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At the risk of oversimplifying things, films can be good in two (admittedly broad) ways: by showing us something new, or by improving on things we've already seen. The former is risky, but the reward is a place in cinematic history. The latter, though perhaps not as grand, requires significant skill and execution. Because, after all, isn't it harder to enthrall people when they've already seen the kind of things you're showing them?
Sunshine, as you've probably guessed, falls into the second category. It is not a revolutionary film, but its watchlike precision is evident throughout, and it runs a clinic on what disaster films ought to be like.
The plot is straightforward, and summed up in the film's first few lines: the sun is dying. Mankind decided to fly a spaceship (ominously dubbed "Icarus") towards the sun to detonate a massive bomb to jump-start it. This effort failed, for reasons unknown, and a second ship (the Icarus II) has been sent with the same mission.
From the very first scene, director Danny Boyle makes it clear that the sun is as terrifying as it is beautiful. Boyle makes a point to establish its enormity and power from the outset, and in doing so, adds an extra layer of tension to everything which comes afterwards.
There isn't a single weak link in the cast, either. It is diverse and universally competent. And while most of them are far from unknown, there aren't any movie stars here to cast a shadow over their roles. Sunshine is also a fine example of just how far CGI has come; not because the effects in it are groundbreaking, but because such crisp, seamless effects can apparently fit in a budget of just $40 million.
The characters have significant depth, as well. Mace (played by Chris Evans) is married to the plan, and reacts to ideas and decisions almost solely on how well they are confined to mission parameters. He understands the enormity of their undertaking, and that absolutely all options must be on the table. This realization leads to a number of agonizing decisions, as Sunshine gracefully lets its characters wrestle with the possibility of having to save our humanity by sacrificing their own.
Writer Alex Garland has a field day with contrast and symbolism. There's something bitterly ironic about a sequence in which their power is shut off, leaving them without light.
There are a few odd stylistic choices that will probably look extremely dated in a decade or two (a glaring green backdrop in a small communications area, for example), but most seem to have to a purpose, and most of the technology looks entirely believable. While most science fiction films emphasize the "fiction" part, Sunshine recognizes that the best genre films strike a balance between the two.
The film introduces a few horror elements that figure into the climax, but that's hardly surprising, given that Boyle and Garland previously teamed up for 28 Days Later. Nevertheless, this is a rather violent film at times, and some of it feels out of place. A particular plot twist generates some wonderful suspense, but eventually lacks some believability, and occasionally feels shoe-horned into the proceedings.
Nevertheless, Sunshine is one of the better science fiction films of the last few years. Audiences have become numb to large-scale disaster movies, which often beat them over the head with the destruction of cities and famous landmarks. This has always been a cheap way to try to generate scope. Scope comes more naturally here, however, because everyone involved is too terrified to utter pithy one-liners. They actually behave as if the human race's survival is at stake, and their somber terror makes us believe it, too.
Sunshine, as you've probably guessed, falls into the second category. It is not a revolutionary film, but its watchlike precision is evident throughout, and it runs a clinic on what disaster films ought to be like.
The plot is straightforward, and summed up in the film's first few lines: the sun is dying. Mankind decided to fly a spaceship (ominously dubbed "Icarus") towards the sun to detonate a massive bomb to jump-start it. This effort failed, for reasons unknown, and a second ship (the Icarus II) has been sent with the same mission.
From the very first scene, director Danny Boyle makes it clear that the sun is as terrifying as it is beautiful. Boyle makes a point to establish its enormity and power from the outset, and in doing so, adds an extra layer of tension to everything which comes afterwards.
There isn't a single weak link in the cast, either. It is diverse and universally competent. And while most of them are far from unknown, there aren't any movie stars here to cast a shadow over their roles. Sunshine is also a fine example of just how far CGI has come; not because the effects in it are groundbreaking, but because such crisp, seamless effects can apparently fit in a budget of just $40 million.
The characters have significant depth, as well. Mace (played by Chris Evans) is married to the plan, and reacts to ideas and decisions almost solely on how well they are confined to mission parameters. He understands the enormity of their undertaking, and that absolutely all options must be on the table. This realization leads to a number of agonizing decisions, as Sunshine gracefully lets its characters wrestle with the possibility of having to save our humanity by sacrificing their own.
Writer Alex Garland has a field day with contrast and symbolism. There's something bitterly ironic about a sequence in which their power is shut off, leaving them without light.
There are a few odd stylistic choices that will probably look extremely dated in a decade or two (a glaring green backdrop in a small communications area, for example), but most seem to have to a purpose, and most of the technology looks entirely believable. While most science fiction films emphasize the "fiction" part, Sunshine recognizes that the best genre films strike a balance between the two.
The film introduces a few horror elements that figure into the climax, but that's hardly surprising, given that Boyle and Garland previously teamed up for 28 Days Later. Nevertheless, this is a rather violent film at times, and some of it feels out of place. A particular plot twist generates some wonderful suspense, but eventually lacks some believability, and occasionally feels shoe-horned into the proceedings.
Nevertheless, Sunshine is one of the better science fiction films of the last few years. Audiences have become numb to large-scale disaster movies, which often beat them over the head with the destruction of cities and famous landmarks. This has always been a cheap way to try to generate scope. Scope comes more naturally here, however, because everyone involved is too terrified to utter pithy one-liners. They actually behave as if the human race's survival is at stake, and their somber terror makes us believe it, too.