Sunshine (2007)

From the director of Trainspotting & 28 Days later comes this tale of 8 astronauts who are sent to re-ignite the dying sun 50 years into the future. While on this mission they get a distress call from the previous ship that failed the mission and has not been heard from for 7yrs. They decide to answer the call and in doing so create many problems for themselves.

You can tell Boyle is calling on sci-fi classics such as Alien & 2001 with this film. Though maybe not as subtle as those films, Sunshine still manages to keep the tension. In fact some of best tention in sunshine comes from the characters interaction with eachother as times slowly become more desperate. A scene in which they realise their oxygen level is running low and they have to decide who to sacrifice to save the rest of the team (and the world) is very well done and tense moment. The film is visually stunning to watch. Not only through the theme and subject matter can you tell they borrowed from alien & 2001 but in sets too. Ranging from the dull corridors of alien or the clean white clinical style rooms of 2001.

Though i do have some issues with it. There is a subplot of the captain of the old ship, who has since been burned beyond recognition. He became addicted to the observation deck in which you can view the sun at full heat. Anyway it goes into almost freddy krueger nightmare on elm street film where he is chasing crew around the ship. Though it does create some good moments, it also comes off as un-needed and over the top. The film also feels at times a little repetative its like "oh man glad we survived that..but we've got another problem" and this theory is repeated throughout. Oh and on a trivial note, why even have an observation deck where it allows you to view sun at full power?? surely thats not safe idea, bad ship design i say!

all in all, even with the above being said, this become very minor points with what is a thrilling, great looking, well acted, tense sci-fi film with wellcomed throwbacks. Very much recommended.