Sunshine

Theatrical Release Date: 2007 07 20 (USA)

UPC: 024543485537

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Profanity]

Summary: As the sun begins to dim along with humankind's hope for the future, it's up to a desperate crew of eight astronauts to reach the dying star and reignite the fire that will bring life back to planet Earth in this tense psychological sci-fi thriller that re-teams 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle with writer Alex Garland and producer Andrew Macdonald. The skies are darkening, and the outlook for planet Earth is grim. Though the encroaching darkness at first seems unstoppable, scientists have concocted one desperate last-ditch plan to buy the human race a temporary reprieve from the grim future that looms just past the horizon. A crew of eight men and women has been given a nuclear device designed to literally reignite the sun and sent hurtling through infinity on the most crucial space mission ever attempted. Suddenly, as the crew loses radio contact with mission control, everything begins to fall apart. Now, in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, the men and women who may hold the key to ultimate survival find themselves not only struggling for their lives, but their sanity as well. Rose Byrne, Chris Evans, Cillian Murphy, and Michelle Yeoh star in a film that asks audiences just what would become of humankind if the sky suddenly went black. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Science Fiction

Awards: Film Presented – Los Angeles Film Festival Best Picture – Las Vegas Film Critics Association

Features: Deleted scenes with optional commentary by Danny Boyle
Web production diaries
2 short films with introduction by Danny Boyle
Commentary by director Danny Boyle
Commentary by Dr. Brian Cox, University of Manchester
Enhanced viewing mode with the filmmakers of Sunshine
Journey Into Sound - surround sound enhancement
Theatrical trailer in high definition

Sunshine

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 01/08/2008

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DTS Digital Theater Systems, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 107 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,Spanish,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: Blu-ray region A (North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia)

Jason Buchanan

In 28 Days Later, writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle teamed to detail the fall of humanity on planet Earth; five years later, they've come together once again to follow the fight for it in outer space. The result is a high-concept psychological sci-fi thriller that effectively builds tension in a variety of ways, despite falling back on the occasional clich? and nearly careening out of control during its heliocentric climax. As with most ambitious genre efforts, there are flaws to be found for those seeking to deconstruct rather than simply be taken in by the film, yet while many filmmakers seem eager to simply exploit advancements in special effects by cramming the frame with as many fantastic extraterrestrials and cool space explosions as possible, Garland and Boyle seem intent on telling a story first and foremost, and actually using special effects to advance that story. Once upon a time, before Aliens inspired every sci-fi filmmaker to focus on action over plot, sci-fi was a genre driven by ideas. Sunshine harkens back to that era of sci-fi filmmaking. Of course, even then, not every concept or idea set forth was always entirely original, and the same can be said for Sunshine. Fans of Paul W.S. Anderson's Event Horizon in particular may cry foul over the apparent recycling of some plot points and ideas from that flawed but commendable effort (indeed Sunshine could be seen as the anti-Event Horizon), but where Garland and Boyle's artistry as filmmakers comes into play is how they fold those concepts into their own unique creation -- much the same way that they drew from George A. Romero's universe to create 28 Days Later. Visually, Sunshine is quite a sight to behold, thanks to cinematographer Alwin K?chler -- who has previously worked with director Lynne Ramsay on The Ratcatcher and Morvern Callar, among others. Though generally confined to terra firma for his cinematic excursions, K?chler proves exceptionally adept at sci-fi imagery due in large part to his remarkable use of light. In a story which revolves around the sun, the use of light is paramount, and the manner in which K?chler distorts and bends it in the frame is truly remarkable. K?chler's unique methods of visualizing each act of the film serve extremely well to both emphasize the psychological distress of the characters and skillfully maintain the mystery of one key player. The cast -- an impressive mix of international talents -- all stay true to form throughout despite the fact that they are given little background or true character traits. While it would have been nice to see the characters played by Michelle Yeoh, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rose Byrne (of 28 Weeks Later) get a bit more depth, this is a story-driven tale and, in the end, the players involved are merely elements of a larger beast -- their backgrounds on Earth rendered largely inessential given that viewers will eventually become savvy to their true natures as the situation in space grows increasingly dire. As with his part in 28 Days Later, Cillian Murphy makes an impressive lead protagonist, his clashes with Chris Evans' temperamental space traveler providing some of Sunshine's most memorable -- and at times humorous -- moments. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: John Murphy  Composer (Music Score) 
Danny Boyle  Director 
Andrew Macdonald  Producer 
Alex Garland  Screenwriter 
Underworld  Composer (Music Score) 
Cillian Murphy  Actor 
Chris Evans  Actor 
Rose Byrne  Actor 
Michelle Yeoh  Actor 
Hiroyuki Sanada  Actor 
Cliff Curtis  Actor 
Troy Garity  Actor 
Benedict Wong  Actor 
Mark Strong  Actor 
Chipo Chung  Actor 
Paloma Baeza  Actor 
Archie Macdonald  Actor 
Sylvie MacDonald  Actor 

Country: UK,USA