Film Review: Sunshine (2007)

It's already become a habit that whenever i sit during a film, a template of reviews unfold within my head, and evolved as the film progresses. My initial response to Sunshine during the first act was that the film had a huge potential to satisfy. With Cillian Murphy whom had stellar resume in my book, i'm almost certain that the film will be at least enjoyable. Well, that was my initial response during the first act.

It turns out that the film quickly loses its steam halfway, and really really dragging during the final act. It's almost painful to watch. It seems that Danny Boyle had lost his confidence in delivering the prominent internal conflict between his actors and decides to throw one particular bad guy that had this 'slasher-flick' stamped all over his figure.

Sometimes in a future, the Sun, our only Sun loses its core and gradually dying and left us on Earth into a prolonged winter. A crew of eight, probably brightest scientists on Earth went into the sun to deliver a bomb to iginite Sun's core thus created a newly born star. The crew went aboard Icarus II. Now, if there's a II then there should be I. Fact is, Icarus I went AWOL during a similar mission seven years prior.

Like i said, the first act was beautiful and promises a thrilling experience, that i could almost ignore several factual errors and enjoy the first act. However, my satisfaction meter went quickly straight down to the bottom of the well when the second act approaches. The factual errors weren't so negligible anymore, and there's one single factual error that disturbed me a lot and ruined the whole experience. While trying not to spoil anything, the single factual error that had disturbed me had to do with supposedly the most accurate, reliable, and crucial key to the whole mission. The computer.

Regarding this issue, if i wanted to made a comparison of what's work and what's not, i would like to compares the computer's malfunction in 2001: A Space Odyssey and the similar case in Sunshine. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL's malfunction was due to its logical circuit wanted to ensure the success of a mission whatever the cost. In Sunshine, however, Icarus' malfunction was an entirely writer's error (most likely deliberate) and it left me felt cheated afterwards. And in my opinion, there's nothing worse than cheating your audience.

That's ruined the whole third act. I don't have to mention that most of third act consists of an overly-dramatic sequences, almost preachy, and real pain to watch.

My Rating: * / ****