Sunshine

Science fiction thriller Sunshine puts to good use the timeless anecdote of not judging a book by its cover. Viewing this film on the shelf at your local video store will conjure images of Armageddon or Deep Impact, but director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) is able to offer a much worthier cause.



    Set in the year 2057, a team of eight astronauts is 16 months deep on a mission to save the earth’s prematurely dying sun. The ship, Icarus II, carries a “Manhattan” sized nuclear bomb — aka “the payload” — that is to be detonated within the sun itself in order to resuscitate the life cycle. En route, the ship picks up a distress signal from what proves to be the seven-years-lost Icarus I on the dark side of Mercury. In an attempt to rendezvous with the craft and acquire its stranded “payload” in the event of a botched delivery, the crew of Icarus II works its way into a bevy of technical and bizarre predicaments 55 million miles from home.

    With a cast led by Cillian Murphy (28 Days) and Chris Evans, the acting is fairly strong. The plot, which at times can be jumpy and scientifically confusing, is by and large engaging. The visuals, however, are nothing short of spectacular for the entire film. Sunshine is worth a shot for any fan of the sci-fi genre. 

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