Sunshine DVD: Review By Dodd

The last decade has unleashed an array of directors who are not afraid to roll up their sleeves to exhibit boldness and versatility. British filmmaker Danny Boyle is definitely on my list. After breaking through with Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, Boyle has proven himself as a visionary who strives to create something entirely different in each go-around in the director's chair. Whether it be horror (28 Days Later), family (Millions), or drama (The Beach, Trainspotting), Boyle has been there. In his latest venture, Sunshine, the director gives science fiction a shot, and Boyle once again fails to be boring.

The premise for Sunshine sounds a lot like a mess that Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich would concoct if they got slap happy drunk on Peach Schnapps and wrote a screenplay together. The premise follows a space crew as they venture into the great void to reignite the sun. The sun is officially dying and planet Earth is at risk of dying as well without the nourishment of solar rays. It is up to the crew to prevent the world from turning into a dark and cold place where people would curl up and die. Strapped to their ship is a large bomb that is to be unleashed onto the sun and give it life.

Beginning to sound like a Bruckheimer mess? Believe it or not, the film is much better than its premise would lead one to believe. This is because it has a strong emphasis on its characters, which are the crew of the space ship known as Icarus. The film is not so much about the mission, but about the interactions between human beings in times of stress and crisis in claustrophobic spaces. This crew particularly feels these effects as they are on a mission to save planet Earth. What is even more troubling is that another crew went on a similar mission seven years prior and never returned. Since the Earth's resources have been depleted to create this second massively powerful bomb, this trip to the sun is their only chance. However, as we all know, not all journeys to save mankind go so smoothly. The original ship is discovered free-floating near the sun where it was about to drop its delivery. The question as to what happened to the original crew is unknown to the devoted crew of the Icarus, but they may soon experience similar terrors.

Sunshine is a film that does not give us the high-paced, laser-firing action that we come to expect from many science fiction dramas. Instead it gives us what would really happen in space: human interactions. While other films show astronauts on a mission to save the planet as mighty and brave fighters, this is a group of geniuses who are as frightened as any other human being would be. The pressure of approaching the deadening sun is bearing down upon them. A horror/mystery subplot does eventually unravel from the film, but, when all is said and done, it is really the slow-paced drama that truly dominates this film. Danny Boyle really knows how to capture the real horror in life and that is the terror with which the human mind can empathize. The real tension here stems from the idea of crisis. If anything, the film begins to lose its legitimacy when spooky plot devices take over.

What is just as impressive as the space opera storyline is the cast gathered to play this crew. Boyle has put together actors who are recognizable, but not of mega-star status. This includes Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, and Chris Evans. It is worth mentioning that Evans is especially talented here in his role of Mace, a crew member who goes stir crazy in space and reacts quite aggressively. New Zealand character actor Cliff Curtis is also notable as an astronaut obsessed with the power of the sun's rays. Every member of the cast does a superb job of capturing the fears and expectations of this crew as they embark on a mission with a few bumps.

Commentary

Danny Boyle flies solo on one of the commentary tracks, and I cannot stress how impressive this man is. I can fondly recall his enthusiasm on the commentary track for 28 Days Later, and he repeats that characteristic here. Very few contributors are so loquacious when they are by themselves. The man is insightful and confidant every minute. The second track is by Dr. Brian Cox from University of Manchester. Now this track is a brilliant idea. Rather than giving us a producer with nothing to say, we get Cox, who served as the scientific consultant for the film. So while Danny Boyle gives us a filmmaking angle, Dr. Cox looks at things from a scientific angle. It is science and fiction working together in perfect harmony!

Deleted Scenes

There are two different groups of deleted scenes that can be played together with optional commentary. The scenes are not necessary components to the film, but many of them are surprisingly enjoyable and soothing thanks to Boyle's pleasant direction.

Web Production Diaries

If I can recall, these are the Internet teaser bits released as a viral marketing campaign for the film. They are not insightful as a full featurette, but they are worth throwing onto the DVD for a history lesson.

Short Films

These would lack purpose if it were not for a nice introduction by Danny Boyle, who explains that DVD's should be used more often as ways of distributing short films that are never seen by the masses. Dad's Dead and Mole Hills are both worth watching. Dad's Dead has more of a look-at-me narrative, while Mole Hills is more on the experimental side. Both of these should be great for any film buff.

Widescreen. Boyle does a brilliant job of capturing the claustrophobia of a ship and the overwhelming vastness that is outer space. This film looks terrific.

5.1 Dolby Surround. Boyle makes the wise choice of joining forces with frequent collaborator John Murphy for a haunting score.

20th Century Fox stomps their boots on my heart once more by not including a case for a DVD that would be otherwise 100% perfect.

Sunshine is a thriller that I highly recommend. What I admire most about this film is that it really made me think. Upon first viewing it in the theater, I was left feeling bewildered and confused. What I highly suggest is not judging it immediately, and perhaps giving it some thought. This is more of a thinking person's film rather than an exciting, sci-fi shoot-em up. I highly suggest this as a rental, but I know many of you out there will consider the purchase once you see it for the first time and come back for seconds. Did I mention that the commentary tracks are a must? Even though it lacks good featurettes, the special features are still mint making this DVD a worthwhile package.

Questions? Comments? Just want to talk movies? Drop me a line at dodd@movieweb.com