Sunshine (DVD, 2008)

These movies just don't come around every day. You usually have to wait a while before you find a sci-fi film that you just really click with. Directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days Later & Transpotting) and written by Alex Garland, Sunshine makes a groundbreaking smash on the sci-fi film community Winning the 2007 British Independent Film Award's Best Technical Achievement award (Mark Tildesley for Production Design. Sunshine's tag-line for the movie is: "IF THE SUN DIES, SO DO WE." Cillian Murphy who plays Capa in the film was also nominated as Best Actor for this film.

Capa narrates these lines at the beginning in order to save us the time of a long drawn out explanation so the movie actually starts where it should have.
"Our sun is dying. Mankind faces extinction. Seven years ago the Icarus project sent a mission to restart the sun but that mission was lost before it reached the star. Sixteen months ago, I, Robert Capa, and a crew of seven left earth frozen in a solar winter. Our payload a stellar bomb with a mass equivalent to Manhattan Island. Our purpose to create a star within a star.
[long pause]
Capa: Eight astronauts strapped to the back of a bomb. My bomb. Welcome to the Icarus Two."

Director Boyle proves his uncanny ability and insight into the human psyche as he pairs off interactions with crew member characters flying a solar bomb directly into the sun.

I give this a 5/5 because it usually gets better the second or third time you see it since it seems very fast paced and thrilling.

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I saw this film in the theatre twice and loved it. This movie is more for the real science fiction fan than the casual fan- someone who would enjoy 'Solaris' or 'Silent Running' much more than 'Aliens vs Predator' or 'Starship Troopers.' The plot revolves around a small group of astronauts piloting a giant spaceship (Icarus II) that must deliver an immense nuclear bomb to the heart of the sun. Far in the future our son is dying. While in transit with their powerful payload they encounter many problems, including tensions with each other. That the previous mission (Icarus I)vanished mysteriously only adds more tension as the crew contemplates that they are on a one way journey. Their loved ones and all of mankind are counting on them.

The special effects are superb. The sets, futuristic yet spartan, are very convincing. The giant ship with it's thousands of polished mirrors to shield it from the sun is a special effects marvel. Director Danny Boyle (28 days later) has crafted a truly enjoyable science fiction tale. This DVD features deleted scenes and an alternate ending. In the theatrical release the ending is the only part that dissapoints as the director goes for an ending more in line with what AVP fans would like. My suggestion check out the alternate ending. The movie is highly crafted and a great addition to your science fiction collection.

Well, this is my first review; and it may in fact be my only review. That should tell you something right off the bat... that good or bad, I feel very strongly about this movie. I feel very strongly in the positive direction, though.
This movie is for lovers of 'hard sci-fi' such as 2001, Silent Running, etc. By hard science, I mean sci-fi that is at least partially rooted in reality, and what is thought to be possible. As opposed to movies like Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. which are more vague in their explanations and the physics involved. Don't get me wrong, I love these movies as well, just for entirely different reasons.
A large part of what I loved about Sunshine was the soundtrack. Sunshine (Adagio in D minor) nearly brought me to tears while watching the movie, and it still evokes a very strong emotional reaction every time I hear it. How often does that happen? Very few songs have this effect upon me.
Another thing this movie has going for it are the first rate special effects. While special effects don't make the movie, they are something very special in and of them self.
If you are looking for a movie that is fast paced all the way through, this is probably not the movie for you, though it does have it's moments. 2001 and 2010 were not the most 'action packed' movies, but they were epic. If you liked these movies, you are going to love this movie. If the names Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov mean anything to you, you need to watch this movie; you won't regret it, trust me.

I bought sunshine after seeing a trailer for the movie while watching a dvd. It looked awesome, so imagine my excitement when I sat down to watch it after it arrived. It was a snowing, perfect excuse for watching movies all day, and sunshine was the final dvd of the evening. Well......
Like most I loved the special effects, they were stunning. The cast of characters were great, you fell in love with some, hated others, the movie? Suffice it to say it wasn't for me, if you can handle a lot of death and saddness "for the greater good" you may like it. It was so depressing that when it ended I felt ill. The story will leave some hating humanity, others hating religion and others just hating.
The writer and director could have taken a different approach and ended up with a enjoyable, even great movie, but at the risk of being passe' he took the film down a blackhole. What's that phrse, scratch a scab til it bleeds? No beauty in that, and the special effects do not make up for the wretching plot of total annihilation of lives. The ending, even though "positive" doesn't leave you with a good feeling after seeing everything else that went on and the places that should have been developed further were given 30 second snipets.
There are some interesting aspects, some things to think about but overall I'd say try it before you buy it. Rent it first, buy it cheap. It will make you feel a little better in the end.

I truly loved this movie. I had wanted to see it when I saw it first advertised but, as I don't get out to the theaters much, had to wait for its release on DVD (was at the top of my Netflix queue for quite awhile).

I wasn't sure what to expect from the film so I watched it ready for pretty much anything. It was so much more than that ("anything")!

The special effects were awesome, really incredible. If it had nothing else going for it, its gorgeous visual imagerary and amazing effects (think of this comment when you get to the part where the crew visits the second viewing room).

But, it did have lots more going for it. The characters all had true depth, with one in particular - Searle (Cliff Curtis) - giving a "stellar" (sorry for the pun) performance. None of the crew suffer from two dimensional performances, each is given their own strengths, weaknesses and foibles.

As much as the ending was necessary, I do have to admit the plot momentarily left its believable track when the "twist" which altered the story line was introduced. (Sorry to be oblique... I don't want to be a spoiler.) I think the same think could have been accomplished in a more rational way.

This latter "issue" was microscopic when put up against how great the rest of the film was. I can attest to this by mentioning the fact I bought two copies after seeing it: A regular DVD to loan my friends, and a Blu-Ray copy for me.

Rent, borrow or (better yet) buy this movie. If you like Sci-Fi films with believable characters you won't be disappointed.