had been a disturbing bunch, The Island could've emerged out as something more substantial. Today, it stands as a passable diversion for those seeking out straight faced Hong Kong horror.

John Shum anchors the movie surprisingly well, going from suitably geeky to not so much a superhero but a protector of these youths. One of the more believable aspects of Leung Po-Chi's film. Sadly, it is a definite step-down and disappointment considering Po the year before directed the award winning drama Hong Kong 1941, starring Chow Yun-Fat.