In traveling to space, “Sunshine” follows in the vapor trail of many sci-fi pictures. But in traveling to metaphysical ideas, “Sunshine” follows very specifically in the tread left by “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Solaris.”
This engagingly brainy film comes from director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, who previously teamed up on “28 Days Later.” We tag along with the crew of the recklessly-named “Icarus II,” a spaceship bound for the sun.
It seems the sun has begun to cool, sending the Earth into a cold spell. Extinction is certain unless the Icarus can jump-start the sun’s heat by driving a bomb into its core – or something like that.
The first Icarus mission vanished en route to its destination. This is the source of much worry for the Icarus II crew, especially when they pick up a distress signal that could only be coming from the previous mission.
The crew members supply just enough arguments and personality conflicts to keep this going. Filling out the various philosophical positions is an appealing cast: soulful scientist Cillian Murphy, alpha-dog pilot Chris Evans (from the “Fantastic Four” pictures), sardonic observer Rose Byrne, wise captain Hiroyuki Sanada (from the wonderful “Twilight Samurai”), empathetic botanist Michelle Yeoh.
And then there’s the ship’s psychiatrist, played by Cliff Curtis, who’s gotten into the disconcerting habit of going into the (appropriately filtered) sun room and staring at the mesmerizing orb that keeps us all alive.
After executing some expert suspense sequences, which are refreshingly paced at less-than-music-video speed, Boyle and Garland reach for the deeper dish. This doesn’t quite come off, although Boyle creates enough of a visual blizzard to make it exciting.
I liked all of it. The final half-hour doesn’t cohere in the way that Kubrick’s “2001” or Tarkovsky’s “Solaris” did, where you really felt like your mind was being exploded as you watched.
But somehow it’s still gratifying that Boyle tries to take his place in that tradition. Or at least wants to make you think.
The film is beautifully designed, and has enough smart-aleck dialogue to prevent it from getting ponderous. It’s one of the few movies I’ve seen this year that I eagerly want to see again – and whatever its shortcomings, that tells me a lot.
Cliff Curtis is a star of “Sunshine.”
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