Sunshine

I would be lying if I said “Sunshine” was an entirely original film. The influences of “2001: A Space Odyssey” and horror films such as “Alien” are hard to miss in this thriller set in space. The story centers around seven astronauts on their way to drop a big freaking bomb into the sun, keeping it from dying. So considering I was expecting to see a clone of “The Core” or “Armageddon”, I was pleasantly surprised to see a well executed and genuinely scary film. But director Danny Boyle definitely leaves his mark on this sci-fi horror survival flick. Whispers of his previous films like “28 Days later” and “The Beach” stand out even more then the hints of other director’s films. But hey, if you have never seen any of the films I’ve mentioned or like me enjoying seeing films that are heavily influenced by the director and his inspirations, you may enjoy watching “Sunshine”.

Anyway... with nothing original coming from the film, I look to the actors in hope of them making this film stand out. And here is where I become divided. Immediately I will tell you there is no outstanding performances in “Sunshine”, but I have to question if the acting was even good. All of the actors seemed like emotionless robots, but I ask myself “Is that how people stuck on a claustrophobic spaceship on a mission where they may not survive act”? And the answer I come up with is “maybe...” But even if that was what they were going for... it was good, nothing amazing.

"Sunshine" dose very well giving the audience the sense of dread, paranoia, and claustrophobia, but this is old hat for Boyle. The script has a few attempts to add some depth to the characters and some twists to plot, but it falls short. The story is conventional, you will be making bets with your friends as to which order the characters will get picked off in as soon as the narrator is done setting the premise. And if you have ever watched a horror-survival movie, you will probably win all of those bets.

In all seriousness, this is not a bad film. It’s just not great. Maybe like me you love Danny Boyle’s work and seeing hints of films from the past is a fun throw-back. Or maybe you are an uptight arrogant film snob who bitches and moans whenever a movie is conventional. In which case you can go to the special circle of hell reserved for blowhards and hipsters. My recommendation you may enjoying a cracking beer and watching this with some friends. Just don't go expecting anything extra-ordinary.