Product description

Sunshine [2007]

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Average customer rating: 3.0

Binding : DVD
EAN : 5039036034623
Label : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Publisher : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release date : 2007-08-27
Title : Sunshine [2007]
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Suitable for 15 years and over
Format : Array
Languages : Array
Number of items : 1
Original release date : 2007-01-01
Region code : 2
Running time : 107
Studio : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Theatrical releaseDate : 2007

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
You can never accuse director Danny Boyle of lacking ambition. Sunshine sees one of Britain’s most successful directors switching genre once more, as he tackles this gripping science fiction flick about a quest to re-ignite the dying sun. And he nails it, too, adding another plus to a CV that’s already covered a kids' film (Millions), a big Hollywood blockbuster (The Beach), horror (28 Days Later), and a pair of British classics (Trainspotting and Shallow Grave).

Bursting out of the gate at a terrific pace, Sunshine then doesn’t take its foot off the accelerator for much of its near-two hour running time. Set around the crew of the Icarus II who find themselves on a life-saving mission, things soon start going awry, and while you’ll find no plot spoilers here, Boyle proves a dab hand at ratcheting up tension on the way to the big finale.

If anything, it’s the finale to Sunshine that does let the side down, not quite living up to the standard of what preceded it. But such is the strength of the ride to that point that it’s hard to complain. Especially when the cast, led by the always-magnetic Cillian Murphy, put in believable performances and get heavily into the spirit of the film.

Topped off with cracking effects that belie its modest budget, Sunshine is a real treat, not just for sci-fi fans, but for anyone who likes a strong, tense, thrilling night in front of a movie. --Jon Foster

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-09-24 rating:

My new favourite film.
I love this film, it's everything I want in a movie and it's shot so well. Don't watch this film if you're going to analyse every last scientific detail, I don't think people who do that enjoy films all that much anyway to be fair. Good characterisations, although one or 2 do seem to be missed out. A damn good sci-fi film, you get a real feel of isolation (as has been mentioned before) a lot like in Alien.

review by: gazz1009 date: 2008-09-22 rating:

It will never belong to a huge audience but those who give it their time will be greatly rewarded
In the near future our star is dying and it is up to a band of a few scientists and astronauts to reignite it with a bomb the size of Manhattan Island. The idea "to create a star within a star". Despite the promise of its premise and setting Sunshine isn't a film about expensive galaxy sprawling set pieces or cheap special-effect driven thrills. It can be argued that Sunshine is in fact anti-science-fiction in its execution as attention is never drawn to spectacle unless serving the plot. Instead the heart of the film deals with how we accept our mortality as an individual. An internal battle we face everyday.

Sunshine marks Danny "28 days later" Boyle's first foray into the sci-fi genre and although he is new to the space opera world, it does not show. Each frame is rich in a detail so meticulously calculated that it hearkens back to the likes of 2001 and Alien, both in terms of plot and visuals. Though a fan boy he isn't, that label belongs to Alex Garland, long time collaborator and friend of Boyle. Garland has created a script that brings up such heavy issues, as the balance (or battle) between religion and science, without forgetting its roots in conventions already established in the genre or disabling Boyle from exploring his own visceral talents.

Let me start by saying Sunshine is scientific nonsense. There isn't much in the film that makes sense regarding the nature of the mission or the way in which it is executed. As the ultimate example, I ask why the ship doesn't melt under such extreme heat? In terms of logic it's the Star Trek of science films. But what has been delivered is a film so beautifully crafted, with tremendous effort in even the slightest details, that everything seems plausible.

As with all Boyle films the acting is of a high standard, with no character left as fodder. Chris Evans' character Mace is so detached from the Johnny Flame he's renowned for that it would be easy to doubt they are played by the same person. Cillian Murphy, who continually surprises, carries the film on his back with ease. However the hidden gem comes from relatively unknown Brit-actor Mark Strong who bears the most difficult role of Pinbacker with little credit. His demanding, mostly unseen, presence holds the third act together and although we never truly see what he has become, his voice will ring in your head for days.

However Sunshine does appear to have its flaws. The third act transition from sci-fi to horror is somewhat awkward before finding its place again and the pace moves at a breakneck speed giving little time for chunks of heavy exposition to be digested. Although taking the clear inspiration behind key scenes and nods towards earlier sci-fi epics into granted, if given time to notice these points the illusion, Boyle has so carefully created, would be shattered.

Overall Sunshine is deceptively unoriginal in its plot; eluding the audience from genre established themes and ideas by interpreting them in bright new ways, offering an intelligent and sometimes terrifying look into the world of the space-opera. It will never belong to a huge audience but those who give it their time will be greatly rewarded.

review by: date: 2008-09-12 rating:

Destined to become a classic.
Very little wrong with this as a sci-fi movie. (rem its a movie). Great build up with stunning vison and audio.

review by: date: 2008-08-30 rating:

Good stuff
I really enjoyed this film.All the actors and actresses did a great job in this film.I had to admit some scenes really suprised me.Yet,being a sci-fi fan,I'll give it a thumbs up.

review by: littleone1884 date: 2008-08-25 rating:

It promises so much...
but delivers so little. This film could have been great if they'd chosen one story line and stuck to it, rather than making a half hearted attempt at a plethora. Oh well, it's not terrible but it's no masterpiece either

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