If I were to name one movie that most closely parallels Sunshine, it would be Michael Bay's Armageddon. But that would be insulting, as Sunshine is much more refined and yes, much better than that overwrought disaster epic.
Danny Boyle's Sunshine feels, however, like a combination of all the sci-fi disaster epics out there. Yes, I spotted Armageddon, Deep Impact, The Core and I'm sure if you've seen a lot of other similar movies, you could name more. But that's just what it is. The first half of the movie, while spectacular to a certain extent, nevertheless feels very formulaic.
The second half, however, just reeks of Paul Anderson's Event Horizon. This is not so much of as insult as a disappointed sigh. Surely Sunshine could have been so much better if it had not descended, by this time, into a cheap horror flick. But I suppose, some compromise would be necessary in order to draw in the crowd. Not many people go for pure sci-fi nowadays (see my comments on the previous review).
But despite being that unoriginal, Sunshine still, well, shines. It is visually dazzling, and the story (as well as the good enough performances from most of the actors) keeps us interested.
A little nitpick: Why in the world would they name a ship that would save humanity the Icarus? Was he not the guy who fell out of the sky when he got too close to the sun? Most people would say it would be rather bad luck. I suppose such a name was given for more poetic effect.
Sunshine, nevertheless, is still quite an entertaining movie, as long as you do not treat it as the movie that will refresh the entire sci-fi genre (in order words, don't expect too much from it). It doesn't. It merely should entertain you, and I think it succeeds well in doing that.
The Thoughtful Critic: B-
The Relaxed Moviegoer: B
Danny Boyle's Sunshine feels, however, like a combination of all the sci-fi disaster epics out there. Yes, I spotted Armageddon, Deep Impact, The Core and I'm sure if you've seen a lot of other similar movies, you could name more. But that's just what it is. The first half of the movie, while spectacular to a certain extent, nevertheless feels very formulaic.
The second half, however, just reeks of Paul Anderson's Event Horizon. This is not so much of as insult as a disappointed sigh. Surely Sunshine could have been so much better if it had not descended, by this time, into a cheap horror flick. But I suppose, some compromise would be necessary in order to draw in the crowd. Not many people go for pure sci-fi nowadays (see my comments on the previous review).
But despite being that unoriginal, Sunshine still, well, shines. It is visually dazzling, and the story (as well as the good enough performances from most of the actors) keeps us interested.
A little nitpick: Why in the world would they name a ship that would save humanity the Icarus? Was he not the guy who fell out of the sky when he got too close to the sun? Most people would say it would be rather bad luck. I suppose such a name was given for more poetic effect.
Sunshine, nevertheless, is still quite an entertaining movie, as long as you do not treat it as the movie that will refresh the entire sci-fi genre (in order words, don't expect too much from it). It doesn't. It merely should entertain you, and I think it succeeds well in doing that.
The Thoughtful Critic: B-
The Relaxed Moviegoer: B
No comments:
Post a Comment