SUNSHINE (2007)

TITLE
Sunshine

STARRING
Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cliff Curtis

THIS MOVIE IS LIKE
Event Horizon, Aliens, the most important comparison is that this movie is not like other Alex Garland and Danny Boyle collaborations, including The Beach and 28 Days Later, which is sad because those films are great, wonderful and original cinematic pieces.

WOULD YOU SUGGEST IT TO A FRIEND
I want to say yes, believe me, more than anything I want to say yes, but this film was almost as disappointing to me as 28 Weeks After. I like apocalyptic films. I love the unknown. British films are as near to Nirvana as I get. I especially enjoy Garland/Boyle/Murphy as a set of peers in the filmmaking process. Still, with all of this going for Sunshine, the lack of character development and total miss on epic or effectual story telling resonated with me in a most lukewarm way. I think overall we have a film that was very unremarkable, yet capable of being so much more.

Our sun dying in the next 50 years is probably the *least* likely reason humanity would face extinction. At the rate we are warming the Earth from less than natural causes, we would be lucky to have cooling, and again, we are not advanced enough to plan a trip to the sun that will take eight years.

PROTAGONIST
He's not a great protagonist, but Capa, played by the usually spectacular Cillian Murphy, does manage to embody some essential human qualities as he prepares for the fate of an international space team's mission to nuke the sun with a high yield weapon in order to revive the sun, and in turn, our planet. Capa is a by the numbers kind of guy, but definitely unsure of his decisions. He's not keen on the dreams he's started having since death is become more of an eventuality.

FIRST 10 PAGES
Our Earth is nearly frozen because the sun is dying. The team whom we are introduced to in typical Boyle-fashion are facing mounting interpersonal tensions, lack of oxygen reserves (for the alleged trip home), and the dwindling ability to communicate with Earth. The high points are that the crew seems to enjoy their assignments and being this close to the sun allows them the privilege of feeling its rays in a specially designed observation room at about 2-4% of full capacity, almost 50 times the amount people on Earth experience. Capa and Mace, played by Chris Evans of Fantastic Four fame, are at the center of the conflict. This quest is not his own, but the crew's.

SITUATION CHANGES (PAGE 15)
Logistical coordination have plotted a course that gives the crew a singular opportunity on Icarus 2 for completing the mission of reviving the sun. It is discovered that Icarus 1, is still in existence, caught orbiting Mercury, and is beaming its distress beacon, a possible indication of survivors. Captain Kaneda consults with the crew, and later with Capa alone. Capa concludes that two weapons are better than one, regardless of survivors, intercepting Icarus 1 may give them a second opportunity to complete the mission and save humanity.

COMMIT TO THE QUEST (PAGE 30)
In the process of recalculating the route to intercept Icarus 1, the adjustment of the shield to block the still powerful heat of the sun is omitted and damage is caused that can only be repaired by accessing the exterior of the ship. Captain Kaneda and a second person must venture out; as second in command and in a fit of vengeance, Mace volunteers Capa to go, meaning both men who can operate the payload (nuclear weapon) are now outside the ship. Unfortunately, the excursion does not go well and Capa must return to the ship in order to ensure the mission can be completed while Captain Kaneda stays behind to finish some of the work and meets an instantaneous death. In order to save Capa, Cassie, must reposition Icarus 2 via override. This cause the loss of both communications towers and the garden.

CHANGE IS FORESHADOWED (PAGE 45)
The rendezvous with Icarus 1 is successful and while docked the four members of the crew who boarded make a grizzly discovering regarding the I1 crew who chose to burn alive in their observatory area. Other discoveries include a thriving garden, capable of producing their needed oxygen and the dismantling of the cooling system, which appears to be intentional. Several minutes into their sweep of the ship the two Icarus ships break away and Icarus 1 appears to be leaking atmosphere. While it is Mace who comes up with a plan to save three of the men, it is Capa who must be relied upon to execute it, once again forcing him to suit up. The fourth man, must stay behind and sacrifice his life. Capa is able to save himself, and Mace.

THERE'S NO GOING BACK (PAGE 60)
With Icarus 1 out of play, Corazon has run the numbers several times and they do not have enough oxygen to make the payload delivery. It is decided, due in large part to Capa and Mace, that Trey will be killed in order to save enough oxygen to complete the mission. En route to do away with Trey, the team discovers he has already committed suicide, leaving the four remaining crew to carryout the mission.

A SECRET IS REVEALED (PAGE 75)
Tinkering away on repairs to the payload, Capa begins to converse with Icarus 2 who informs him there is not enough air to complete the mission, let alone begin the return trip. The reason - there are now five people aboard the ship. When Capa inquires as to the whereabouts of the fourth person, he is told the person is in the observatory room. The person is a severely radiated Captain Pinbacker who has managed to survive aboard Icarus 1, allegedly to do God's work, and that if man were meant to live, God would not have killed the sun.

ALL BETS ARE OFF (PAGE 90)
A fight ensues and Capa narrowly escapes. Captain Pinbacker disables the cooling unit, and Icarus 2 shuts down. Upon investigating Mace finds Capa who tells him that it was Pinbacker. Mace goes to fix the unit and reinstate Icarus 2 while Captain Pinbacker pursues Corazon and Cassie. Several full body submersions into the coolant cause Mace to freeze, his leg is trapped and he soon perishes. Pursuit of Cassie leads Captain Pinbacker to the payload area, Capa remains as the only person who has the ability to complete the mission. He straps on the suit one last time and blows out the living quarters of the ship when he discovers Corazon has also been killed. Capa makes it to the payload and fends off Captain Pinbacker one last time. In order to see the mission succeed, he deploys the payload with himself, Cassie, and Pinbacker into the sun.

THE END
The movie begins somewhat as it ends with Capa's sister and her family receiving his message from a snow-covered Sydney, Australia, instructing them that if they wake up and it is a particularly beautiful day, then they will know the mission has succeeded. Just then, the sun brightens.