Sunshine (DVD)
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Set in 2057, Sunshine follows a small crew of impossibly good-looking astronauts, scientists, physicists — and other brainy "ists" — on a long and dangerous flight to reignite our dying sun. This mission's success is imperative, as the first rocket out, the Icarus, became disabled and was lost in space seven years ago… and the sun is fading fast.
Cillian Murphy (who is far prettier than any female in the cast) plays Capa, the Icarus II's only crewmember who knows how to activate the sophisticated bomb the ship is carrying. It's a nice change of pace to see the talented actor play something other than a villain (that's not to say he hasn't been a sympathetic character before — 28 Days Later, Breakfast on Pluto — but he's made his bacon on being the baddie — Batman Begins, Red-Eye).
Capa's feeling the heat with Cassie (Rose Byrne), the pilot and the most emotional member of the crew, but the easygoing bombardier knocks heads with the aptly-named Mace (Chris Evans), the ship's engineer. Rounding out the roster of victims is the equable Captain Kaneda (Hiroyuki Sanada); Corazon (Michelle Yeoh), the buff biologist in charge of the Icarus II's oxygen garden; Harvey (Troy Garity), the ship's Communication Officer and second in command; Medical Officer Searle (Cliff Curtis); and young, eager-beaver Trey (Benedict Wong).
Structurally, the movie is all over the place (which I, for one, relish). It begins as a hardcore sci-fi film depicting day-to-day life in the capsule, then turns into a white-knuckle suspenser as the crew fights for survival after the Icarus II malfunctions, and finally concludes as a no-holds-barred horror when it is revealed that there is "something" hiding on the ship.
Since this is a Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) presentation, you can bet the future's not looking too bright in Sunshine. Reminiscent of scary/spacey dramas like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, and Alien, this flick doesn't break any new ground. However, the acting is beyond reproach and the characters are as textured and layered as in any fully-realized drama. Boyle pulls no punches for fans of horror and sci-fi, but he does make some unusual (and not wholly satisfying) visual choices when the "monster" is finally revealed.
Some might find the unevenness of the structure unnerving, and some might be hoping for a less-traditional approach from its usually risk-taking director, but Sunshine sizzles when everything's firing on all cylinders
• Audio Commentary by Director Danny Boyle
• Deleted Scenes With Commentary By Danny Boyle
o Playing Chess
o It Really Takes It Out Of You
o Washing Carrots In The Oxygen Garden
o Coolant Redirection
o Cooking
o Wake-up
o Demolished Oxygen Garden
o Searle Meets Capa
o In Deeper Space Than We Are
o Prepping For Docking
o Rough Docking Procedure
o Fight And Then We Die
o Alternate Ending
• Web Production Diaries
o Danny Boyle Introduction
o Zero G Flight
o Cillian Murphy
o Pre Viz
o Science Of The Sun
o Hiroyuki
o Troy Garity Harvey Introduction
o Voice Of Icarus
o Michelle And O2 Garden
o Anita Screens
o Alwin Kuchler
o Cliff Curtis
o Bumps And Stunts
o Benny
o The Science Of Space Travel Physiology
o Space Suit
o Rose Intro
o Love Letters
o Chris Evans
o VFX
o Big Bangs
o The Science Of Sun Death
• Short Films
o Dad’s Dead Directed By Chris Shepherd
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson