Sunshine Movie Review

Sunshine (2007)

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Written by: Alex Garland
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Cliff Curtis, Michelle Yeoh, Benedict Wong, Hiroyuki Sanada, Troy Garity, Mark Strong
Rated: R
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Plot
A team of international astronauts are sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying Sun with a nuclear fission bomb in 2057.

Verdict
This does astronauts on a mission so well. The characters are developed and the dialog is realistic. It isn't all heroics and altruism. Being on a mission that might fail takes a mental toll. While the movie distinctly shifts in tone towards the end, I didn't mind it though it's a valid source of criticism. Even with the shift, everything else about the movie is done so well.
Watch it.

Review
I've seen this movie a few times. It's got a great idea and I love the visuals and characters. It's divisive as the movie makes a distinct change in tone towards the end, even down to the style of shots. I don't mind the switch, but I understand why people would.

Their mission involves them jump starting the sun. It's a similar mission that failed earlier and this is their last shot. The world doesn't have anymore resources. Because of that tensions are high. The pscyh officer is fascinated by the sun to the point that he's inflicting sun burns on himself.

Michelle Yeoh, Cillian Murphy, Benedict Wong, Rose Byrne

I like the subtlety of the script in that it doesn't feel the need to connect the dots for the viewer. This is such a well done movie. The way people act and react feels completely natural. There's a lot going on in between the lines of dialog. Just one example is how passive aggressive Mace acts when he doesn't like a decision the crew makes. Mace is focused on the mission, nothing else matters, especially sentiment. I really like that character because he's willing to sacrifice himself for the mission and repudiates anyone else who doesn't agree. He's willing to kill one person to save the planet because that is the mission; save the world. Mace states the truth even when it hurts.

The ship, Icarus II, and payload.

The design of the ship is great, though I wonder how they got such a massive payload into space. The movie provides a lot of detail for space suits as well, down to sweat bands and built in water bottles. The power of the sun is always on display. It's nature itself, beyond any other barrier they could face.

I get the dislike of the tone shift. On the other hand, how else would you increase the tension. This starts with a burned out crew facing uncertainty and we see the monster that uncertainty and being lost in space breeds. It's an image of what could happen to the crew in a worst case scenario. 

This is a sci-fi movie that has thought about how life on this space ship works. Cappa ties himself down before he breaks an air lock. He knows just holding on won't be enough. I never thought, this is using movie logic to make the sci-fi work. With that foundation, we get characters that cover a range of emotions. You understand why characters react as they do. You can understand their reactions even if you don't like them.