The crew of a spaceship flies from Earth toward the dying sun, hoping to use a specially-designed bomb to repower the sun.  But on the way they run into a string of problems that put the mission into serious jeopardy.

CRITIQUE

Sunshine is a solid movie that didn’t find box office success in the United States; the studio never really seemed sure of how to sell it.  But the film itself works well, not altogether surprising given that it is directed by Danny Boyle, whose past successes include 28 Days Later and Trainspotting.  The result is good of its type, and it is worth seeking out.

The tale is sort of a science-fiction thriller, and the filmmakers waste no time here jumping right into the story, which begins with the spaceship already a year into its journey, and we meet the eight crew members as we go.  The main character is Capa (Cillian Murphy, of 28 Days Later), an American physicist who plays a greater role in the action as things unfold.  But the film is cast well throughout with semi-recognizable actors giving solid performances, including Chris Evans, Rose Byrne and Michelle Yeoh.

To detail what happens would mean giving away too much of the film; one of the reasons that this does work as well as it does is that it’s never predictable what happens next.  But the setting is used to good effect, the fact that the astronauts are in this vulnerable position keeps the tension high throughout, and the story spins through a number of solid setpieces while remaining involving all the way until the end.

There are some things here that don’t work as well.  The science feels a bit wonky at times, while late in the script somehow a large chunk of time inexplicably passes.  The budget here isn’t nearly as huge as a lot of films of this type, so though the visuals are generally good, there are times when they also feel a little limited.  Still, this is a thoughtful combination of space tale, thriller and character drama that has a lot to it that works, and which is worth sampling.

THE VIDEO

This is a screener copy of Sunshine, lacking technical specifications, so it’s unclear how it will compare to the regular DVD.  Still, the picture quality is generally good.

THE AUDIO

Sunshine is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Surround, and French and Spanish Dolby Surround.  There is also a special track in English, describing the movie for the visually impaired.  Dialogue, music and sound effects come through clear.  There are English and Spanish subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

There are Two Commentaries, one by director Danny Boyle, the other by science advisor Dr. Brian Cox.  Boyle’s is very solid; he talks very knowledgeably and likeably about all aspects of production, while also paying tribute to sci fi films that came before.  Cox is a young physicist, who Murphy based part of his performance on, and though his commentary is very science-based, it’s engaging.

There are 47 minutes of Web Production Diaries, short bits that look into the production or interview the actors; they are generally interesting.

There are 19 minutes of Deleted Scenes, with optional commentary by Boyle.  There are a few good bits, but most of this was cut simply because it didn’t move the story forward.

There are two Short Films, included on the DVD just because Boyle liked them.  The first, the 7-minute “Dad’s Dead” (directed by Chris Shepherd), is an oddly-involving angry blend of live-action and animation.  But the second, the 6-minute “Mole Hills” (directed by Dan Arnold) is just a pointless series of edits of shots of piles of dirt on a city street.

FINAL THOUGHT

Good of its type, and well worth checking out.