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Fifty years from now, the Sun is almost dead, and a crew of scientists are sent to attempt to reignite it with a bomb that has a land mass the size of Manhattan island. If their mission fails, life on Earth will end soon thereafter. Such is the plot for Danny Boyle's latest film - Sunshine.
I'm a big Danny Boyle fan - everything of his I've seen I've greatly enjoyed (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later), and the way in which he deals with characterisation and the psychological states of these characters is truly fantastic (namely in 28 Days Later). Sunshine, at first glance, may appear to be nothing more than a glorifed sequel to films such as Armageddon and The Core, but there lies a far deeper meaning to this film, and the problem that the crew encounter is far more complicated than first thought.
Whilst trailers obviously reveal a certain amount of information about the film, I feel that Sunshine's trailers revealed too much, as I was able to pretty much telegraph how the majority of the film would pan out. The major twist of the film was also spoiled in trailers, and if you were one, who, like me, trawled through the trailers frame-by-frame, you would be able to see who the resultant antagonist of this twist was. Needless to say, I was hoping for a philosophical, 2001: A Space Odyssey-esque spin on the twist, but alas, it didn't happen.
That said, for the most part the film is an enjoyable ride. It takes a little while to get going, in that we're introduced to the characters aboard the ship and the usual preambles that follow with that, but once the series of conflicts and problems arise, the film grabs you by your coat-tails and never lets go. Whilst I had problems with some of the final half hour of the film, in terms of narrative, by and large it was far more enjoyable than the aforementioned disaster movies you'd see from Michael Bay and the like.
Sunshine is a visual feast, made all the more impressive by the fact that the film was made on on $40m dollars, a relatively small budget for a Hollywood production. Unlike many films of similar ilk, there are no instances at all where the CG-effects appear cheap, and the physics of space aren't abused with computers. If you derive nothing else from Sunshine, the film is a true marvel to look at, and one that should best be enjoyed on as big a cinema screen as possible, as I doubt the impact will be the same when the DVD hits our shores in a few months.
The acting, whilst not particular standout, is decent, with Cillian Murphy being the star of the show. He pulls off a convincing American accent (in Boyle's attempt to appeal to the American market), and whilst his part in the film isn't as large as you might expect, he really makes you pull for his character as the film progresses. Chris Evans surprised in actually turning in a decent performance as the seemingly constantly-angry Mace. The rest of the cast weren't particularly notable, other than Rose Byrne, who played the morally righteous pilot of the ship, however.
Some interesting issues are debated throughout the film, such as utilitarianism (when the crew are forced to decide between one of the crew's life, when sacrificing him would increase their chances of successfully launching the bomb) and a degree of philosophy (in that whether we should meddle with fate). There's a religious aspect to the film also, but to say any more about that would be to spoil the film. Needless to say, it's all chewing gum for the brain and even though it could have been expanded upon much further, it made the film leagues above being a generic diaster film.
My main gripe with the film is how the twist was handled. Whilst it in itself was quite interesting, the consequent individual involved in this twist and how they were filmed bothered me. Rather than simply showing us who they are, they're obscured in blurred camera shots, 2-3 frame clips, cutaways and are generally obscured. It seemed like a very cheap tactic to me, and was something I wouldn't expect from Boyle.
There also seemed to be some inferred moments near the end that required a little more clarity, at least in my opinion. It made me think that there was a continuity issue, but it was just that the director expected us to accept what we were seeing and not think "How did x get to x place?".
The ending is basically the Marmite filling of the film - you'll either love it or hate it. I didn't particularly care for it, but it could have been much worse. I had a particular ending in my head that I think would have been excellent and been in the vein of some of Boyle's other works, but this ending still works within what you would expect from him, so I can't fault it too much.
Sunshine, at the end of the day, is an enjoyable sci-fi affair that delivers lush visuals and an interesting storyline that is marred by some questionable decisions by Boyle as the film nears its climax. It's worth a watch, but make sure it's in a cinema as you'll never get the same impact on a TV.
7/10.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer.
I'm a big Danny Boyle fan - everything of his I've seen I've greatly enjoyed (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later), and the way in which he deals with characterisation and the psychological states of these characters is truly fantastic (namely in 28 Days Later). Sunshine, at first glance, may appear to be nothing more than a glorifed sequel to films such as Armageddon and The Core, but there lies a far deeper meaning to this film, and the problem that the crew encounter is far more complicated than first thought.
Whilst trailers obviously reveal a certain amount of information about the film, I feel that Sunshine's trailers revealed too much, as I was able to pretty much telegraph how the majority of the film would pan out. The major twist of the film was also spoiled in trailers, and if you were one, who, like me, trawled through the trailers frame-by-frame, you would be able to see who the resultant antagonist of this twist was. Needless to say, I was hoping for a philosophical, 2001: A Space Odyssey-esque spin on the twist, but alas, it didn't happen.
That said, for the most part the film is an enjoyable ride. It takes a little while to get going, in that we're introduced to the characters aboard the ship and the usual preambles that follow with that, but once the series of conflicts and problems arise, the film grabs you by your coat-tails and never lets go. Whilst I had problems with some of the final half hour of the film, in terms of narrative, by and large it was far more enjoyable than the aforementioned disaster movies you'd see from Michael Bay and the like.
Sunshine is a visual feast, made all the more impressive by the fact that the film was made on on $40m dollars, a relatively small budget for a Hollywood production. Unlike many films of similar ilk, there are no instances at all where the CG-effects appear cheap, and the physics of space aren't abused with computers. If you derive nothing else from Sunshine, the film is a true marvel to look at, and one that should best be enjoyed on as big a cinema screen as possible, as I doubt the impact will be the same when the DVD hits our shores in a few months.
The acting, whilst not particular standout, is decent, with Cillian Murphy being the star of the show. He pulls off a convincing American accent (in Boyle's attempt to appeal to the American market), and whilst his part in the film isn't as large as you might expect, he really makes you pull for his character as the film progresses. Chris Evans surprised in actually turning in a decent performance as the seemingly constantly-angry Mace. The rest of the cast weren't particularly notable, other than Rose Byrne, who played the morally righteous pilot of the ship, however.
Some interesting issues are debated throughout the film, such as utilitarianism (when the crew are forced to decide between one of the crew's life, when sacrificing him would increase their chances of successfully launching the bomb) and a degree of philosophy (in that whether we should meddle with fate). There's a religious aspect to the film also, but to say any more about that would be to spoil the film. Needless to say, it's all chewing gum for the brain and even though it could have been expanded upon much further, it made the film leagues above being a generic diaster film.
My main gripe with the film is how the twist was handled. Whilst it in itself was quite interesting, the consequent individual involved in this twist and how they were filmed bothered me. Rather than simply showing us who they are, they're obscured in blurred camera shots, 2-3 frame clips, cutaways and are generally obscured. It seemed like a very cheap tactic to me, and was something I wouldn't expect from Boyle.
There also seemed to be some inferred moments near the end that required a little more clarity, at least in my opinion. It made me think that there was a continuity issue, but it was just that the director expected us to accept what we were seeing and not think "How did x get to x place?".
The ending is basically the Marmite filling of the film - you'll either love it or hate it. I didn't particularly care for it, but it could have been much worse. I had a particular ending in my head that I think would have been excellent and been in the vein of some of Boyle's other works, but this ending still works within what you would expect from him, so I can't fault it too much.
Sunshine, at the end of the day, is an enjoyable sci-fi affair that delivers lush visuals and an interesting storyline that is marred by some questionable decisions by Boyle as the film nears its climax. It's worth a watch, but make sure it's in a cinema as you'll never get the same impact on a TV.
7/10.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer.
Fifty years from now, the Sun is almost dead, and a crew of scientists are sent to attempt to reignite it with a bomb that has a land mass the size of Manhattan island. If their mission fails, life on Earth will end soon thereafter. Such is the plot for Danny Boyle's latest film - Sunshine.
I'm a big Danny Boyle fan - everything of his I've seen I've greatly enjoyed (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later), and the way in which he deals with characterisation and the psychological states of these characters is truly fantastic (namely in 28 Days Later). Sunshine, at first glance, may appear to be nothing more than a glorifed sequel to films such as Armageddon and The Core, but there lies a far deeper meaning to this film, and the problem that the crew encounter is far more complicated than first thought.
Whilst trailers obviously reveal a certain amount of information about the film, I feel that Sunshine's trailers revealed too much, as I was able to pretty much telegraph how the majority of the film would pan out. The major twist of the film was also spoiled in trailers, and if you were one, who, like me, trawled through the trailers frame-by-frame, you would be able to see who the resultant antagonist of this twist was. Needless to say, I was hoping for a philosophical, 2001: A Space Odyssey-esque spin on the twist, but alas, it didn't happen.
That said, for the most part the film is an enjoyable ride. It takes a little while to get going, in that we're introduced to the characters aboard the ship and the usual preambles that follow with that, but once the series of conflicts and problems arise, the film grabs you by your coat-tails and never lets go. Whilst I had problems with some of the final half hour of the film, in terms of narrative, by and large it was far more enjoyable than the aforementioned disaster movies you'd see from Michael Bay and the like.
Sunshine is a visual feast, made all the more impressive by the fact that the film was made on on $40m dollars, a relatively small budget for a Hollywood production. Unlike many films of similar ilk, there are no instances at all where the CG-effects appear cheap, and the physics of space aren't abused with computers. If you derive nothing else from Sunshine, the film is a true marvel to look at, and one that should best be enjoyed on as big a cinema screen as possible, as I doubt the impact will be the same when the DVD hits our shores in a few months.
The acting, whilst not particular standout, is decent, with Cillian Murphy being the star of the show. He pulls off a convincing American accent (in Boyle's attempt to appeal to the American market), and whilst his part in the film isn't as large as you might expect, he really makes you pull for his character as the film progresses. Chris Evans surprised in actually turning in a decent performance as the seemingly constantly-angry Mace. The rest of the cast weren't particularly notable, other than Rose Byrne, who played the morally righteous pilot of the ship, however.
Some interesting issues are debated throughout the film, such as utilitarianism (when the crew are forced to decide between one of the crew's life, when sacrificing him would increase their chances of successfully launching the bomb) and a degree of philosophy (in that whether we should meddle with fate). There's a religious aspect to the film also, but to say any more about that would be to spoil the film. Needless to say, it's all chewing gum for the brain and even though it could have been expanded upon much further, it made the film leagues above being a generic diaster film.
My main gripe with the film is how the twist was handled. Whilst it in itself was quite interesting, the consequent individual involved in this twist and how they were filmed bothered me. Rather than simply showing us who they are, they're obscured in blurred camera shots, 2-3 frame clips, cutaways and are generally obscured. It seemed like a very cheap tactic to me, and was something I wouldn't expect from Boyle.
There also seemed to be some inferred moments near the end that required a little more clarity, at least in my opinion. It made me think that there was a continuity issue, but it was just that the director expected us to accept what we were seeing and not think "How did x get to x place?".
The ending is basically the Marmite filling of the film - you'll either love it or hate it. I didn't particularly care for it, but it could have been much worse. I had a particular ending in my head that I think would have been excellent and been in the vein of some of Boyle's other works, but this ending still works within what you would expect from him, so I can't fault it too much.
Sunshine, at the end of the day, is an enjoyable sci-fi affair that delivers lush visuals and an interesting storyline that is marred by some questionable decisions by Boyle as the film nears its climax. It's worth a watch, but make sure it's in a cinema as you'll never get the same impact on a TV.
7/10.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer.
I'm a big Danny Boyle fan - everything of his I've seen I've greatly enjoyed (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, 28 Days Later), and the way in which he deals with characterisation and the psychological states of these characters is truly fantastic (namely in 28 Days Later). Sunshine, at first glance, may appear to be nothing more than a glorifed sequel to films such as Armageddon and The Core, but there lies a far deeper meaning to this film, and the problem that the crew encounter is far more complicated than first thought.
Whilst trailers obviously reveal a certain amount of information about the film, I feel that Sunshine's trailers revealed too much, as I was able to pretty much telegraph how the majority of the film would pan out. The major twist of the film was also spoiled in trailers, and if you were one, who, like me, trawled through the trailers frame-by-frame, you would be able to see who the resultant antagonist of this twist was. Needless to say, I was hoping for a philosophical, 2001: A Space Odyssey-esque spin on the twist, but alas, it didn't happen.
That said, for the most part the film is an enjoyable ride. It takes a little while to get going, in that we're introduced to the characters aboard the ship and the usual preambles that follow with that, but once the series of conflicts and problems arise, the film grabs you by your coat-tails and never lets go. Whilst I had problems with some of the final half hour of the film, in terms of narrative, by and large it was far more enjoyable than the aforementioned disaster movies you'd see from Michael Bay and the like.
Sunshine is a visual feast, made all the more impressive by the fact that the film was made on on $40m dollars, a relatively small budget for a Hollywood production. Unlike many films of similar ilk, there are no instances at all where the CG-effects appear cheap, and the physics of space aren't abused with computers. If you derive nothing else from Sunshine, the film is a true marvel to look at, and one that should best be enjoyed on as big a cinema screen as possible, as I doubt the impact will be the same when the DVD hits our shores in a few months.
The acting, whilst not particular standout, is decent, with Cillian Murphy being the star of the show. He pulls off a convincing American accent (in Boyle's attempt to appeal to the American market), and whilst his part in the film isn't as large as you might expect, he really makes you pull for his character as the film progresses. Chris Evans surprised in actually turning in a decent performance as the seemingly constantly-angry Mace. The rest of the cast weren't particularly notable, other than Rose Byrne, who played the morally righteous pilot of the ship, however.
Some interesting issues are debated throughout the film, such as utilitarianism (when the crew are forced to decide between one of the crew's life, when sacrificing him would increase their chances of successfully launching the bomb) and a degree of philosophy (in that whether we should meddle with fate). There's a religious aspect to the film also, but to say any more about that would be to spoil the film. Needless to say, it's all chewing gum for the brain and even though it could have been expanded upon much further, it made the film leagues above being a generic diaster film.
My main gripe with the film is how the twist was handled. Whilst it in itself was quite interesting, the consequent individual involved in this twist and how they were filmed bothered me. Rather than simply showing us who they are, they're obscured in blurred camera shots, 2-3 frame clips, cutaways and are generally obscured. It seemed like a very cheap tactic to me, and was something I wouldn't expect from Boyle.
There also seemed to be some inferred moments near the end that required a little more clarity, at least in my opinion. It made me think that there was a continuity issue, but it was just that the director expected us to accept what we were seeing and not think "How did x get to x place?".
The ending is basically the Marmite filling of the film - you'll either love it or hate it. I didn't particularly care for it, but it could have been much worse. I had a particular ending in my head that I think would have been excellent and been in the vein of some of Boyle's other works, but this ending still works within what you would expect from him, so I can't fault it too much.
Sunshine, at the end of the day, is an enjoyable sci-fi affair that delivers lush visuals and an interesting storyline that is marred by some questionable decisions by Boyle as the film nears its climax. It's worth a watch, but make sure it's in a cinema as you'll never get the same impact on a TV.
7/10.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer.
They couldn't have picked a lamer name for a movie.
I doubt I'll be watching this. The whole trailer made me think of awful 'The Core' but in space.