Sunshine

Visually it's amazing, story-wise it's a mess. Nothing much happens for awhile, then a series of random events occur causing the heroes to spiral into disaster, and then it ends leaving you going 'meh! - what was the point of that??.' I don't know whether they actually picked up a looney, or whether the crew just went nuts? They make some comments about staring into the sun and having trippy experiences, so who knows? It cribs it's story from other flicks, shades of 2010, Event Horizon, Armageddon and Supernova. It's a shame, because it does look fantastic, and like nothing else. Sometimes it's a little disorientating and hard to understand where events are taking place, particularly with the strange layout of the Icarus, but that could be intentional. The sun effects are beautifully handled. Worth a look if your interested in sci-fi, but as far as replay value, I'll give it a miss. It's going into my so-so file along with Red Planet, Contact, Mission to Mars.

Plot Synopsis:

The Icarus II has been sent on a journey to reignite the sun using an immense stellar bomb. The previous ship Icarus I went missing under mysterious circumstances. On the way to the sun, Icarus II discovers the whereabouts of Icarus I. At Capa’s suggestion, they head towards it to retrieve its payload, reasoning that two payloads would give them twice the chance of completing their mission.

In readjusting their course, they inflict damage to their shields, and Captain Kaneda is killed repairing them, but the oxygen garden is destroyed in the process. Unbeknownst to everyone, Pinbacker, the captain of the Icarus I, has gone made and has been living alone on the ship communing with the sun and waiting for it to die. When the Icarus II docks with Icarus I (now also in order to retrieve its supply of oxygen), Pinbacker gets onto the Icarus II and starts to sabotage it like he did his own ship to prevent either from saving the sun.

Pinbacker begins killing the crew of the Icarus I, but Capa and Cassie escape and ride the payload into the sun to ensure the mission succeeds. Everyone dies, but the sun is reignited for the people of Earth.