User reviews

All in all, I enjoyed Sunshine. The actors were perfectly cast and had natural chemistry with each other and compelling individual screen presence as well. The diversity in the characters and the down to earth portrayals is part of what makes this film so captivating.

Then the third act comes and it completely changes what the film is about and that shift is abrupt and poorly thought out. Sunshine could be one of the all time greats if that last act was rewritten to continue the realistic story being told in the first 2 acts.

It's a shame really because Danny's directing was top notch, the score was very atmospheric and the suspense was building towards what seemed to be something special.

I recommend watching this at least once but be prepared for a third act that is a complete letdown.

I'm not going to drop any spoilers here. I will simply say that for the first hour this movie is superb, with an excellent cast, a beautiful orchestral score, and a solid script based on a wonderfully grandiose Big Sci-Fi Idea.

However, an hour in things begin to degrade, with a couple of poor plot decisions that could have been forgiven if they had just moved on. But an hour and 16 minutes in they double down on one particularly bad plot choice, and the film degenerates into horror movie cliches (yes, horror) which simply have no place here and ruined what would have been and unusually sublime and moving science fiction drama. I would love to know what in the world they were thinking, allowing the script to devolve and go in a direction that does not do justice to all of the other labor and excellent creative decisions that went into other aspects of the movie. What a shame.

Sunshine cost £20 million. Jerry Bruckheimer and his Hollywood cohorts must be shaking their heads in disbelief. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, British born and bred, have outdone America's effects laden finest, and at a mere fraction of the price. Armageddon ($140 million) and Pirates of The Caribbean 2 ($225 million) have nothing, nothing on the majestic visuals that Sunshine offers. From the jaw dropping opening sequence to the fantastically realised final moments, Boyle's latest is a mighty treat for the eyes.

But of course, effects do not make a film. You need only consider the two aforementioned Bruckheimer blowouts for proof. But happily, behind the blinding visuals, Sunshine has a violently beating heart. One that offers absolutely no let up, that gains speed and then gains a little more, before finally threatening cardiac arrest. You can't help but live and breath every moment of the crew's breathless existence.

The year is 2057 and a select group of astronauts are given that most trifling of tasks. The sun is dying. Drop a bomb in it. Save all of mankind. And to top it all, on a ship rather ominously named 'Icarus II'. Add inevitable inter crewmember tension and you have a rather heated situation. The sweaty crew are played wonderfully by a decidedly un-starry, but talented cast. Cilian Murphy, taking the lead role as the ship's resident physicist Cappa, the only member who has the wherewithal to actually drop the bomb, is coolly enigmatic as ever, the blue orbs of his eyes forming a nice counterpoint to the never far rather redder orb of the sun. You can't help but feel he isn't particularly challenged as an actor, but nevertheless he provides a suitably ambivalent, androgynous and faintly unsettling core to the proceedings.

Perhaps more impressive is Chris Evans. Recently seen in a similarly hot headed role in the undercooked comic book adaptation 'Fantastic Four', he consistently snatches scenes from Murphy as engineer Mace, about as volatile and fiery as Cappa is composed and cool. Without Evan's energetic performance, the film would sink into an anti-libidinal quag. Mace's emotive instability injects pace when it's needed and brings some welcome variety to the otherwise glum faces. Evans is surely on the brink of big things. A small quibble would be that there are perhaps a few too many characters; meaning that a fair share of the cast never really gets a chance for development, which is irritating, as one gets the feeling that there's a lot of wasted potential.

Another chink in Sunshine's spacesuit, is in many places, Alex Garland's screenplay. Whilst he has a remarkable talent for creating intense psychological tension, of which there is plenty in Sunshine, his philosophising is much less satisfactory. This is not to say he doesn't play with some fascinating ideas. With the crew circling so close to the Sun, to the giver of life, Garland begins ask the biggest of questions. Is there something, something inestimably greater than ourselves, something that could create such a magnificent star, or are we, like the sun, simply dust? It's a great idea, but for the larger part of the film, it seems oddly shoehorned into what is at base a sci-fi pot-boiler. In fact these ideas are better expressed in Boyle's imagery. Time and time again we see members of the crew staring aghast at the immensity of the burning ball of gas and dust in front of them. The relationship between giver and taker is better explored here than in any line of Garland's.

The structure of his screenplay is also a little unwieldy. The first hour and a half play as an intense psychological study - the pace at times painfully weighty as the tension is ratcheted up ever higher. The film works beautifully here - it may not introduce anything particularly new; claustrophobic stress is certainly nothing new in sci-fi, but it follows genre conventions with such panache and artistry that it's difficult to fault. However, come the final 20 minutes, Sunshine takes a rather abrupt and unwelcome turn. A pretty hammy (not to mention poorly explained) plot twist is ushered in and suddenly we find ourselves in a horror film - a clichéd one at that. To say much more would spoil things, but needless to say, had the filmmakers showed a little restraint in the closing moments, they would have had a real classic on their hands. When the film ditches pretensions, and sticks with the clammy, slow burn thrills it excels at, it's fantastic. When it descends into predictable melodrama, it's still alright, it's just disappointing considering what we know it's capable of. As such it's remarkably well shot, superbly rendered, occasionally poignant and occasionally flawed. Whatever the case, Sunshine is never far from entirely thrilling, and, all said and done, film recommendations don't come much higher than that.

A brilliant movie for so many reasons (my gf had an entirely different take on this but I loved the discussion it opened, which eventually brought me here). The kind of cast who each can shine in their own right, visuals that would still be considered top notch a decade and a half later, a goosebump inducing sound/music score and a concept that is thought provoking and shines a light to so many aspects of humanity. To some a slightly shaky 3rd act and while it does feel like someone else took the reigns for 20mins or so of its direction, it's brought together in a stunning finale. The overwhelming enormity of space vs humanity's drive to dictate our destiny and the spectrum of characters earth entrusts to save the planet play together in a beautiful, bleak way. If a film can have me still thinking about concepts, faith and morality after and the score genuinely have an emotional impact, as a director I could say I've done a job well done.

How would we cope under the most extreme circumstances imaginable? That is the question posed by Danny Boyle's latest offering, and the answer seems to be that anybody can be pushed over the edge, it is just a question of what and how much it takes.

Danny Boyle seems unable to settle on a genre specialty, but it also seems that whatever he turns his hand to he can make work (with the exception of romantic comedy - A Life Less Ordinary anyone?). In his latest, the sun is dying, and we join the 2nd attempt to try and restart the star by delivering a nuclear bomb to kick-start it. Having been alone in space for the past 16 months, the eight-man crew is approaching its destination, but nerves are starting to fray. Then they pick up a signal rom the ship that made the first, unsuccessful, attempt. Inevitably they go and investigate, and problems ensue. When the inevitable disaster occurs, jeopardising the mission, we begin to see how people deal with extreme circumstances, and how their sanity is affected, in different ways. Elements are recognisable from Alien, Solaris and Event Horizon, and the film certainly benefits from all of those influences. The claustrophobia, the understated technology, the dark corridors, the unseen menace, all recognisable but effectively used.

This is not a typical science fiction per se. There are no aliens, no space battles, and no ultra-advanced technology on show. Instead Boyle chooses a more philosophical tangent, leading to questions of exactly what defines humanity, and the value of a single life weighed against the future of mankind.

The casting is excellent, with many recognisable but no particularly famous faces, the biggest names being Batman Begins' Cillian Murphy and Fantastic Four's Chris Evans. This lack of star names, combined with a cast of only the eight crew somehow makes the loneliness and the feeling of being a huge distance from home with a long way to go seem even more real. We really begin to feel with the crew as they try to hold it together long enough to complete their vital mission. Cillian Murphy in particular is a piece of inspired casting, as in many of his roles he has always appeared on the very brink of insanity anyway, so he has the close-to-crazy act down to a tee.

The CGI of the sun is extremely impressive, particularly considering the relatively low budget of the film, and the simple but intense story has viewers on the edge of the seat virtually from first act to last. The suspense is built gradually but extremely effectively, to the extent where you can feel your sanity heading the way of the astronauts' as the conclusion approaches with increasing speed.

Overall a very effective study in what a tenuous thing sanity is when faced with huge odds and a great threat. Thrilling, gripping and thought-provoking, and another genre nailed by Boyle - now if only he could crack that pesky rom-com!

It's 50 years in the future. Eight astronauts on Icarus II are sent to restart the Sun as it begins to die. Icarus I was lost seven years ago for unknown reasons. Communications Officer Harvey (Troy Garity) finds a distress call from Icarus I. Psychiatrist Searle (Cliff Curtis) recommends to rendezvous despite engineer Mace (Chris Evans)'s objection for the extra bomb. Physicist Capa (Cillian Murphy) reluctantly agrees. Navigator Trey (Benedict Wong) miscalculates the new trajectory and Captain Kaneda (Hiroyuki Sanada) is killed. Trey goes crazy and is sedated. They board Icarus I leaving pilot Cassie (Rose Byrne) and botanist Corazon (Michelle Yeoh) on Icarus II.

Director Danny Boyle uses the sun as a visual effect and it's amazing. The look of it is beautiful and industrial. The cast is intriguing. The movie is reminiscent of Alien and then it tries to follow it into slasher horror. That may have been a mistake. I'm more concerned about the confused nature of the last act. However I just love the look and feel of this world.

Sunshine by Danny Boyle is a film that starts out strong but ultimately falls apart.

The film's cast are consistently solid and even Chris Evans gives a good performance. Cillian Murphy was, surprisingly, the weak performance of the film and even if he is playing a physician, it seemed like a padded character who gave exposition and when tried to give some depth, ended up making it just a tiny bit more dimensional.

The visuals are remarkably impressive and the FX themselves do give a run to some of Hollywood's finest FX films. The use of golden glows and warm oranges effectively evoke a sense of peace and hope as the film aspires.

Now, the film's true problem is the third act. First and second act are solid all the way, raising questions and doubts as well as tension. We get a sense that the film is building on its characters and that the theme itself is represented by them, but then an unprecedented turning point pulls the strings and makes this film go spiraling out of control.

Disappointing, especially considering that it came from Danny Boyle. He could've used more time and considerably so since, for a sci-fi film, it runs short with just an hour and 40 minutes. It also renders a lot of scenes without complete resolution and raising far too many questions.

The third act pretty much loses point on any kind of theme or other secondary plots and seems to just want to rush towards the ending and get it all over with and in the end, we're left with a film that leaves itself to float in space.

In the end, we're left with unfinished themes and a finale that strives for a triumphant uplifting while we simply roll our eyes at the screen.

...any other sci-fi movies brought to the screen. The only bad thing about Sunshine is that it was 10 years too early. The majority of the audience and critics did not get it back then and yes, it bombed at the box office. But we all know that might be in some sense actually a good thing. Quite a lot of outstanding and modern classic movies have not been that commercially successful either...anyway. Starting with the haunting score and of course esp. with adagio in D minor. What an achievement and what a disgrace not getting the recognition or award it deserved. The visuals and cinematography is absolutely breathtaking! Hardly seen anything like that before or after. The usage of light and shadow, the monochrome colors, How the camera captures rays of light, planets etc when the ship drifts in space ... stunning. Just stunning. Great cast and esp. Mr. Cillian Murphy as the lead character guiding us through the emptiness, the hope and Desaster. Coming to the much described and very polarizing ending. It's for sure not everyone's taste but I applaud the director for making such a strong and impactful finale. It leaves u with your emotions all alone & makes u think (as it does throughout the movie with the deep and almost philosophical monologues by Capa).

Atmospheric, enthralling, jarringly engaging visuals and great score. Caught myself holding my breath a few times in anxt. Unfortunately a pretty lame script with concomitant non-conviction in its delivery made it difficult to suspend disbelief. Will watch again on a better screen at some point, but for now, giving the benefit of the doubt and a seven star rating for the visuals alone.

Totally hooked for the first hour but then it just becomes a ridiculous slasher movie that doesn't fit what went before.

Frustrating and annoying, could have been a classic.

I was very lucky being able to get into a preview of this movie today in Vienna. I only knew very little about it in advance, so my expectations were quite neutral.

One word of advice: this movie is not for nitpickers or physicist. The plot outline (i.e. detonating a "stellar bomb" inside the sun) sounds ludicrous at first - but if you're able to ignore this and some other scientific nonsense, you get one great movie.

This one is all about the details and the crew's behavior. Danny Boyle once again proves his insight into the human psyche as he portraits how the crew-members handle the various arising problems, some of the decision-making is displayed frighteningly realistic compared to other movies in the genre. Cillian Murphy (brilliant as ever) and Chris Evans (hated him in Fantastic 4, but showed a great performance here) pair up very nicely during most many scenes.

The entire movie has a certain feel to it, the atmosphere is very tense and Boyle manages to keep the pace at quite a high level the entire time. Visual FX are at a high level as well.

Apparently Sunshine can't deny the influences from 2001 or Event Horizon, nevertheless it should be treated as an independent film.

A few deductions for some glitches and the scientific stuff, otherwise great entertainment!

Robert (Cillian Murphy) and a crew of ten or so are on the way to the Sun in the ship Icarus II. Its the 24th century and the Sun has lost some of its power. This has made a permanent and dangerous winter on Earth. Awhile ago, Icarus I was sent to the same destination with a nuclear bomb, very large, that would jump start the Sun's power again. Yet, Earth lost contact with Icarus I and the Sun didn't change. The assumption was made that Icarus I never made it to its destination. Now, II is the Earth's last hope. Needless to say, it is a dangerous mission. This is from the harsh realities of outer space, where perils abound. The closer any object gets to the Sun, the hotter things get. Yes, II is designed to withstand this temperature change but accidents can happen. Also, humankind needs oxygen and there is none in the atmosphere beyond the heavens. If someone gets loose on a spacewalk, they will die, and so forth. Strangely, the crew finds out that near the planet Mercury, signals are coming from the lost Icarus I. The II crew wonders if it were possible for the I astronauts to still be alive, given food supplies and other factors. An argument ensues. Some want to try and rescue their fellow humans, others say its too risky. One of the navigators has to recalculate the path of II if they choose this. Alas, an error is made and it sets off a chain of horrific events for some of the crew. Will there be anyone left to complete the mission? This film, made by Danny Boyle, the wonderful director of Slumdog millionaire, will be too dark for some, myself included. It is a true horror-science fiction flick, as is Alien, for example, but the horrors come from the nature of the Universe, not from some toothy monster. Space is a hazardous place to go when the conditions are frightful for human life adapted to the earth. Accidents can and do happen, no matter what the planning. As such, it is definitely NOT FUN to watch someone die from heat, lack of oxygen, or whatever comes along. Therefore, be warned. The cast is quite wonderful, especially Murphy who was the reason this viewer chose to watch it. But, even the most intriguing thespians would take a back seat to the special effects and wonderful sets of an outer space movie. How impressive to see the Sun so "close" to view! But, again, even though the concept is brilliant, the violence precludes it from being "universally" recommended.

With a suitably international and diverse cast to simulate the equivalent crew onboard the Icarus II ("Icarus I" didn't fare so well), director Danny Boyle fledges a science fiction that gains momentum at its very first image – and does not halt until the end credits roll. To be perfectly frank, this is one of the most unbearably exciting films for whose entire duration I have ever squirmed in my seat for at the theatre.

On a mission to re-ignite the sun by detonating a bomb ("the size of Manhattan island", Cillian Murphy's physicist nods to American audiences and cause me to suffer horrible flashbacks to Armaggeddon's "it's the size of Texas" assessment) human lives are expendable and rationalized by rank. There are scientists, astronauts and various specialists on Icarus II who are all poised on the brink of sacrificing themselves for the greater good of mankind. Diverse in the sense that there are both men and women, and few characters are 'black or white' (morally, and physically), it does puzzle me that New Zealanders, Aussies and Irishmen have been arbitrarily converted into Americans. The crew is nevertheless highly impressive and professional, with a few minor exceptions for plot-propelling purposes, like when someone does something very stupid.

There is noticeably a tremendous visual sense throughout "Sunshine" with a screen that is awash with sparkling explosions and each frame saturated with bright colours and dimmed contrasts. There is no genre-transcending perhaps, and most probably its visuals are under the mercy of dating effects, but for now this is truly the crème de la crème of science fiction, take my word for it. Even the cinematography within the spaceship alleys and chambers is compelling and sweeps through Icarus II with great tracking shots. Amongst other films, Danny Boyle was inspired by Das Boot and certainly there are traces of the same claustrophobia underpinning the setting, but ultimately he opted for a more habitable environment to make it believable (like humanity would ship off its only hope with a crummy, crowded old vessel).

To justify the occasional bouts of sci-fi clichés, I'd like to firstly point out that it's not like "Sunshine" traffics in stereotypes or resorts to formulaic elements, and secondly that I believe certain clichés have evolved for a reason – they quite clearly stand the test of time. There are within science fiction some staples that are simply necessary to define its genre, such as the dutiful human sacrifices to up the drama, the internal mutinies to instill the uncertainty in the operation, the nightmarish conditions onboard the ship to suck you in, the technical jargon of velocities and shield angles that spits like bullet-fire to give the film a firm scientific footing, and finally the epic music to elevate suspense. "Sunshine" incorporates and melts together all of the aforementioned, but in militantly non-formulaic ways that only add to the experience. As a potent example, there isn't just pedestrian classical tunes recycled from 2001 and filtered through {insert rote Hollywood composer here}'s score – it is puffed full of beautiful piano crescendos that are almost incongruous to the sci-fi vibe, and the cumulative effect is wonderful.

"Sunshine" is sporadically blemished by minor faults, such as when Murphy's Law is being followed a bit too rigorously to up the excitement. Luckily, all of this is washed away or camouflaged when Boyle serves up his next goosebumps-inducing, gasp-eliciting spectacle – be it a horror twist or an impossibly epic action stunt. On the topic of the former, and clearly the chiasma at which "Alien" comparisons have been drawn, there is a magnificently creepy horror/mystery vibe interlacing the story in space. On top of this, Danny Boyle also dabbles in existentialism (a little too much if you ask me), making this into one of the most ambitious sci-fi turns ever made. In this way, maybe "Sunshine" is not primed to collect awards or even serve as meat for mainstream Hollywood, but I think it's safe to crown it the "Alien" of the 21st century.

8 out of 10

An intense movie from start to finish. A bit confusing/disorienting in parts, but it's enjoyable. I imagine it's especially enjoyable to the scientifically minded folk.

When I realized who directed this one, I thought, "Oh, no - not Danny Boyle!" but since I totally LOVE science fiction, I ordered the DVD and thought: "Mr Boyle, surprise me!" And surprise me he did.

This is without doubt the best science fiction movie in a very long time. Visually, this one is a gem. I don't think I have seen such beauty in the Sun ever. The "Icarus II" interiors and exterior is truly wonderful and looks so very real. The actors do a great job realizing a surprisingly good script.

The story is a blend of many science fiction movies, but more on the paying tribute to what was than stealing. You have for instance the resemblance of "Discovery One" in "2001: A Space Odyssey", and a couple of other scenes from there. Watch both movies and you will get my point. Several other movies also have "guest appearances".

Expect state of the art special effects, expect an excellent script - and expect wonderful acting.

I'm not only surprised - I am also very much impressed!

I am not sure how this movie completely passed me by 12 years ago, as I am always at least mildly interested in any media in the sci-fi genre. This popped up on a recommended list somewhere and I have enjoyed Cillian Murphy and Rose Byrne's performances in other things (in retrospect, pretty great in this movie too), so I gave it a shot.

The film has incredibly impressive visuals - both CGI and practical effects. Not once did I remark to myself that anything looked "fake" or took me out of the moment in that regard. With a strong visual springboard the movie starts off awesome and I totally bought into the setup - in my opinion, we're halfway there.

About 50-60% into the movie, it takes some pretty sharp turns from a generalized "something-went-wrong" sci-fi thriller into what resembles something like if "The Core" met "Scream", all the while taking every major cue from "Event Horizon" as the story's foundation. This part of the script, coupled with fairly strange stylistic choices and editing techniques, really sort of snapped me out of the groove.

It is well-directed, and the ingredients and mixers are there for a great sci-fi/horror flick, it just seemed like the proverbial blender stopped working halfway through the movie. I think it should have taken any of the aforementioned films and focused on channeling that energy and style, rather than trying to shuffle back and forth between science fiction, horror, or even an indie film at times, peppered with some cheap slasher elements that don't really drive the story forward. Checking out director Danny Boyle's past films like "Trainspotting", "The Beach" and "28 Days Later", I can see where he takes his strengths across a wide variety of his past efforts and applied them as best as he could to this film.

I give it a 6/10 for awesome visuals, great acting and directing - the missing stars due to misguided genre and script beats directly lifted from "Event Horizon".

I was really enjoying the movie to begin with, and it had all the makings to be a great Sci-Fi film. But just as the movie was heating up, it's like the script writer got carried away with all these ideas and decided to cram them all into one film.

If they had just stuck with a single, well thought out story line and a few plot twists, it would have been great. Instead, I had to watch a completely perplexing display of twists and turns until the story line was completely incomprehensible and unrecognisable.

I honestly had no clue what was going on for most of the final 30 minutes.