Sunshine

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

The science fiction genre in film has, for the most part, been overwhelmed by special effects over story quality. Though I am a big “Star Wars” fan, I can’t help but feel that when thinking of the large use of CGI and special effects in George Lucas’ prequel trilogy. Add to that the fact that most people panned those prequels and you’ll see where I’m coming from. Too often, the special effects and the advances in digital technology overwhelm whatever plot the director or scriptwriter came up with. I’m glad to say that this wasn’t the case with “Sunshine”.

Set in a future where our sun, Sol, is dying, “Sunshine” tells the story of a mission aimed at re-igniting the sun. Onboard the Icarus II ship, the eight-person crew embarks on this mission after the Icarus I failed to complete its task seven years earlier. Led by Captain Kaneda (Hiroyuki Sanada), the multi-ethnic crew knows that by launching a solar bomb into the hurt of the sun, they may not make it back to Earth. Still, they soldier on, armed with the knowledge that success means survival of the human race. However, a crisis happens when they hear a distress signal from the long-thought unsalvageable Icarus I. When the crew decides to go to the other ship, they not only put their mission in jeopardy, their lives are on the line as well.

For a film buff such as myself, I regrettably have yet to watch director Danny Boyle’s “Trainspotting” and “28 Days Later”. Though both have been lauded for being original, groundbreaking, and quite intelligent pieces of film, I just haven’t found the time to sit down and watch them. One of the advantages I have then (since I’m coming in with no real experience with Boyle’s work) is that I’m encumbered by his past when watching “Sunshine”. Taking this film strictly for itself, I was thoroughly engaged throughout the movie. As I said earlier, it is so rare to find a character-driven sci-fi piece now that when I do find one, I’m ecstatic. “Sunshine” is exactly that.

I became a Cillian Murphy fan after watching his Scarecrow in “Batman Begins” and his creepy terrorist in “Red Eye”. As the physicist Capa, Murphy serves as unwilling protagonist for “Sunshine”. Sanada (whom I first saw in the original “Ringu” or “The Ring” from Japan) proves to be the capable captain of Icarus II. I’m glad that Boyle chose to have an Asian leading the crew, perhaps giving some hope for the future of race relations in the world. It was a bit offsetting to see Michelle Yeoh in a non-martial arts role. Playing botanist Corazon, Yeoh displays more acting than her prerequisite kicking and punching that we’re so used to seeing. Psychiatrist Searle (Cliff Curtis), vice-captain Harvey (Troy Garity), and analyst Trey (Benedict Wong) also comprise the ship’s eight-person crew.

The last time I saw Rose Byrne, she was a bit of a psycho in “Wicker Park”. Before that, she was Brad Pitt’s Trojan conquest in Troy. Although she’s pretty, I can’t help but feel that I keep seeing her crying in her films and “Sunshine” is no different. Of course, my favorite character in the film is probably the temperamental yet no-nonsense Mace (Chris Evans). Though not as hot-headed as Johnny Storm in “Fantastic Four”, Evans wears his Human Torch haircut for most of “Sunshine” so I couldn’t help but yearn for him to burst into flame and scream “Flame on!” in the film’s critical moments.

I guess the fact that so many of these characters resonated with me is a credit to Boyle and writer Alex Garland. Each character was well-threshed out and had different elements that made them more than mere caricatures. As fantastical as the plot is, I lost myself in the film and was quite engrossed by the magnitude of the Icarus II’s plight. SPOILER WARNING: When the creepy Captain Pinbacker (Mark Strong) of the Icarus I makes a surprise return in the latter part of the film, the tension is heightened and an element of danger and suspense is added to the sci-fi story. I can’t say I didn’t like that touch, and I’ll even go so far as to say that it made the film even more enjoyable in my view.

All in all, I wasn’t expecting much from “Sunshine” in the few trailers I had seen of it. I was just a bit curious because there really weren’t that many films to choose from last week. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the results onscreen and I for one am happy that good stories can still find their way into space in a crowded market like science fiction.