SNMR 6.27: "Sunshine"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Sunshine" (2007, R, 107 minutes), starring Cliff Curtis, Chipo Young, Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Chris Evans and Rose Byrne. The film was directed by Danny Boyle.

PLOT SUMMARY: The sun is dying. Earth's last, best and only hope for survival lies in the hands of seven astronauts whose mission is to deposit a Manhattan sized nuclear device into the sun at close range. When faced with a mission changing opportunity, what do they decide to do? How will it effect the outcome of the mission?

MY OPINION: After I signed this movie out of the library, I saw it in the store for $4 but decided not to buy it. I used to only buy movies if I had seen them previously and knew that I liked them and would want to see them again. Or in extreme cases if the cover art was too enticing. Lately neither of those options are considered because I figure, eh, it's only $4 or it's only $5. So I indulge. This time though I resisted the temptation and am ultimately glad that I did.

See, this is your typical disaster movie where you know from the start that everyone is going to die, you just don't know when or how. You also have an idea that the mission will succeed, but there's always a lingering of doubt in the back of your mind that it will fail.

Director Danny Boyle takes a cast of virtual unknown actors and does a pretty credible job keeping the action moving. If there was ever a question about Boyle's directorial skills, they were answered with the project he took on after this, which only won him a few prestigious Academy Awards.

The special effects in this movie are well done. However, despite Boyle's best efforts the storyline is contrived.

Not a bad movie, but not all that great, either.

** out of *****