2057 finds the Sun dying and the Earth slowing being plunged into a solar winter. On board the Icarus II is a select group of astronauts charged with the mission to recharge the sun by delivering the payload- an atomic bomb the size of Manhattan. Leading the crew is stoic Captain Kaneda (Hiroyuki Sanada) who defers to the cool and collected physicist Capa (Cillian Murphy)-- the only member who can actually drop the bomb they're carrying-- meaning he's the only one not expendable. Mace (Chris Evans) the ship's engineer is as volatile as Capa is cool. Piloting the mission is Cassie (Rose Byrne). Searle (Cliff Curtis) is the resident psychologist charged with keeping the crew sane during its years long journey to the sun. Trey (Benedict Wong), the emotionally unstable cook is proof Searle isn't doing his job. Corazon (Michelle Yeoh) the gardener is charged with keeping the O2 levels in check and Harvey (Troy Garity), the power-tripping comms officer just gets in the way.
Sunshine opens with the crew of eight realizing they have reached the dead zone weeks ahead of schedule. No longer able to communicate with Earth drives home the seriousness of the mission. Observe the divide among the crew. After 16 months in space nerves are frayed, but everyone can understands the mission. After reaching Mercury, the crew begins receiving transmissions from the failed Icarus I. Now the air is tinged with paranoia.
It seems director Danny Boyle has set out to do what he did for zombies, only this time to science fiction. Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland have created a highly plausible scenario immersed in disaster and philosophical dilemma.
The ensemble cast is stellar. Cillian Murphy with those deep blue eyes is as enigmatic and ambivalent as ever. Believable as a physicist, Murphy's performance fantastic. Competing with Murpy for control of the film is Chris Evans. Evans is captivating as the hot-headed Mace who the audience will find redeeming qualities. Rose Byrne gets the opportunity to cry those doe-eyes, but there is a lot of wasted potential in many of them.
The film works because is goes beyond your average sci-fi. Although I've read comparisons to Event Horizon which I haven't seen, Sunshine does fall within the realm of 2001: A Space Odyssey. As the Icarus crew gets closer to the Sun, the debate of faith and science becomes more apparent but never pretentious. Rendezvousing with the derelict Icarus I complicates matters more than anyone could have imagined.
Sunshine is superbly rendered even when at it's melodramatic best. The Sun has never been more beautiful or dangerous. Visually, the film is stunning; the play of light and dark is artful. Boyle's imagery is breath-taking. The score is haunting, yet hopeful. Sunshine, however, is not without its faults. Plots holes are wide; but Boyle's cinematography and CG make them hardly worth mulling over.
Sunshine takes an unusual turn disseminating into a highly-effectual horror film in the last 20 minutes. Purposeful or not, the film's turn is unexpected, but strangely fun.
As I see it, interpretation will ultimately decide Sunshine's fate. Boyle's work is polarizing and this offering fits perfectly in that description. Whatever your opinion, Sunshine is undeniably stunning.
Sunshine opens with the crew of eight realizing they have reached the dead zone weeks ahead of schedule. No longer able to communicate with Earth drives home the seriousness of the mission. Observe the divide among the crew. After 16 months in space nerves are frayed, but everyone can understands the mission. After reaching Mercury, the crew begins receiving transmissions from the failed Icarus I. Now the air is tinged with paranoia.
It seems director Danny Boyle has set out to do what he did for zombies, only this time to science fiction. Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland have created a highly plausible scenario immersed in disaster and philosophical dilemma.
The ensemble cast is stellar. Cillian Murphy with those deep blue eyes is as enigmatic and ambivalent as ever. Believable as a physicist, Murphy's performance fantastic. Competing with Murpy for control of the film is Chris Evans. Evans is captivating as the hot-headed Mace who the audience will find redeeming qualities. Rose Byrne gets the opportunity to cry those doe-eyes, but there is a lot of wasted potential in many of them.
The film works because is goes beyond your average sci-fi. Although I've read comparisons to Event Horizon which I haven't seen, Sunshine does fall within the realm of 2001: A Space Odyssey. As the Icarus crew gets closer to the Sun, the debate of faith and science becomes more apparent but never pretentious. Rendezvousing with the derelict Icarus I complicates matters more than anyone could have imagined.
Sunshine is superbly rendered even when at it's melodramatic best. The Sun has never been more beautiful or dangerous. Visually, the film is stunning; the play of light and dark is artful. Boyle's imagery is breath-taking. The score is haunting, yet hopeful. Sunshine, however, is not without its faults. Plots holes are wide; but Boyle's cinematography and CG make them hardly worth mulling over.
Sunshine takes an unusual turn disseminating into a highly-effectual horror film in the last 20 minutes. Purposeful or not, the film's turn is unexpected, but strangely fun.
As I see it, interpretation will ultimately decide Sunshine's fate. Boyle's work is polarizing and this offering fits perfectly in that description. Whatever your opinion, Sunshine is undeniably stunning.
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