Sunshine [Blu-ray]
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Movie Reviews of Sunshine [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: Most underrated film of 2007. And potentially the best Blu-ray disc of 2008.
Summary: 5 Stars
Most underrated film of 2007. And potentially the best Blu-ray disc of 2008.
Ground breaking director Danny Boyle has done it again with sci-fi action-adventure film "Sunshine." It is something you have never seen before. The film takes place in 2057. The sun is dying and mankind faces extinction. The Earth's last hope lies in the hands of the crew on Icarus II. Attempting to fly to the sun and launch a massive nuclear weapon into it to ignite the fading star. Out of the radio contact with Earth, the mission begins to unravel and they find themselves fighting for their lives and the future of us all.
Fans of other Danny Boyle's films will not be disappointed. His fantastic films include; 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Transpotting, The Beach and Shallow Grave. The films delivers in every aspect. Unfortunately, the advertising campaign wasn't very strong for this round of Danny Boyle's film. And "Sunshine" only played in about 4000 screens. I luckily, found this on playing in a theatre near me when it was released in July 2007 and fell in love with it.
Overall "Sunshine" was a great, great, sci-fi film that would be shown to anyone who enjoys a good movie. I wish the advertising campaign would have been better because this is one film that should not be missed.
Film itself: *****
"Sunshine" uses a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 which is a great choice for the Fox Classic. This film has great visuals, mainly scenes in outer space. Without giving too much away, the last 20 minutes of the film are amazingly done and the visuals should be nominated for an Academy Award. The transfer to Blu-ray is very well done. When I saw it in the theatre, I was worried about some of the segments of the film because they are darker and could cause the screen to be grainy. But Fox pulled through and did a great job in transferring all the great visuals that I saw in July onto my HD TV at home.
Video: *****
"Sunshine" uses English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround (48kHz/24-bit) audio format. It is an excellent choice and again, Fox pulled through. The audio on this film alone is Oscar worthy. The films soundtrack, soon to be released, is done by John Murphy in an amazing way. Each scene in this film is memorable with the help to John Murphy's soundtrack (OST). The Blu-ray transfer is great. The disc also features French Dolby Digital 5.1 and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound which are a little disappointing but didn't affect the overall outcome of the disc. I would have liked to see the same DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 in the French and Spanish languages. But overall, the audio delivers past my expectations and I still plan on purchasing the "Sunshine" OST when it is released.
Audio: *****
"Sunshine" features a new Profile, called Profile 1.1 which is newly released in 2008. The Profile 1.1 allows you to view the film in PiP. The smaller screen being the director commentaries and the main screen being the actual movie. The PiP option allows you to switch back and forth between the screens without pausing the movie. Fortunately, Sony updated their PlayStation 3 to enable this option a few weeks ago. It works beyond imaginable and I really think that this will leave HD-DVD in the dust.
The Blu-ray disc also features an Audio commentary with the Director Danny Boyle which is above par. 21 Video Diaries, all with the Director Introduction. 12 Deleted Scenes and an alternate ending. Two short films: "Dad's Dead," and "Mole Hills" which are mediocre. And the theatrical trailer.
The High Definition Exclusive content on this disc are probably the best I have seen on a Blu-ray disc yet. The "Enhanced Viewing Mode" which in the picture-in-picture video commentary are well worth the Blu-ray disc purchase alone (Profile 1.1). It also features a "Surround Sound Mixer" which you can take audio from the movie and listen to it by itself, or take your favorite parts and put them together. A subtitle trivia track, which is loaded will tons and tons of information about the movie, production, and actors. And a search content index. These are probably the best HD and extra conent features that I have seen on a Blu-ray disc and are well worth the price.
Extras: *****
"Sunshine" is my favorite movie of 2007 and could possibly be the best Blu-ray Disc of 2007/2008. I can't believe all the High Definition content on this disc and it is well worth the price. Profile 1.1, also known as "Enhanced Viewing Mode" is a great addition to Blu-ray disc and I believe this is what will bring Blu-ray out in the end (also the fact that blu-ray has Disney). I would highly recommend this Blu-ray disc to ANYONE who ones a Blu-ray disc player. A must buy. If I could rate this any higher I would.
Most underrated film of 2007. And potentially the best Blu-ray disc of 2008.
Overall: *****
Movie Review: Best sci-fi disaster film to date.
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is what Mission to Mars and Red Planet should have been. What Sunshine is essentially is a disaster movie in space. Astronauts on a critical mission go through a number of catastrophies in order to survive long enough to complete said mission. While this has been done before from movies like the financially successful Armageddon to all the way back to the 50's with movies like Destination Moon and Rocketship XM. Sunshine is the best of such movies ever made (unless you count 2001 as a space disaster film).
What makes Sunshine stand apart is how much attention was put into the visual aspect of the movie. This film is just beautiful, and you would be doing a disservice to yourself if you do not get it in high defintion. The lighting, cinematography and camera views are all done very artistically and give you a very immersive experience. Sound is just as immersive with environmental noise going on all around; a definite treat if you have surround sound as it is on through the entire movie.
Most disaster movies focus more on the spectacle of destruction instead. This one is more focused on the characters and how they respond to each crisis situation, including the personality conflicts. In turn you get a script filled more with tension than comedy relief or melodrama. It helps that the acting is rock solid for this sort of thing. Cillian Murphy comes out with a better performance than he had from his two Batman movie appearances. Garity puts a subtle intensity in his role and Chris Evans plays his character's self preservation instincts with precision.
Now the reasons I think this film is great are likely the same reasons why many people don't like it. There are no thrilling action sequences to speak of. No super-flashy special effects or visual hooks that most Hollywood films rely on to catch your attention are here either. This is a movie where you experience the environment more than the spectacle. It's more cereberal than visceral. In this format it excels. If you're looking for another Trainspotting or 28 Days Later you will be sorely disappointed.
Interestingly enough the plot twist near the end of the movie, which gives a bit of the visceral action and thrill, is what people who love the movie seem to hate the most. If you ask me the twist is not that big of a deal, but I think it's probably too much of a change for those people.
As I mentioned before if you are going to buy this movie it's best to get it on Blu-Ray (assuming you have a BR player). The 1080p viewing is well worth it as well as the surround sound experience. Also the Blu-Ray has a few features that aren't on the DVD release. Here's a list of features:
Commentary by director Danny Boyle and science advisor to the film Dr. Brian Cox - Informative without being too much. You can tell Danny really enjoyed making this movie.
Deleted Scenes - There are about 18 minutes worth of deleted footage you can check out with director commentaries.
Web Production Diaries - Think of this as the making of documentary. It's all 22 web features that cover various parts of the creation of the movie.
Two Short Films - The first one is Dad's Dead and it's a rather twisted animated short film. the second is Molehills which is... well images of mole hills. Danny Boyle does an introduction for each short explaning his interests in them.
PiP Feature - This nifty little feature is one of the Blu-Ray exclusives and when it's on it pops up a window while you're watching the movie that details some aspect of production. It doesn't come up through the entire movie, but when it does it is informative.
Journey into Sound - Another Blu-Ray exclusive. This feature gives you a chance to remix the audio tracks of the movie if you have 5.1 surround and your Blu-Ray has version 1.1 firmware or higher. Sure it's a gimmick, but it's a neat one.
High Def Movie Trailer - Exclusive to Blu-Ray. Technically this isn't a special feature, but considering all of the other features are in standard definition having the trailer in high def is actually pretty cool.
This movie is not for everyone and I don't think it was ever meant to be. If you like the kind of science fiction that draws you in and even makes you think a little this is the one for you. If you want a no-nonsense popcorn movie then you may find Sunshine boring. As for me I took a chance in spite of some negative press and ended up loving it.
Movie Review: Sunshine is brilliant!
Summary: 5 Stars
Danny Boyle's unfortunately misunderstood science fiction masterpiece shines on Bluray in stunning 1080p hi-def resolution with uncompressed DTS HD lossless master audio that will literally incinerate you in your seat as you experience the full impact of the film's monumental sound design and feel the blazing intensity of the sun as it melts down your home theater for the ultimate auditory and visual experience in spectacular high definition.
Sunshine is one of the most inspired and controversial science fiction films to come along since Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain [Blu-ray] the year before it, both films invoking the similarly esoteric abstractions of Stanley Kubrick's 2001 - A Space Odyssey [Blu-ray] and Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris - Criterion Collection along with Steven Soderbergh's remake of Solaris make watching this an unprecedented journey of a mind-blowing order of magnitude.
Not everyone will see the light but rather will be blinded by it and like 2001, The Fountain, and Solaris before it, most people simply are not going to get it. Those that do will be illuminated by the film's radiant imagery and metaphor. Those that criticize the film as nothing more than a banal horror film in space ala Event Horizon have clearly missed the point. Pinbacker is the embodiment of Chaos incarnate in opposition to scientific order personified by Cillian Murphy's portrayal of Capa and metaphorically illustrates the conflict of science and religion eclipsed by the line, "For seven years I have looked into the face of God," amidst the chaotic maelstrom of nature in its depiction of the dichotomy of the universe and the struggle of the human race for survival on the most fundamental and primordial scale.
Sunshine is one of the most stunning Bluray films I've watched yet that demonstrates the full potential and capabilities of what the next generation format has to offer. The sun does indeed shine in Bluray.
Movie Review: Sunshine is a beautiful piece of work
Summary: 5 Stars
Sunshine is really one of the best unknown movies of the past decade. I remember seeing a trailer for it once when I saw another movie at the theater. After that, I never saw a single advertisement of any kind for the movie. It really is a shame the way this movie was left largely unknown, because it really is a beautiful thing to behold. There are some amazing visuals, an amazing soundtrack, and some great acting. I was really surprised to see some great acting out of Chris Evans after having seen him in fairly crap roles in Fantastic Four and Not Another Teen Movie. I was really excited to see Hiroyuki Sanada here because I loved him in The Last Samurai. Then, of course, is the always great Michelle Yeoh of Crouching Tiger and Tomorrow Never Dies fame. The real star here, though, is Cillian Murphy. This guy is just a great actor. I loved him in 28 Days Later, and he definitely brings his A game in Sunshine. John Murphy and Underworld put together the most moving and awesome original soundtrack I think I have ever heard.
The movie itself is really enjoyable for me because of the stunning visuals, and because of the different take on Sci-Fi. It's not an extremely scientifically accurate movie (though there is a great commentary by a physicist that talks about the science in the movie), but it is a very emotionally powerful movie. It really is more of an exploration of the emotional and psychological ramifications of having the largest responsibility a person could ever have. The crew is on a mission that has the highest possible stakes for humanity, and there is a good range of effects that this has on the different crew members. A lot of people will dislike this movie for scientific reasons, but I love it as a visual, audible, and emotional experience, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who may be interested.
Movie Review: seriously.
Summary: 5 Stars
It seems like everyone on here is getting caught up in the whole "this is unbelevable to the point of stupidity, even for science fiction". Honestly, I love scifi but how can you say this movie was unbelievable and think that star wars is perfect?yes, it's true the story is unbelievable. The crew sent to save mankind is young and dumb (but in an..educated way?)..but suspend your disbelief for a second..the sun is burning out..what else would you do at the point at which they were? The bomb idea seems as good as any. And yeah, the crew is young, why not have experienced old men on board..well what if they fail? I would think the old men would want to be with their families for the end of the world, the young 'uns had less to lose.
So, in a character study, it would make sense that the material and the character relationships are volatile, that's what makes it so much fun.
As a lover of movies I found it near impossible to not care about what happened to the crew. I rooted for them the entire way. And that's an important aspect, the film's ability to make a viewer care about the characters and empathize with them and their situatins and choices. You want them to succeed. And there is just something in the way Cillian Murphy says "So if you wake up one morning to a particularly beautiful day..you'll know we made it."
Add on to this the AMAZING soundtrack that actual moves the viewer, and you have a good film. I personally enjoyed it because a film's ability to make me feel something is what is most important to me. In some cases, like horror/torture flcks, you feel exploited. In films like Sunshine, you can't help but leave it with at least a heightened sense of humanity.
At the very least, give this one a rent, if you like it, I'll bet you'll love it.