Sunshine [2007] (DVD)

It will never belong to a huge audience but those who give it their time will be greatly rewarded In the near future our star is dying and it is up to a band of a few scientists and astronauts to reignite it with a bomb the size of Manhattan Island. The idea "to create a star within a star". Despite the promise of its premise and setting Sunshine isn't a film about expensive galaxy sprawling set pieces or cheap special-effect driven thrills. It can be argued that Sunshine is in fact anti-science-fiction in its execution as attention is never drawn to spectacle unless serving the plot. Instead the heart of the film deals with how we accept our mortality as an individual. An internal battle we face everyday. Sunshine marks Danny "28 days later" Boyle's first foray into the sci-fi genre and although he is new to the space opera world, it does not show. Each frame is rich in a detail so meticulously calculated that it hearkens back to the likes of 2001 and Alien, both in terms of plot and visuals. Though a fan boy he isn't, that label belongs to Alex Garland, long time collaborator and friend of Boyle. Garland has created a script that brings up such heavy issues, as the balance (or battle) between religion and science, without forgetting its roots in conventions already established in the genre or disabling Boyle from exploring his own visceral talents. Let me start by saying Sunshine is scientific nonsense. There isn't much in the film that makes sense regarding the nature of the mission or the way in which it is executed. As the ultimate example, I ask why the ship doesn't melt under such extreme heat? In terms of logic it's the Star Trek of science films. But what has been delivered is a film so beautifully crafted, with tremendous effort in even the slightest details, that everything seems plausible. As with all Boyle films the acting is of a high standard, with no character left as fodder. Chris Evans' character Mace is so detached from the Johnny Flame he's renowned for that it would be easy to doubt they are played by the same person. Cillian Murphy, who continually surprises, carries the film on his back with ease. However the hidden gem comes from relatively unknown Brit-actor Mark Strong who bears the most difficult role of Pinbacker with little credit. His demanding, mostly unseen, presence holds the third act together and although we never truly see what he has become, his voice will ring in your head for days. However Sunshine does appear to have its flaws. The third act transition from sci-fi to horror is somewhat awkward before finding its place again and the pace moves at a breakneck speed giving little time for chunks of heavy exposition to be digested. Although taking the clear inspiration behind key scenes and nods towards earlier sci-fi epics into granted, if given time to notice these points the illusion, Boyle has so carefully created, would be shattered. Overall Sunshine is deceptively unoriginal in its plot; eluding the audience from genre established themes and ideas by interpreting them in bright new ways, offering an intelligent and sometimes terrifying look into the world of the space-opera. It will never belong to a huge audience but those who give it their time will be greatly rewarded.

Destined to become a classic. Very little wrong with this as a sci-fi movie. (rem its a movie). Great build up with stunning vison and audio.

Good stuff I really enjoyed this film.All the actors and actresses did a great job in this film.I had to admit some scenes really suprised me.Yet,being a sci-fi fan,I'll give it a thumbs up.

It promises so much... but delivers so little. This film could have been great if they'd chosen one story line and stuck to it, rather than making a half hearted attempt at a plethora. Oh well, it's not terrible but it's no masterpiece either

A thinking person's SF film full of light and shadow I loved this film. From the moment you hear the name of the ship at the beginning - you can work out the ending - that's not rocket science, but knowing the end doesn't tell you about the journey the crew have to get there. I loved the chiaroscuro in this film - the contrasts between the sun and the moody dark claustrophobic shadow in most of the ship. The relationships between the crew were brilliant, reminding me a little of the first Alien film, and Solaris too. I thought their acceptance that they might be on a one-way ticket and that they'd do whatever they had to to complete the mission and save the Earth added layers of complexity and allowed the suspense to be wound up and up as the minutes ticked on. The ship was fantastically realised and belied the film's relatively small budget and at 103 minutes, it wasn't overlong at all. This is a thinking person's science fiction film and is all the better for it. Loved it.