(Better get those sunglasses ready…)
CAST: Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, Hiroyuki Sanada, Troy Garity, Benedict Wong, Mark Strong.
DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and several compelling reasons not to ever take the sun for granted - straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: It’s the year 2057, and our sun has been colder than a witch’s tit for several decades now. Earth has launched the spacecraft “Icarus 2” to travel all the way to the sun and launch a nuclear missile at it - in a last-ditch effort to rev it up again before mankind freezes to death. Now, I’m no nuclear physicist so I’m in no position to prove or disprove that particular tactic. Let’s just hope it works, because the phrase “permanent solar winter” isn’t particularly inviting. Oh, and the reason the mission is called “Icarus 2” is because the previous mission called “Icarus” launched seven years ago to do the same thing, simply vanished mysteriously. Not a good sign, folks. Especially since the crew of “Icarus 2” is fairly delicious. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to their fine asses.
They are: (1) Mace (Chris Evans), ultra-hot pilot who forever looks pissed off (that’s okay - I like brooding guys); (2) Capa (Cillian Murphy), very hot scientist who is forever brawling with Mace (must be repressed sexual desire); (3) Corazon (Michelle Yeoh), very hot scientist who likes to call Mace “flyboy” (don’t worry, Cory, I’d be calling him stuff, too - like “ChewToy” or “TubeSteak“); (4) Cassie (Rose Byrne), very hot scientist whom Capa is banging (can’t say I blame him - she looks like Rose Byrne); (5) Harvey (Troy Garity), very hot cryptographer or something who is also forever arguing with Mace (more frustrated sexual desire - Mace does look like Chris Evans, after all, and they’re all cooped up on that ship for years - I’d be “fighting” with him, too); (6) Kaneda (Hiroyuki Sanada), very hot Zen-like captain of the mission who must have an endless supply of Valium and Vicodin somewhere on the ship (everyone else looks like they could use it - pass that shit around, dude); (7) Searle (Cliff Curtis); very hot dude who doesn’t seem to do much but walk around wearing aviator sunglasses (in space - you do the math); and (8) Trey (Benedict Wong) sorta hot dude whose competence level is just about higher than that of a comatose turtle (which means, he’s dead meat).
In short, their mission is to basically set off a nuclear explosion on a great big ball of fire - and hightail it away from there in time to survive the blast. And I thought trying to get Blake Lewis to deejay my New Year’s Eve party was an impossible task…
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Toss up between Mace and Capa. If these two make it back to Earth, there better be some huge medals waiting for them - for their huge balls.
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: As hot as the rest of the cast is, you already know who this award is going to, right?
Burp. Belch. Aaaaaaaahhhhhh….
MOST INTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: Mace trying to repair the coolant to save the nuclear payload - and the entire mission. Now that’s sacrifice. Talk about taking one for the team. Sniffle…
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: That final shot at the very end of the movie - and that’s all I’m going to say…
HOTTEST SCENE: Well, since this is a movie about astronauts flying into the sun, there’s a lot of “temperature-hot” scenes. But if we’re talking “sexiness-hot” (and we always are), then this award has to go to the scene where Mace intensely reminds everyone that “Nothing - NOTHING! - matters except completing our mission! Not even our lives!!!” What is it about Chris Evans yelling at someone that makes me so frickin’ hot?
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will the crew of “Icarus 2” succeed in launching the nuclear payload? But even if they do, will this actually revive the sun? Or will it have a catastrophic side effect and kill them all anyway? Is Mace right when he says they are all expendable? Will everyone agree? Or will some of them behave selfishly and against the greater good? Who will it be? And what happens when they discover the remains of “Icarus 1” floating just beyond the orbit of Mercury? Will they discover the reason why the previous mission failed? And what will they do when it turns out that “something” is onboard “Icarus 1”? Will they be able to defend themselves? Or will “it” kill them all before they can reach the sun? Will Earth freeze? All I can say is this: the idea of an oncoming “permanent solar winter” is enough to make me move to Hawaii for good.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “SUNSHINE”: If you like sci-fi thrillers that are original, scary, seductive, lyrical, exciting, beautiful, poetic, and powerful - all at the same time. And if you are a fan of Danny Boyle, Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, or Rose Byrne - who all turn in some of their strongest work here.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “SUNSHINE”: If you like your sci-fi thrillers to be more straightforward and more action-intensive. While there is a lot of action in SUNSHINE, there’s also a lot of moody sensuality and cerebral atmosphere. Your call…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: In our review for DÉJÀ VU (review # 379), we talked about how that film was such a dynamic, one-of-a-kind movie-going experience - so much so that it deserved the coveted ***** (five star) rating of “Spectacular” I bestowed upon it. Despite some sizable suspensions of disbelief, DÉJÀ VU successfully dazzled, entertained, and moved. Quite frankly, while there are other films with similar elements of time travel and action out there, none of them are quite like this one.
Now, in our latest review for SUNSHINE, we find ourselves in the same territory. Like DÉJÀ VU, this film requires us to suspend our disbelief - and accept that a space crew launching a nuclear device at the sun will re-ignite it and save mankind. Fortunately, as with DÉJÀ VU, SUNSHINE has a perfect combination of a talented cast, confident director, and thoughtful script to turn it into a similarly unique movie-going experience. While there are other films out there about “doomed” space missions, none of them are quite like SUNSHINE - and that is largely due to its terrific cast, director, and script.
Let’s talk about the cast. They are a very interesting bunch, including physically. While you have your “leading man” and “leading woman” types like Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, and Rose Byrne, you also have your “quirky character” types like Troy Garity and Cliff Curtis, and also your “foreign talent” like Michelle Yeoh, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Benedict Wong. It’s a truly international cast. Another director might have insisted on a more “vanilla” group of American performers, but Boyle aspires for a more colorful, varied bunch. And what’s even better is how great they all are - and how well they mesh with one another.
I’ve been a fan of Chris Evans ever since I first saw him in NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE (review # 61) way back in 2001. But it’s not only because of his sheer beauty. Sure, the guy is probably one of the TOP 3 most handsome men on Earth, but looks are only skin deep - and there‘s always another cute guy around the corner, believe me. No, what I adore about this guy is his combo of talent, intelligence, humility, humor, intensity, and - above all - his passion for movies, acting, and storytelling that never fails to come across in conversations, fan encounters, and interviews. And, most importantly, in his roles.
While he’s best known for his “loose and sexy and fun” parts in the FANTASTIC FOUR movies, CELLULAR, and WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER?, he’s also just as interesting (if not more) when he’s playing serious, intense men in movies like CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE PERFECT SCORE, PUNCTURE, and… SUNSHINE. His role in SUNSHINE is one of my favorites because of Mace’s credo of “service before self”. This is a guy who comes from a military background - and understands that you have to be ready to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. And that’s something I can totally relate to. Evans brings Mace to life with a riveting combo of passionate intensity and brave selflessness. I want this guy on my space crew. Also, Evans says that his favorite of all his films is SUNSHINE - and I can understand why. Mace is one of his best characters - and one of his most memorable performances.
Complementing Evans quite nicely as the more mellow and laid-back Capa is Cillian Murphy. With his sculpted cheekbones and sleepy eyes, Murphy is perfect for the role of someone who is just as brave as Mace - but doesn’t realize it until Mace forces it out of him. Mace and Capa’s confrontations and arguments eventually give way to a mutual respect - especially when Capa realizes that Mace is absolutely right when he says that their mission is bigger than all of their lives put together. The final scenes where Capa and Mace communicate by radio to set up the payload are heartbreaking, made even more poignant by the rapport that Evans and Murphy bring to their characters.
Rose Byrne and Michelle Yeoh are vivid as the female crew members. I was relieved to see that neither Cassie nor Corazon were turned into “Ripley” wannabes. Instead, these women are capable, resourceful, intelligent women who are believably human and just trying to get their jobs done - not super-heroines. Same goes for Captain Kaneda as played by Hiroyuki Sanada. Sanada brings a nice calm elegance to his role - typical of his Japanese background, I suppose. It’s nice to see Sanada in a big Hollywood production such as this, after his equally interesting role in the Japanese hit RINGU - the film that set off the “Asian Horror” craze and its subsequent American remake mania.
Cliff Curtis, Troy Garity, and Benedict Wong round out the “Icarus 2” crew with equally good performances. Garity, by the way, is Jane Fonda’s son - and it shows. He has the stellar acting genes of his mother, as well as those “movie star” good looks. Mark Strong also delivers as the movie’s (*SPOILER ALERT*) secret villain onboard the derelict vessel of “Icarus 1”. The sight of his character running around the abandoned spaceship like a burned phantom is terrifying, and gives SUNSHINE some of the feel of the classic space thriller ALIEN.
Indeed, if there’s a movie that I could compare SUNSHINE to, it would be ALIEN. While SUNSHINE doesn’t have a rampaging monster, it still shares that classic’s sense of slow-building dread and moody beauty. Director Danny Boyle isn’t afraid to let a shot linger on and on at a languid pace or let his characters sit in silence - much like Ridley Scott did with ALIEN. Most directors these days would be rushing to cut to the next scene - and having their actors blab away. It makes you wonder if they have Attention Deficit Disorder - or if they think we audiences do. They seem to have forgotten that silence can sometimes express more than words, and letting it unfold can sometimes be the best thing for characterization. Fortunately, Danny Boyle and Ridley Scott remembered - and ALIEN and SUNSHINE are all the stronger because of it.
Then there’s the script, written by Alex Garland (28 DAYS LATER - review coming) which weaves in potent themes of loyalty and sacrifice. In essence, most of the characters in SUNSHINE sacrifice themselves in one way or another - so the mission will go on and succeed. The biggest sacrifices, however, come from Mace and Capa at the end. Indeed, there’s a sense of sad inevitability to this film that gets stronger and stronger as it approaches the climax. Aided by a wonderfully evocative score by John Murphy, Danny Boyle expertly turns this space journey into a study of the human spirit - and how selfless and noble it can be. The finale is one that you’ll remember for a while to come.
In the end, SUNSHINE is a surprisingly poetic and lyrical take on the standard “imperiled space crew” premise. It’s made memorable by an atypical cast, their unconventional director, and Alex Garland’s haunting script. Just as Boyle and Garland turned 28 DAYS LATER into a soulful and thoughtful take on the “Zombie Apocalypse” genre, they turn SUNSHINE into a haunting journey into space and all its mysteries. Bravo, team SUNSHINE…
In closing, please hear a snippet of John Murphy's exceptional score for SUNSHINE, and meet the brave men and women of "Icarus 2". Then check-out the brand-new teaser trailer for next summer’s PROMETHEUS - which is Ridley Scott’s unofficial-sorta-prequel to ALIEN. And did I mention it stars Charlize Theron? Can’t wait…
And the new trailer for PROMETHEUS:
