Well, it’d need to be more action-packed, mainstream, and dumbed down to get proper recognition from most cinemagoers. Honestly, it’s better this way - let it stay underrated and special.
@@human_no847 Not really obscure, not with that stacked - even for the time - cast. But it had very little success in cinemas and not a super great critic response.
I just got the trailer for the new movie "Mickey 17" and instantly thought "Hey, that's just a more mainstream-y version of Moon". Rockwell is amazing, it's hard to hold an entire movie on yout own with just a few pre-recorded lines of Kevin Spacey :P
Professor Brian Cox was technical advisor. He thought the premise was preposterous but did his best. He is basically Kappa in this movie. Even his appearance is very similar!
@@Californyuhh I'm pretty sure I have the DVD somewhere around my house. It's such a rare gem of a movie. Everything about this movie is just pure beauty.
I was a Cillian M fan so I was at the theater opening day, and it's still way up there in my favorites, despite not being thrilled with the added scary stuff; lobbing a bomb into the sun is enough drama for me, and I really loved that none of the crew were demanding they turn around. They all understood the gravity of the mission, and accepted the outcome (even if it pissed them off, they were still grownups about it). Plus, it's such a beautiful movie: cast, scenery, music, story....I love it.
Btw, the writer for this movie, same as 28 days later: Alex Garland (he eventually directed a bunch of stuff himself: Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men, Devs, Civil War - all of them incredible work) Fun-fact about Danny Boyle/Alex Garland collabs: They were asked to do 28 weeks later, which they wanted to do, but they both bailed because the studio didn't want to wait for their schedules to free up. Funnily, like 2 decades later, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are once again collaborating, working on 28 years later, while pretending 28 weeks later didn't happen lol Oh yeah, Cilian Murphy who was in 28 days later and Sunshine, is back for the upcoming film as well, except instead of being some unknown theater actor guy, he has an Oppenheimer Oscar with him xD
I always liked that the last scene in the movie shows what one crewman said in his last message home "...If you wake up one morning and it's a really beautiful day, you'll know we succeeded." And the movie ends with a magnificent sunshiney day for what I think is supposed to be the woman he sent the message to.
Once you've heard the Sunshine theme (Adagio in D Minor) here, you'll realise how many times you've heard it used elsewhere in trailers etc. Such an epic track.
It has it's own subsection on the movie's soundtrack wiki page, they list 40 other things that have used it, from other movies to NASCAR advertisements. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunshine:_Music_from_the_Motion_Picture
“And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you” I am so glad you guys enjoyed this movie, it instantly became my favorite and I could talk about it all day. Like Yeoh, Mark Strong was offered his choice of parts - and he chose Pinbacker, which surprised them as they intended for just a stuntman in a suit, but Strong saw much more to the character. This movie deals with themes of religion, mythology, sacrifice, the human psyche, and Man v Man, Man v Self and Man v Nature/God. It is not the hard sci-fi people often want it to be - at no point do they give any explanation for the artificial gravity, what exactly is wrong with the sun or really how their bomb works. It is more a character piece about humankind, with Pinbacker as the darkness that must be overcome to be worthy of the Light. The madman with the out of control ego enters right when the psyche officer in charge of their mental health leaves. The movie does not open with Capa but with Serle gazing into the Sun, enraptured, begining a journey we see Pinbacker at the end of, but Searle takes a seat of self-sacrifice in the room he would not to die with his crew. The only character he kills is Corazon when she finds a seed of hope - she the Gardner represents life and he anti-life. Capa is the reluctant protagonist who isn't seeking glory, safety, rank or command and has no fear because he's not counting on hope but his knowledge, and is granted an impossible moment: to touch the face of "god" by returning nuclear fire and gets to die knowing he succeeded.
This has been my view of the movie since I saw it for the first time, very well and eloquently put and it's like reading my own thoughts. The criticism this movie received about this "turning into a slasher-movie" is to me unjustified, the signs were there from the start that there was more to Icarus 1's fate than just mechanical failure. As you say, starting with Searle in the observation deck, taking the first tentative steps into becoming what Pinbacker ended up as. The jumbled messages Kaneda listens to to try to understand what happened to Icarus 1 and how to try to avoid the same fate for his own mission and crew. Even the emergency beacon's ping has a scarily unsettling sound to it, almost like it's warning people to stay away. People get so enraptured by the stunning visuals I think they become blind to what the movie ultimately actually is. Not a slasher, not a horror in the traditional sense, but a movie about the small and seemingly insignificant standing in front of the unfathomably great and lustrous, defiant til the end and succeeding because of it. I think I've seen this movie 30-40 times by now, one of my all-time favorites.
Its also really great to see a movie with scientists using logic, reason, driven by their goals to try to solve their problems, instead of it just being about drama and sloppy decisions. Yes, mistakes are made and emotions get high, but time and again its the people who are set on the mission who solve the problems and get things done. Its way too often that "hard" sci-fi movies or movies that try to sound intelligent have tons of characters who are suppose to be top notch professionals, but they all suck at their jobs.
@MuadDib042 but they're allowed to be human, have emotions and make mistakes. Mace starts a fight, Corazon tries to run into a room of fire, Harvey puts himself ahead of the mission, and Trey succumbs to self-blame.
The soundscape combined with the imagery of the sun on the big screen was one of the most intense movie experiences I ever had. Unsettling and beautiful at the same time.
Just before his film career, Benadict Wong stared in a little known sitcom called "15 storeys high". it was written by comedian Sean Lock who also stars in it. its the best thing Sean lock ever did. its just him and benadict wong in a flat being wierd. it looks bleak, but the comdey is light hearted. its brilliant. and the entire thing is available to watch, right now on youtube. 15 Storeys High S01E01 The Sofa
39:59: Cappa is quite literally at the center of that reaction where time slows down and physics breaks down. Remember they said that the closer to the surface of the sun you are, time literally slows and warps. Everything slowed down to the point where he’s actually experiencing his own disintegration(from the sun) at the slowest rate possible, while simultaneously experiencing the detonation of His bomb. so he doesn’t feel anything pain from the sun, instead he feels what the crew psychiatrist wanted the captain to describe, during his death. It’s glorious and sad and victorious and vicious all at the same time. It’s in my opinion, one of the greatest, and underrated death scenes in cinema. ❤
I don't think that's how time dilation works. Everything would still be entirely normal from your perspective, it would be things outside your local area that would appear to move strangely. You wouldn't experience things "slower" on the sun.
@@robertcampbell8070 Brian Cox did a commentary track on this film. It was a great listen. He explains what the movie got accurate or wrong in terms of the science.
"Adagio in D Minor" by John Murphy was written for this movie, but was used a LOT afterwards by many other t.v. shows and films, because it's just that epic.
I am always telling people to watch this movie and they never listen to me, thank you guys for finally seeing this incredible movie. The movies DVD extras has a very famous physicist doing commentary on it.
this was one of those movies where I saw very little advertising and the billboard didn't really stand out, so I never went to see it in the theater and now I'm kicking myself for it. On my list of best all time favorite sci-fi movies. Amazing directing, characters, special effects, interesting story, a plot that pretty exclusively revolves around scientists who have to figure out how to save the day instead of a bunch of pointless drama and bad decision making. And lets not forget a HUGE star in this, the music. This is one of the few movie soundtracks I own, and listening to some of these songs makes me want to cry, especially after having the emotional attachment from the movie. I feel Simone....this movie definitely pulls on your heartstrings and the music completely drives those emotions home. 10/10 Side note, Brian Cox, an amazing scientist and presenter, was the science advisor for the movie. He's done tons of his own shows about science and did one about the solar system. They used some of the soundtrack to this movie as well as some of the shots of the sun and mercury.
The movie features stunning and heavenly soundtracks, with my favorites being 'Mercury' and 'To Heal.' I also adore the serene melody that plays during the opening scene when Searle gazes at the SUN in awe
One thing of note is on your reactions you guys rarely mention the soundtrack but that piece at the end of the film is genuinely one of the most incredible pieces in film. Glad you noted it.
When this movie was being promoted prior to its release, Fox Searchlight made a 5-minute preview trailer, which featured several stark visuals and plot points that, somehow, didn't spoil the film or take anything away from the pleasure of watching it. I wish I could have seen it on the big screen, because it is such a visual marvel. Danny Boyle is a freaking master at creating compelling imagery onscreen, and this cast is freaking STACKED with talent. Plus, the score . . . such a beautiful movie. While not perfect, it's stunning to behold.
I don't even remember seeing commercials. To this day I kick myself for not seeing this on the big screen. Absolutely incredible movie. Its also one of the few movie soundtracks that I bought.
Re: Scientific accuracy - The movie does take some cinematic liberties but for the most part it is based on an actual theoretical scenario referred to as "the cue-ball" which is a small black hole getting inside a star diminishing its power. Sunshine had Professor Brian Cox as an advisor; in fact Capa's character was based on him, and he has an absolute dynamite commentary track where he talks about the accuracies and inaccuracies of the movie but for the most part it's pretty accurate. Quick edit for the ending: Capa having an "encounter" with the Sun was because of the Sun's gravity -- as gravity increases, time slows down and it made for a hell of a shot. Second edit: You mentioned the cue-ball in the trivia!
Ok little bit nerd talk, but the Sun's gravity is not that strong (even at the core) to create such strong time dilation that would even be noticeable to humans. It needs something much heavier and denser like a Neutron Star or Black hole to experience "true" time dilation near it. Considering a Neutron Star is on average 1.5 times the total mass of our Sun compressed into a ~15-20km sphere and Black holes are even more extreme, while the Sun's core is about 1/3 of it's total mass and about 10 times bigger diameter than Earth which will not create a noticeable time dilation to a human (and excluding all other hazards that will reduce anything to atoms) like in the movie. So it's a very big poetic license for the movie, but I still love that scene nonetheless and I'm glad it's there.
I remember one reviewer (I think Ebert?) saying how incredibly bad luck it would be to name a ship you're sending to the sun Icarus, and even worse, Icarus One, like you knew you would be needing a second one.
My head cannon is they were both being built at the same time, "two last chances are better than one" would have been true during the construction phase as well. We did it when we sent Pioneer 10 & 11 to Jupiter and then later Voyager 1 & 2 - there was even a third Voyager constructed to strip parts from if anything happened to 1&2 as they neared completion close to launch date, which ended up happening. But they never should have divereted the mission because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
that always bugs me, like I was watching a tv show involving submarines and they named the subs orpheus and eurydice - it just seems particularly silly, given how superstitious people are irl about naming ships and craft.
you guys were confused at the end about poetic license. The mass of the sun plus the mass of the stellar bomb, warps space time and for a moment it is like a black hole, he exists for a very long moment of explosion because physics and time have broken down completely at detonation. He explained it in the beginning.
At its core, this movie is neither sci-fi nor slasher, it's a philosophy/theology essay, under a veneer of sci-fi. Once you see it as such, then the 3rd act tone shift, or the artistic license taken with some scientific aspects aren't problems anymore, they're tools to serve the main purpose of the movie, not its main course. Each character embodies a form of religion or a system of beliefs : 1/ SEARLE He's the average believer from the average monotheistic religion. He's in a permanent spiritual quest to meet and understand the Sun (god), tries to share his discoveries with others and convince them (he shares some time in the observation room with Kaneda, and recommends it to the crew), as well as trying to gain knowledge from their own experience, especially when he thinks they're about to find God ("Kaneda, what do you see !?"). He dies in the observation room of Icarus I, in a voluntary last attempt to meet his god without filter, and alone. 2/ PINBACKER He is the other side of the coin from Searle. He is the fanatical religious zealot who is 110% convinced he is right and has to either force others into his beliefs or kill them. He dies burnt by his own god while fighting what he considers a heretic. 3/ CORAZON She stands for paganism / animism / Mothe Nature worship. She cares more about saving Life on Earth than human civilization. She's the one suggesting in cold blood that they sacrifice 3 people to get enough oxygen. Her reaction when the garden burns is more than just the practical loss for the mission, she goes wildly emotional at that point. She dies in the burnt garden, contemplating the rebirth of life (and would probably have become compost for that plant if the ship hadn't gone boom) 4/ MACE Mace is the atheist who believes in science and rationality. He's the one who makes the purely rational decisions, (mostly) detached from emotional considerations. He also echoes the history of mankind, first looking and behaving like a caveman. Then he gets an epiphany and swears to never let his emotions get the better of him (= mankind abandonning beliefs for science/knowledge). He dies in the cold (figuratively and litterally) and soulless environment of technology. 5/ KANEDA He stands for the oriental religions and spiritualities like buddhism, taoism, zen ...etc. He's pragmatic, putting the Greater Good above himself, and is not afraid of death, as he's accepted that it's part of life. He's also very concerned about what happened to the crew of the Icarus I and the possibility that it would happen again, a possible nod to karmic cycles and reincarnation from those religions. He dies sacrificing himself for the common good, facing and embracing death without fear. 6/CASSIE She's the one who believe in people/Humanity. She's the only one who has humane and/or emotional interactions with other crew members, not limiting herself to the purely proffessional aspect. She's the one who decides to keep her humanity as a principle when it comes to sacrificing Trey. She dies buying some time for Cappa, as she believes in him to save mankind. 7/ HARVEY He's the one who believes in himself, first and foremost. This admittedly relies on behind-the-scene information from the movie script and litterature, not directly in the movie. He is VERY intelligent, competent and self reliant. he invented the special comms system they're using, and is supposedly able to out-math their navigator, Trey. But it comes with two big flaws : he trusts no one but himself on a paranoid level, and is terrified to not come back to Earth. Two aspects that will eventually drive him to his demise. He dies in the loneliest situation possible, heading for the vast emptiness of space. 8/ TREY Trey is the one who believes in nothing and no one, not even himself (passive nihilist). His doubts in his own abilities eventually became a self-fulfilling prophecy as they lead him into that big mistake. Having nothing or no one to stand up for, not even himself, he opts for suicide. 9/ CAPPA Last but not least, our main protagonist Cappa is the neutral observer : the agnostic. He remains relatively cold and neutral throughout the movie, but not in such an extreme way like Mace. He has interactions with all the crew (even pinbacker), like an objective observer listening to all viewpoints before making his opinion, never closing a single door. He is the only one to find and reach the divine in that last scene (which would othervise make no sense from a hard sci-fi point of view)
What a fantastic read! Thanks for commenting. Amazing characters indeed. What Im really drawn most into is Searle character. His childlike fascination about the SUN right from the start fills you with wonder. This movie provokes such a profound sense of awe
@FantasticMrFrog good read! Have you thought of looking at the cast as humanity's own Pantheon? Kaneda as the Captain/Patriarch/Zeus/Odin, maybe even Jesus-like figure as the first sacrifice, Mace as the soldier analogous to a god of war, Harvey the comms officer a messenger god ala Mercury, Corazon the gardner/harvest goddess, etc
Sunshine is a movie which, despite some flaws, makes a deep impact. The visuals, the music, the desperation, the characters… amazing. BTW George, if you like space and exploration, you should play Outer Wilds! (not The Outer Worlds, that is a different game.)
To answer your question about being in the vacuum of space, you do not die instantaneously or freeze like a block of ice, etc. You'd be unconscious in 10 to 15 seconds (similar things happen when planes explode at high altitudes, people just pass out) but you wouldn't actually die for a few minutes. If somebody managed to get you back into a pressurized area in say, 30 seconds, you'd have some marks on you that look like love bites, but you'd be okay. So you could shoot out of an airlock over to another ship in a few seconds. I think they even did that once on The Expanse. This movie also was written by Alex Garland, so you've got two greats at the helm of this flick.
Yep, freezing is your least problem. In a vacuum a body can only cool down by heat radiating. That is a slow process compared to jumping in freezing water for example.
@@LoricSwift Yeah I think maybe 3 minutes would be an extreme case. The worst part would be keeping yourself conscious. I mean, on average, you'll probably go unconscious in about 5-6 seconds, 10-15 is best case, so even if you flew out the airlock, the biggest problem would be making sure you were even conscious enough to grab onto something or press a button when you got to the other ship.
@@LoricSwiftFrom what I understand, first lose consciousness in about 10-20 seconds or so but yeah probably survivable more like 1-2 minutes depending on just how fully exposed (like if you have at least a pressure suit to protect most of your body surface). We even have experimental support for it with a live human test subject… by accident! Early on NASA was testing a suit in their vacuum chambers and the air supply hose was knocked loose exposing the guy in the suit to complete vacuum for the 20ish seconds it took to partially repressurize and get someone in to help. He regained consciousness pretty immediately and ended up with no long term damage.
So glad you took the time for this one. It takes some time to process it.. Spellbinding and breathtaking are two words I'd use to describe how it felt leaving the cinema.. What an awesome cast too.
I'm amazed and really happy that you tuned in to this. It's wild how this film feels so hidden. SUNSHINE carries a profound and existential theme. It was wonderful to experience it together with you both
Saw this movie when it was released. It was playing at a small art theater in Detroit, I went with my co-worker at the time, we had the entire theater to ourselves, this is one of my favorite movies to this day. 10/10 the score is one my favorite parts to this film, it’s so epic.
George, to answer your question about the science of Sunshine there is a DVD commentary that goes along with this movie by the superstar physicist, Brian Cox. He explains a lot of the science and I think he was a consultant for Sunshine. In addition, Danny Boyle used Cox as inspiration for the Kappa character to steer away from the stereotypical "old guy" physicist after seeing Cox on a chat show.
These visuals were just incredible in the movie theater. I had the theater almost entirely to myself, it wasn't a huge screen. But the sound system was good and the screen filled my field of view.
Loved this film and this was the film that I always used as evidence that Chris Evans could handle the role of Captain America back when his casting was rumored and most people only knew him as Johnny Storm or Jake Wyler.
Pinbacker's name is taken from Dan O'Bannon's character from John Carpenter's 'Dark Star' (1974) - Dan O'Bannon would in fact go on to create/write 'Alien'. I've always adored this film. The twist - the cold horror of revealing a mystery fifth person on board Icarus II still gives me chills. It's almost Lovecraftian, in that young thinkers are tasked with taking on a cosmic horror: the dying Sun. As they approach it, the vastness of the task, the incomprehensibility of it, one by one turn the heroes mad - and some of them, in turn, come to worship it - the Sun - as if some god. Instead of following this story - the story of the Icarus II - all the way to the end, we're given a glimpse of where the story leads: Icarus I. Where exactly the same happened. The last survivor of the Icarus I is as unknowable and incomprehensible as the Sun that he worships. Part of me always sees it as a movie about cosmic horror, and therefore leads exactly to where it sets out to go. But that's just me. I've many versions of the script for this film - each one different from the final cut here, each with vastly different endings, too. I think this one is the most poetic of them all.
My take on the end is that as it was said, physics was breaking down the closer they got... activating the bomb further pushed the reality bending effect of the gravity. The closer to the speed of light you get, the slower time flows. We've seen the test fires of the bomb, so we know how fast those particles form... but if you watch this time they crawl. If you think about it, the whole thing is a lovely illustration of Schrodinger's Cat. Kappa is both dead and alive at the same time inside a box, with nobody to observe him he is in both states. Is the last bit poetic license? Maybe a bit...
I was at a friend's place hanging with a group of like 12 people in 2008 and this was one of the movies the friend had just had delivered from Netflix-by-mail. None of us had heard of it, he goes, "It's sci-fi and highly rated. Wanna throw it on?" The 12 of us then sat in stunned silence for 2 hours while we watched the best sci-fi movie ever and all turned to each other after like, "How was this not the biggest movie of 2007?!" Great experience.
Probably the most overlooked stacked cast ever. Chris Evans is especially underrated, I like how his character is definitively right about what they need to do without putting personal survival or benefit first. Like when he rules that Capa deserves the suit over the rest of him since the mission wont go on without him.
Such an underrated gem of a sci-fi movie. This film contains one of my favourite audio samples in all of cinema (another being the roar of the Balrog from FotR); I find the audio of the distress beacon from the Icarus 1 to equal parts haunting and mesmerizing. I also think it does a good job of setting up the crazy tonal shift the movie takes in the final third. Thanks for the content 🙂
Yesss! As soon as I saw you two were watching SUNSHINE of all movies, I dropped everything to watch and see what you thought. Such an interesting movie, with a surprising depth and creativity. The weight of it is palpable, regardless of science. The story and characters offer enough _gravity_ to the story that I don't even worry about the science.
George, if you like seeing new things I don't think you'd enjoy a one way trip in space. The distances are so huge that the view would pretty much never change
The scietific consultant on this movie was Professer Brian Cox. The DVD had a commentary by him explaining the theories behind the story, and why particular decisions were made
It's one of few movies I have watched, no matter where its on or what time it is, I stop and watch it; watch it a few times every year. So beautifully scored, shot, and acted. And being raised on old school sci-fi, this movie is in that tradition so I have no issue with the second half of the movie; the common themes are still there from beginning to end.
I'm so glad people are still discovering this movie! I got to see it in theaters when it came out (mostly because Michelle Yeoh was in it), and I was blown away. Such a good movie.
Love that you finally got to this pearl. I especially loved the soundtrack and especially Surface of the sun "Adagio in D Minor" so much. This feeling of drfting to our sun, our celestial birthplace, its such apoetic move too.
Such an underrated gem, and what a cast and musical score!! I love that you guys have watched Sunshine and Alita lately… both in my top 25 films ever tbh ❤
@@Sumdumfilipino It's great there too... "Adagio in D Minor" is similar to "The Nature of Daylight" because both are *amazing* songs that are used in multiple movies/shows...
The Adagio in D Minor, written by John Murphy, was also used in Kick-Ass in the scene where Nicolas Cage's character was on fire. The bad guy in that film was also played by Mark Strong, who played Pinbacker.
It’s so nice to see y’all enjoying what I’m sure many of us consider a top 5 sci-fi horror drama lol I think the turn turns (ha!) a lot of people off but I saw this at the height of my horror obsession and was so pleased that it became horrific on top of the already-there existential dread. It’s also important to note (to me and probably no one else) that the original trailer for this movie used the song ‘Marion Barfs’ from Requiem for a Dream, despite Sunshine having one of the best original soundtracks of this era of filmmaking. I remember seeing the trailers and being so annoyed that they used such a recognizable from-another-movie song, but now am like… yeah, good. Nothing sets the tone for ‘this is a drama that will absolutely destroy you with late stage horror elements’ than the soundtrack from Requiem for a Dream.
@@Panik637 SUNSHINE has the greatest sound design in a movie. They shouldn't have used the Requiem for a dream song. Like you said it has been reused multiple times. Now the Surface of The Sun theme has been ironically used in countless other films and shows. As mesmerizing as the soundtracks in the movie are, the 2 songs at the end credits nearly ruined the mood. Terrible choice but I can overlook it cause the rest of the movie's brilliance
Great reaction. One of my absolute favorite movies, not just sci-fi. The premise and plot is great but I truly believe it's the stacked cast that just makes the entire movie. Some bigger stars than others (especially when the movie came out) but it doesn't feel like there is a single actor with an ego, no one seems bigger than the other, it's just amazing The characters are well written, dialogue is solid. The music score is CRAZY good! My one gripe with the movie I had, the first many times I watched it. Was the third act. I didn't understand, what I perceived as almost supernatural strength, it made no sense. But having it watched it multiple times now, he's not stronger. But as they are getting closer to the sun, the effects of gravity changes and gets distorted, it's also shown by the deliberate shots with different camera angels, I still can't believe it took my multiple watches to catch that. When I realized that aspect, the movie had a fantastic third act as well imo And to George and Simone, the final scene with Capa. It's physics and time breaking down which allows him to see what he saw Edit: Thank you for taking the time to watch it
The music and overall sound design is spellbinding. My favorite currently is the one that plays right at the start when Searle is looking at the SUN and the final scene with Capa
This movie is just easily so... surprising, shocking... I felt like Simone I just was not ready for it. And it's a exceptional movie, but like the marketing. Never really let you know how it was. So nobody goes into it, expecting this unless you're really thinking about who the director is. But it's just hits you so hard like and it doesn't stop. Once it starts, it's incredible, but also like... It's almost not a fair panic.Just doesn't give you enough clues about how it's gonna go to prepare you.Cause it attack your soul and doesn't let go brilliant film
Great film. The lighting in this movie is incredible. The second half of this always makes me think of Event Horizon. Ya’ll should definitely check that out sometime. Oh, and that awesome music at the end that ya’ll loved is also played during the best scene of KickAss. It’s called Adagio in D minor by John Murphy.
I relate to that feeling. It was more fascinating than I anticipated. Now I'm curious about how others perceive it. So I look for reactions or podcasts about SUNSHINE. There aren't many because not a lot of people seem to know about it.
I've been obsessed with the soundtracks in this film. Especially the opening scene when Searle is looking at the SUN in awe with the serene melody playing along with the whispers of Icarus.
I heard about Sunshine a half dozen times referred to as an underrated sci-fi from various sources. I finally watched it years later, hyped to the neins. It still impressed.
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This is the best scifi/thriller/horror what i've ever saw. It's logical, the characters are written good no overextragated flaws and traits of them. They were intelligent and not doing stuff because the plot wants.
Sunshine amazing, loved it so much at the time but I haven't watched it in years. The soundtrack is truly epic, hope it one days get's a vinyl release. ...I might have also had a massive crush on Rose Byrne for quite a while thanks to this one.
Just before his film career, Benadict Wong stared in a little known sitcom called "15 storeys high". it was written by comedian Sean Lock who also stars in it. its the best thing Sean lock ever did. its just him and benadict wong in a flat being wierd. it looks bleak, but the comdey is light hearted. its brilliant. and the entire thing is available to watch, right now on youtube. 15 Storeys High S01E01 The Sofa
I adore this film. The science is flaky af but I just love the twists and turns the film takes creating an almost constant series of exciting obstacles for our heroes to overcome. That moment when Cappa makes his jump to the payload is one of the most epic scenes in cinema history for me.
Same. At first I felt like it was in incredible half to 2/3 of a serious, weighty, “hard sci-fi” film followed by a complete mess. On rewatching later and some time, I’d still like to have what it felt like the first part of the movie was heading for… but it’s still a really good movie as a whole and does manage to work.
I remember saw this film at the cinema. I was nagging about the plot "okay they have to switch on the sun". But "Capa's jump" scene with the music at a theater was worth. Btw was not 2007 film but one from 2006, I recommend you "the painted veil" is the only drama/love film that I liked.
The Greatest Under Rated Movie Ever! I've waited for Some to Watch This Movie. This is definitely my favorite movie Ever!!! Amazing Reactions Guys 👏 Thank You Beautiful Julia from Germany for showing me this movie. I will always love you! 💘
This is one of my favorite movies! I fell in love with the movie at the cinema, I was kinda close to the screen but the scene for mercury in front of the sun... I... I felt like a kid. I think I saw it on IMAX, but maybe just a regular one, but it was mesmerizing
Sunshine is one of my favorite movie, not a perfect film but a film that can leave an impression on you if you are receptive. The imagery of the film is so well mastered, the impact of the sun in contrast to the coldness of the ship, all those details are really well done.
like to thank you on producing you videos within the 40 mn range as you did before getting to 100k , yes it is tough to produce pods on both patreon and youtube ,but never forget where you started from . this is a good movie and i have a copy and glad to see what you made from it.
Great reaction! The science aboard Icarus II and Icarus I ain’t great. There are no rotating sections to provide gravity, for example. The parts of the ship that do rotate are unmanned and seem to rotate only to create a plot device (one of them being hit by sunlight and destroying the oxygen garden). Also it’s unclear how parts of the ship would survive once the main shield and stellar bomb were launched into the Sun, since that secondary shield is so small. John Murphy’s soundtrack is simply amazing and gets reused quite a bit.
I feel like Sunshine is one of the most underrated sci-fi films of the last 20 years. It's just so good!
I feel like Cloud Atlas is more underrated than Sunshine. However Sunshine is a close second
@@raymondamador1487 Cloud Atlas is one of my favorite films so you won't hear any disagreement from me!
@@zantera I guess it's time to watch Cloud Atlas then. the name sounds familiar but I don't know about it.
@NT_1 You absolutely should, is so underrated
@@NT_1 LoL, hence the reason it's so underrated, Cloud Atlas never got much credit, despite being an emotional rollercoaster 😃👍
Sunshine is one of my favorite most underrated movies that flew completely under the radar for most people! So glad yall decided to watch it!
Well, it’d need to be more action-packed, mainstream, and dumbed down to get proper recognition from most cinemagoers. Honestly, it’s better this way - let it stay underrated and special.
Mine is Cloud Atlas, Sunshine is a close second
@@raymondamador1487 Holy crap, sunshine and cloud atlas are two of my favourites too. Add in vanilla sky and it’s 👌🏻
@@watts18269 Agree 💯
Way under the Radar; never heard of it until this reaction video.
FINALLY someone reacts to this obscure classic. Been requesting it in many comment sections for literally YEARS.
Is it really obscure? I didn't realise it was, felt very mainstream when it came out
@@ethanvilla4418 doing that same haha. It is a hidden one
If only reactors commenters werent morons who have only seen mainline movies... reactors never watch obscure classics..
@@human_no847 Not really obscure, not with that stacked - even for the time - cast. But it had very little success in cinemas and not a super great critic response.
@@human_no847 I rather wonder why someone calls this a classic. The movie is no more than 17 years old. 😂
Moon (2009) starring Sam Rockwell is another excellent hard sci-fi movie that gets overlooked a lot.
That's an absolute gem! The perfect example of what good writing despite a small budget can accomplish. Like early James Cameron.
Overlooked? It's an extremely popular/talked about movie lol.
Yes, Moon is definitely worth watching too
Yes, excellent film. And director Duncan Jones' follow up, _Source Code_ is also superb.
I just got the trailer for the new movie "Mickey 17" and instantly thought "Hey, that's just a more mainstream-y version of Moon". Rockwell is amazing, it's hard to hold an entire movie on yout own with just a few pre-recorded lines of Kevin Spacey :P
Professor Brian Cox was technical advisor. He thought the premise was preposterous but did his best. He is basically Kappa in this movie. Even his appearance is very similar!
He then went on to do a series about the solar system and they used the soundtrack to this movie as well as some of the footage of the sun an mercury.
Hadn't even noticed
Who is Kappa?
@@rasmuspedersen3563 cillian Murphy was kappa
@@mrchicken471 Oh you mean Capa! xD Sorry mate...
I watched this in the cinema when it came out and let me tell you, I was obsessed with this movie for months after. So good.
Same. I don’t know anyone else who owns it on DVD except me. 😅
@@Californyuhh
I'm pretty sure I have the DVD somewhere around my house.
It's such a rare gem of a movie.
Everything about this movie is just pure beauty.
I was a Cillian M fan so I was at the theater opening day, and it's still way up there in my favorites, despite not being thrilled with the added scary stuff; lobbing a bomb into the sun is enough drama for me, and I really loved that none of the crew were demanding they turn around. They all understood the gravity of the mission, and accepted the outcome (even if it pissed them off, they were still grownups about it).
Plus, it's such a beautiful movie: cast, scenery, music, story....I love it.
Can’t believe you guys happened upon this film. One of my favorite underrated sci fi films.
Btw, the writer for this movie, same as 28 days later: Alex Garland
(he eventually directed a bunch of stuff himself: Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men, Devs, Civil War - all of them incredible work)
Fun-fact about Danny Boyle/Alex Garland collabs:
They were asked to do 28 weeks later, which they wanted to do, but they both bailed because the studio didn't want to wait for their schedules to free up.
Funnily, like 2 decades later, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are once again collaborating, working on 28 years later, while pretending 28 weeks later didn't happen lol
Oh yeah, Cilian Murphy who was in 28 days later and Sunshine, is back for the upcoming film as well, except instead of being some unknown theater actor guy, he has an Oppenheimer Oscar with him xD
Alex Garland also made "Devs", didn't he? Totally worth it!
Didn't he also write The Beach for which Danny Boyle directed?
@@31purpleapple yeah, think the difference is the degree of involvement with the movie-making part
@@maujo2009 I did list Devs in my comment xD
Please please please watch Annihilation if they haven't
I always liked that the last scene in the movie shows what one crewman said in his last message home "...If you wake up one morning and it's a really beautiful day, you'll know we succeeded." And the movie ends with a magnificent sunshiney day for what I think is supposed to be the woman he sent the message to.
Once you've heard the Sunshine theme (Adagio in D Minor) here, you'll realise how many times you've heard it used elsewhere in trailers etc. Such an epic track.
Also known as "Kaneda's Death (Adagio in D Minor)" on the OST.
It has it's own subsection on the movie's soundtrack wiki page, they list 40 other things that have used it, from other movies to NASCAR advertisements.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunshine:_Music_from_the_Motion_Picture
Astrophysicist Brian Cox was the consultant on this movie, and he even has a commentary track on the DVD.
I miss commentary tracks...
“And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you”
I am so glad you guys enjoyed this movie, it instantly became my favorite and I could talk about it all day. Like Yeoh, Mark Strong was offered his choice of parts - and he chose Pinbacker, which surprised them as they intended for just a stuntman in a suit, but Strong saw much more to the character. This movie deals with themes of religion, mythology, sacrifice, the human psyche, and Man v Man, Man v Self and Man v Nature/God. It is not the hard sci-fi people often want it to be - at no point do they give any explanation for the artificial gravity, what exactly is wrong with the sun or really how their bomb works. It is more a character piece about humankind, with Pinbacker as the darkness that must be overcome to be worthy of the Light. The madman with the out of control ego enters right when the psyche officer in charge of their mental health leaves. The movie does not open with Capa but with Serle gazing into the Sun, enraptured, begining a journey we see Pinbacker at the end of, but Searle takes a seat of self-sacrifice in the room he would not to die with his crew. The only character he kills is Corazon when she finds a seed of hope - she the Gardner represents life and he anti-life. Capa is the reluctant protagonist who isn't seeking glory, safety, rank or command and has no fear because he's not counting on hope but his knowledge, and is granted an impossible moment: to touch the face of "god" by returning nuclear fire and gets to die knowing he succeeded.
This has been my view of the movie since I saw it for the first time, very well and eloquently put and it's like reading my own thoughts.
The criticism this movie received about this "turning into a slasher-movie" is to me unjustified, the signs were there from the start that there was more to Icarus 1's fate than just mechanical failure.
As you say, starting with Searle in the observation deck, taking the first tentative steps into becoming what Pinbacker ended up as. The jumbled messages Kaneda listens to to try to understand what happened to Icarus 1 and how to try to avoid the same fate for his own mission and crew. Even the emergency beacon's ping has a scarily unsettling sound to it, almost like it's warning people to stay away.
People get so enraptured by the stunning visuals I think they become blind to what the movie ultimately actually is.
Not a slasher, not a horror in the traditional sense, but a movie about the small and seemingly insignificant standing in front of the unfathomably great and lustrous, defiant til the end and succeeding because of it.
I think I've seen this movie 30-40 times by now, one of my all-time favorites.
Its also really great to see a movie with scientists using logic, reason, driven by their goals to try to solve their problems, instead of it just being about drama and sloppy decisions. Yes, mistakes are made and emotions get high, but time and again its the people who are set on the mission who solve the problems and get things done. Its way too often that "hard" sci-fi movies or movies that try to sound intelligent have tons of characters who are suppose to be top notch professionals, but they all suck at their jobs.
@MuadDib042 but they're allowed to be human, have emotions and make mistakes. Mace starts a fight, Corazon tries to run into a room of fire, Harvey puts himself ahead of the mission, and Trey succumbs to self-blame.
The soundscape combined with the imagery of the sun on the big screen was one of the most intense movie experiences I ever had. Unsettling and beautiful at the same time.
Loved this reaction. The constant mix of awe and sorrow this film induces is incredible and experiencing that with you two was wonderful
Sunshine was my first exposure to Benedict Wong, watching his career just continue to grow over the years has been really satisfying. Guy deserves it.
My favourite of his is...
"Welcome, to STREET COUNTDOWN!"
@@kizzgizz It's the same as Countdown but on the street.
Just before his film career, Benadict Wong stared in a little known sitcom called "15 storeys high".
it was written by comedian Sean Lock who also stars in it.
its the best thing Sean lock ever did.
its just him and benadict wong in a flat being wierd.
it looks bleak, but the comdey is light hearted. its brilliant.
and the entire thing is available to watch, right now on youtube.
15 Storeys High S01E01 The Sofa
@@NeilLewis77 I'll check it out, thanks for the recommendation!
@@TrackZero it is really good!!
This is, hands down, one of the best, most underrated sci-fi movies to exist. It's in my top 3. I am SO GLAD you guys found it.
39:59: Cappa is quite literally at the center of that reaction where time slows down and physics breaks down. Remember they said that the closer to the surface of the sun you are, time literally slows and warps. Everything slowed down to the point where he’s actually experiencing his own disintegration(from the sun) at the slowest rate possible, while simultaneously experiencing the detonation of His bomb. so he doesn’t feel anything pain from the sun, instead he feels what the crew psychiatrist wanted the captain to describe, during his death. It’s glorious and sad and victorious and vicious all at the same time. It’s in my opinion, one of the greatest, and underrated death scenes in cinema. ❤
I don't think that's how time dilation works. Everything would still be entirely normal from your perspective, it would be things outside your local area that would appear to move strangely. You wouldn't experience things "slower" on the sun.
@@robertcampbell8070 Brian Cox did a commentary track on this film. It was a great listen. He explains what the movie got accurate or wrong in terms of the science.
@@NT_1 Yes I know, and I'm fairly certain he never said the last moment was an accurate representation of time dilation.
"Adagio in D Minor" by John Murphy was written for this movie, but was used a LOT afterwards by many other t.v. shows and films, because it's just that epic.
I love the moment when Capa says everything will distort, and then you literally see everything distort at the end of the movie.
Love this movie and so fun to see new people realizing how stacked this cast is.
I am always telling people to watch this movie and they never listen to me, thank you guys for finally seeing this incredible movie. The movies DVD extras has a very famous physicist doing commentary on it.
this was one of those movies where I saw very little advertising and the billboard didn't really stand out, so I never went to see it in the theater and now I'm kicking myself for it. On my list of best all time favorite sci-fi movies. Amazing directing, characters, special effects, interesting story, a plot that pretty exclusively revolves around scientists who have to figure out how to save the day instead of a bunch of pointless drama and bad decision making. And lets not forget a HUGE star in this, the music. This is one of the few movie soundtracks I own, and listening to some of these songs makes me want to cry, especially after having the emotional attachment from the movie. I feel Simone....this movie definitely pulls on your heartstrings and the music completely drives those emotions home. 10/10
Side note, Brian Cox, an amazing scientist and presenter, was the science advisor for the movie. He's done tons of his own shows about science and did one about the solar system. They used some of the soundtrack to this movie as well as some of the shots of the sun and mercury.
The movie features stunning and heavenly soundtracks, with my favorites being 'Mercury' and 'To Heal.' I also adore the serene melody that plays during the opening scene when Searle gazes at the SUN in awe
One thing of note is on your reactions you guys rarely mention the soundtrack but that piece at the end of the film is genuinely one of the most incredible pieces in film. Glad you noted it.
Sounds of heaven. What a beautiful and spellbinding music
When this movie was being promoted prior to its release, Fox Searchlight made a 5-minute preview trailer, which featured several stark visuals and plot points that, somehow, didn't spoil the film or take anything away from the pleasure of watching it. I wish I could have seen it on the big screen, because it is such a visual marvel. Danny Boyle is a freaking master at creating compelling imagery onscreen, and this cast is freaking STACKED with talent.
Plus, the score . . . such a beautiful movie. While not perfect, it's stunning to behold.
I don't even remember seeing commercials. To this day I kick myself for not seeing this on the big screen. Absolutely incredible movie. Its also one of the few movie soundtracks that I bought.
This is my favourite sci-fi movie, the atmosphere and music in it are unmatched.
The whole sound design is spellbinding.
Slingshot complete Icarus leaving Mercury orbit
Re: Scientific accuracy - The movie does take some cinematic liberties but for the most part it is based on an actual theoretical scenario referred to as "the cue-ball" which is a small black hole getting inside a star diminishing its power. Sunshine had Professor Brian Cox as an advisor; in fact Capa's character was based on him, and he has an absolute dynamite commentary track where he talks about the accuracies and inaccuracies of the movie but for the most part it's pretty accurate.
Quick edit for the ending: Capa having an "encounter" with the Sun was because of the Sun's gravity -- as gravity increases, time slows down and it made for a hell of a shot.
Second edit: You mentioned the cue-ball in the trivia!
@@TimFisheroo I'm glad to see others enjoying the commentary track! I've listened to it twice and learned so much.
Ok little bit nerd talk, but the Sun's gravity is not that strong (even at the core) to create such strong time dilation that would even be noticeable to humans. It needs something much heavier and denser like a Neutron Star or Black hole to experience "true" time dilation near it. Considering a Neutron Star is on average 1.5 times the total mass of our Sun compressed into a ~15-20km sphere and Black holes are even more extreme, while the Sun's core is about 1/3 of it's total mass and about 10 times bigger diameter than Earth which will not create a noticeable time dilation to a human (and excluding all other hazards that will reduce anything to atoms) like in the movie.
So it's a very big poetic license for the movie, but I still love that scene nonetheless and I'm glad it's there.
I remember one reviewer (I think Ebert?) saying how incredibly bad luck it would be to name a ship you're sending to the sun Icarus, and even worse, Icarus One, like you knew you would be needing a second one.
I think that might just be after Icarus was lost that they started calling it Icarus 1 cuz they were sending another Icarus to get the job done.
Space programs build redundancies. Professionally.
My head cannon is they were both being built at the same time, "two last chances are better than one" would have been true during the construction phase as well. We did it when we sent Pioneer 10 & 11 to Jupiter and then later Voyager 1 & 2 - there was even a third Voyager constructed to strip parts from if anything happened to 1&2 as they neared completion close to launch date, which ended up happening.
But they never should have divereted the mission because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
that always bugs me, like I was watching a tv show involving submarines and they named the subs orpheus and eurydice - it just seems particularly silly, given how superstitious people are irl about naming ships and craft.
So excited for this reaction I’ve literally prepared for it like I’m watching an actual film
SAME. I specifically jumped up to make food and settle in for it, lol.
Sunshine and Gattaca two of my most beloved science fiction movies
you guys were confused at the end about poetic license. The mass of the sun plus the mass of the stellar bomb, warps space time and for a moment it is like a black hole, he exists for a very long moment of explosion because physics and time have broken down completely at detonation. He explained it in the beginning.
Kanada, the captain when facing the tidal wave of sun... epic last stand.
One of my favorite movies of all time. The music and sound pushes this movie into another realm.
At its core, this movie is neither sci-fi nor slasher, it's a philosophy/theology essay, under a veneer of sci-fi. Once you see it as such, then the 3rd act tone shift, or the artistic license taken with some scientific aspects aren't problems anymore, they're tools to serve the main purpose of the movie, not its main course.
Each character embodies a form of religion or a system of beliefs :
1/ SEARLE
He's the average believer from the average monotheistic religion. He's in a permanent spiritual quest to meet and understand the Sun (god), tries to share his discoveries with others and convince them (he shares some time in the observation room with Kaneda, and recommends it to the crew), as well as trying to gain knowledge from their own experience, especially when he thinks they're about to find God ("Kaneda, what do you see !?"). He dies in the observation room of Icarus I, in a voluntary last attempt to meet his god without filter, and alone.
2/ PINBACKER
He is the other side of the coin from Searle. He is the fanatical religious zealot who is 110% convinced he is right and has to either force others into his beliefs or kill them. He dies burnt by his own god while fighting what he considers a heretic.
3/ CORAZON
She stands for paganism / animism / Mothe Nature worship. She cares more about saving Life on Earth than human civilization. She's the one suggesting in cold blood that they sacrifice 3 people to get enough oxygen. Her reaction when the garden burns is more than just the practical loss for the mission, she goes wildly emotional at that point. She dies in the burnt garden, contemplating the rebirth of life (and would probably have become compost for that plant if the ship hadn't gone boom)
4/ MACE
Mace is the atheist who believes in science and rationality. He's the one who makes the purely rational decisions, (mostly) detached from emotional considerations. He also echoes the history of mankind, first looking and behaving like a caveman. Then he gets an epiphany and swears to never let his emotions get the better of him (= mankind abandonning beliefs for science/knowledge). He dies in the cold (figuratively and litterally) and soulless environment of technology.
5/ KANEDA
He stands for the oriental religions and spiritualities like buddhism, taoism, zen ...etc. He's pragmatic, putting the Greater Good above himself, and is not afraid of death, as he's accepted that it's part of life. He's also very concerned about what happened to the crew of the Icarus I and the possibility that it would happen again, a possible nod to karmic cycles and reincarnation from those religions. He dies sacrificing himself for the common good, facing and embracing death without fear.
6/CASSIE
She's the one who believe in people/Humanity. She's the only one who has humane and/or emotional interactions with other crew members, not limiting herself to the purely proffessional aspect. She's the one who decides to keep her humanity as a principle when it comes to sacrificing Trey. She dies buying some time for Cappa, as she believes in him to save mankind.
7/ HARVEY
He's the one who believes in himself, first and foremost. This admittedly relies on behind-the-scene information from the movie script and litterature, not directly in the movie. He is VERY intelligent, competent and self reliant. he invented the special comms system they're using, and is supposedly able to out-math their navigator, Trey. But it comes with two big flaws : he trusts no one but himself on a paranoid level, and is terrified to not come back to Earth. Two aspects that will eventually drive him to his demise. He dies in the loneliest situation possible, heading for the vast emptiness of space.
8/ TREY
Trey is the one who believes in nothing and no one, not even himself (passive nihilist). His doubts in his own abilities eventually became a self-fulfilling prophecy as they lead him into that big mistake. Having nothing or no one to stand up for, not even himself, he opts for suicide.
9/ CAPPA
Last but not least, our main protagonist Cappa is the neutral observer : the agnostic. He remains relatively cold and neutral throughout the movie, but not in such an extreme way like Mace. He has interactions with all the crew (even pinbacker), like an objective observer listening to all viewpoints before making his opinion, never closing a single door. He is the only one to find and reach the divine in that last scene (which would othervise make no sense from a hard sci-fi point of view)
What a fantastic read! Thanks for commenting. Amazing characters indeed. What Im really drawn most into is Searle character. His childlike fascination about the SUN right from the start fills you with wonder. This movie provokes such a profound sense of awe
@FantasticMrFrog good read! Have you thought of looking at the cast as humanity's own Pantheon? Kaneda as the Captain/Patriarch/Zeus/Odin, maybe even Jesus-like figure as the first sacrifice, Mace as the soldier analogous to a god of war, Harvey the comms officer a messenger god ala Mercury, Corazon the gardner/harvest goddess, etc
@@FantasticMrFrog very intriguing analysis
Sunshine is a movie which, despite some flaws, makes a deep impact. The visuals, the music, the desperation, the characters… amazing. BTW George, if you like space and exploration, you should play Outer Wilds! (not The Outer Worlds, that is a different game.)
Yeah, I second this. George, you would LOVE The Outer Wilds. It's short too, so you can bang it out quick.
A deep impact… in the sun
@@gabedamien Another vote for that. Amazing game and it's the first thing I thought about when he was talking about space exploration.
The sound design is immaculate
This movie was so close to defining a new genre of horror.
To answer your question about being in the vacuum of space, you do not die instantaneously or freeze like a block of ice, etc. You'd be unconscious in 10 to 15 seconds (similar things happen when planes explode at high altitudes, people just pass out) but you wouldn't actually die for a few minutes. If somebody managed to get you back into a pressurized area in say, 30 seconds, you'd have some marks on you that look like love bites, but you'd be okay. So you could shoot out of an airlock over to another ship in a few seconds. I think they even did that once on The Expanse. This movie also was written by Alex Garland, so you've got two greats at the helm of this flick.
Yep, freezing is your least problem. In a vacuum a body can only cool down by heat radiating. That is a slow process compared to jumping in freezing water for example.
Three films I can think of off the top o my head have good representation of exposure to space. "2001", "Event Horizon", and "Titan AE".
I have heard 1-2 minutes is survivable, but you will need to receive immediate medical attention.
@@LoricSwift Yeah I think maybe 3 minutes would be an extreme case. The worst part would be keeping yourself conscious. I mean, on average, you'll probably go unconscious in about 5-6 seconds, 10-15 is best case, so even if you flew out the airlock, the biggest problem would be making sure you were even conscious enough to grab onto something or press a button when you got to the other ship.
@@LoricSwiftFrom what I understand, first lose consciousness in about 10-20 seconds or so but yeah probably survivable more like 1-2 minutes depending on just how fully exposed (like if you have at least a pressure suit to protect most of your body surface). We even have experimental support for it with a live human test subject… by accident! Early on NASA was testing a suit in their vacuum chambers and the air supply hose was knocked loose exposing the guy in the suit to complete vacuum for the 20ish seconds it took to partially repressurize and get someone in to help. He regained consciousness pretty immediately and ended up with no long term damage.
So glad you took the time for this one. It takes some time to process it.. Spellbinding and breathtaking are two words I'd use to describe how it felt leaving the cinema.. What an awesome cast too.
Loved this underrated film for years. Another solid performance by Michelle Yeoh. She was killing it in the '00s.
I'm amazed and really happy that you tuned in to this. It's wild how this film feels so hidden. SUNSHINE carries a profound and existential theme. It was wonderful to experience it together with you both
I saw Sunshine when it released, and the soundtrack is one that has always stayed with me. It's that tune I find myself humming for no reason.
Saw this movie when it was released. It was playing at a small art theater in Detroit, I went with my co-worker at the time, we had the entire theater to ourselves, this is one of my favorite movies to this day. 10/10 the score is one my favorite parts to this film, it’s so epic.
Professor Brian Cox gave some input on the physics.
After they fix the Sun, I guess "Things can only get better" 😂😂😂
@@philshorten3221 the commentary track was great to listen to. Also the Q and A both Danny and Brain did at an event from 2013.
George, to answer your question about the science of Sunshine there is a DVD commentary that goes along with this movie by the superstar physicist, Brian Cox. He explains a lot of the science and I think he was a consultant for Sunshine. In addition, Danny Boyle used Cox as inspiration for the Kappa character to steer away from the stereotypical "old guy" physicist after seeing Cox on a chat show.
These visuals were just incredible in the movie theater. I had the theater almost entirely to myself, it wasn't a huge screen. But the sound system was good and the screen filled my field of view.
I have waited for a reaction to this movie. I hope it makes the rounds. One of my favorite under the radar movies! The cast and music are phenomenal!
It would be great if more people were aware of this movie; so many need to experience it.
Loved this film and this was the film that I always used as evidence that Chris Evans could handle the role of Captain America back when his casting was rumored and most people only knew him as Johnny Storm or Jake Wyler.
Pinbacker's name is taken from Dan O'Bannon's character from John Carpenter's 'Dark Star' (1974) - Dan O'Bannon would in fact go on to create/write 'Alien'. I've always adored this film. The twist - the cold horror of revealing a mystery fifth person on board Icarus II still gives me chills. It's almost Lovecraftian, in that young thinkers are tasked with taking on a cosmic horror: the dying Sun. As they approach it, the vastness of the task, the incomprehensibility of it, one by one turn the heroes mad - and some of them, in turn, come to worship it - the Sun - as if some god. Instead of following this story - the story of the Icarus II - all the way to the end, we're given a glimpse of where the story leads: Icarus I. Where exactly the same happened. The last survivor of the Icarus I is as unknowable and incomprehensible as the Sun that he worships. Part of me always sees it as a movie about cosmic horror, and therefore leads exactly to where it sets out to go. But that's just me. I've many versions of the script for this film - each one different from the final cut here, each with vastly different endings, too. I think this one is the most poetic of them all.
My take on the end is that as it was said, physics was breaking down the closer they got... activating the bomb further pushed the reality bending effect of the gravity. The closer to the speed of light you get, the slower time flows. We've seen the test fires of the bomb, so we know how fast those particles form... but if you watch this time they crawl. If you think about it, the whole thing is a lovely illustration of Schrodinger's Cat. Kappa is both dead and alive at the same time inside a box, with nobody to observe him he is in both states. Is the last bit poetic license? Maybe a bit...
I was at a friend's place hanging with a group of like 12 people in 2008 and this was one of the movies the friend had just had delivered from Netflix-by-mail. None of us had heard of it, he goes, "It's sci-fi and highly rated. Wanna throw it on?" The 12 of us then sat in stunned silence for 2 hours while we watched the best sci-fi movie ever and all turned to each other after like, "How was this not the biggest movie of 2007?!" Great experience.
Probably the most overlooked stacked cast ever. Chris Evans is especially underrated, I like how his character is definitively right about what they need to do without putting personal survival or benefit first. Like when he rules that Capa deserves the suit over the rest of him since the mission wont go on without him.
Such an underrated gem of a sci-fi movie. This film contains one of my favourite audio samples in all of cinema (another being the roar of the Balrog from FotR); I find the audio of the distress beacon from the Icarus 1 to equal parts haunting and mesmerizing. I also think it does a good job of setting up the crazy tonal shift the movie takes in the final third.
Thanks for the content 🙂
@@slimpickings56 there's a video on UA-cam with the cry of the distress call on loop for 10 minutes. It's sooo eeeriee
@@NT_1 I have listened to it several times 🙂
So happy you guys liked this one.
Yesss! As soon as I saw you two were watching SUNSHINE of all movies, I dropped everything to watch and see what you thought. Such an interesting movie, with a surprising depth and creativity. The weight of it is palpable, regardless of science. The story and characters offer enough _gravity_ to the story that I don't even worry about the science.
The sound tracks alone drift me to a different world. It's great to hear what others thought about it as well
Went to watch this randomly with a friend when it had came out, no idea what it was. Was quite the surprise.
6:55 I'm totally with you on this one, George! So glad there are still people out there with a sense of wonder and endeavor!
One of the greatest Sci-fi movies of all time! Top all around, directing, acting writing, fx, music by underworld. It cannot be beaten. ❤
Underworld did a fantastic job on the tracks except for the end credits song
More people need to react to this film. It is so good and should not be as forgotten as it is.
George, if you like seeing new things I don't think you'd enjoy a one way trip in space. The distances are so huge that the view would pretty much never change
The scietific consultant on this movie was Professer Brian Cox. The DVD had a commentary by him explaining the theories behind the story, and why particular decisions were made
I love this movie and have since the day it came out. Looking at it now, the cast is *STACKED*. Everyone in this thing is a star.
It's one of few movies I have watched, no matter where its on or what time it is, I stop and watch it; watch it a few times every year. So beautifully scored, shot, and acted. And being raised on old school sci-fi, this movie is in that tradition so I have no issue with the second half of the movie; the common themes are still there from beginning to end.
Sunshine and Event Horizon are one of my favorite double features to watch. I’ve even thrown in Pandorum for a triple feature
Sunshine + Event Horizon is THE PERFECT combo. So similar, yet so unique.
That's a great triple feature idea!
Fun fact: A rendition of the "Surface of the Sun" theme was also used in the movie Kick-Ass at the climax of that movie as well.
I'm so glad people are still discovering this movie! I got to see it in theaters when it came out (mostly because Michelle Yeoh was in it), and I was blown away. Such a good movie.
Love that you finally got to this pearl. I especially loved the soundtrack and especially Surface of the sun "Adagio in D Minor" so much. This feeling of drfting to our sun, our celestial birthplace, its such apoetic move too.
Only saw this movie for the first time a few years ago. It has become one of my favorite movies.
i had the soundtrack for this movie on my phone for 10 years
Great film. Insanely great reaction. Love watching you see movies.
Yeeesss I knew George would love this. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Such an underrated gem, and what a cast and musical score!! I love that you guys have watched Sunshine and Alita lately… both in my top 25 films ever tbh ❤
That was the BEST intro by far. The “help me” at the end made it perfect.
One of my favourite movies of all time!
the computer stated "fire" the second it happened.
This movie uses the song "Adagio in D Minor".
The song is a masterpiece and it's used spectacularly in this movie.
Kick-Ass. #IYKYK
the game homeworld has it too. awesome
@@drewf8619 the most haunting score ever. I get full body chills every time
@@Sumdumfilipino It's great there too...
"Adagio in D Minor" is similar to "The Nature of Daylight" because both are *amazing* songs that are used in multiple movies/shows...
@@NT_1 Same here.
The Adagio in D Minor, written by John Murphy, was also used in Kick-Ass in the scene where Nicolas Cage's character was on fire. The bad guy in that film was also played by Mark Strong, who played Pinbacker.
It’s so nice to see y’all enjoying what I’m sure many of us consider a top 5 sci-fi horror drama lol I think the turn turns (ha!) a lot of people off but I saw this at the height of my horror obsession and was so pleased that it became horrific on top of the already-there existential dread. It’s also important to note (to me and probably no one else) that the original trailer for this movie used the song ‘Marion Barfs’ from Requiem for a Dream, despite Sunshine having one of the best original soundtracks of this era of filmmaking. I remember seeing the trailers and being so annoyed that they used such a recognizable from-another-movie song, but now am like… yeah, good. Nothing sets the tone for ‘this is a drama that will absolutely destroy you with late stage horror elements’ than the soundtrack from Requiem for a Dream.
Also play Peggy Sussed at my funeral please
That was a bangin' trailer though
@@cjpolett2055 nah. The trailer has all the spoilers. I'm glad I never saw the trailers before watching the movie.
@@Panik637 SUNSHINE has the greatest sound design in a movie. They shouldn't have used the Requiem for a dream song. Like you said it has been reused multiple times. Now the Surface of The Sun theme has been ironically used in countless other films and shows. As mesmerizing as the soundtracks in the movie are, the 2 songs at the end credits nearly ruined the mood. Terrible choice but I can overlook it cause the rest of the movie's brilliance
I’m sooo glad you’re reacting to this underrated gem! One of my faves! ☀️
Glad you guys love it, one of my favorite movies ever and the ambiant music is sooooo great!
This was such an underrated hidden gem! Glad you guys watched it!
Great reaction. One of my absolute favorite movies, not just sci-fi. The premise and plot is great but I truly believe it's the stacked cast that just makes the entire movie. Some bigger stars than others (especially when the movie came out) but it doesn't feel like there is a single actor with an ego, no one seems bigger than the other, it's just amazing
The characters are well written, dialogue is solid. The music score is CRAZY good!
My one gripe with the movie I had, the first many times I watched it. Was the third act. I didn't understand, what I perceived as almost supernatural strength, it made no sense. But having it watched it multiple times now, he's not stronger. But as they are getting closer to the sun, the effects of gravity changes and gets distorted, it's also shown by the deliberate shots with different camera angels, I still can't believe it took my multiple watches to catch that. When I realized that aspect, the movie had a fantastic third act as well imo
And to George and Simone, the final scene with Capa. It's physics and time breaking down which allows him to see what he saw
Edit: Thank you for taking the time to watch it
The music and overall sound design is spellbinding. My favorite currently is the one that plays right at the start when Searle is looking at the SUN and the final scene with Capa
I'm not even sure when or why I saw this movie for the first time, but I remember it blowing me away. Really amazing film.
This movie is just easily so... surprising, shocking... I felt like Simone I just was not ready for it. And it's a exceptional movie, but like the marketing. Never really let you know how it was. So nobody goes into it, expecting this unless you're really thinking about who the director is. But it's just hits you so hard like and it doesn't stop. Once it starts, it's incredible, but also like... It's almost not a fair panic.Just doesn't give you enough clues about how it's gonna go to prepare you.Cause it attack your soul and doesn't let go brilliant film
This movie is one of my favorites. The soundtrack and the visuals are amazing. It's nothing like you'd expect.
one of my favorite movies of all time. such a sleeper of a movie. its beautiful, suspensful, heroic, tragic, and horrifying.
Great film. The lighting in this movie is incredible. The second half of this always makes me think of Event Horizon. Ya’ll should definitely check that out sometime. Oh, and that awesome music at the end that ya’ll loved is also played during the best scene of KickAss. It’s called Adagio in D minor by John Murphy.
I was obsessed with this movie when I first discovered it. Absolutely love everything about it.
I relate to that feeling. It was more fascinating than I anticipated. Now I'm curious about how others perceive it. So I look for reactions or podcasts about SUNSHINE. There aren't many because not a lot of people seem to know about it.
I've been obsessed with the soundtracks in this film. Especially the opening scene when Searle is looking at the SUN in awe with the serene melody playing along with the whispers of Icarus.
I heard about Sunshine a half dozen times referred to as an underrated sci-fi from various sources. I finally watched it years later, hyped to the neins. It still impressed.
This is the best scifi/thriller/horror what i've ever saw.
It's logical, the characters are written good no overextragated flaws and traits of them. They were intelligent and not doing stuff because the plot wants.
Watched this in Ontario, CA when it released at cinemas. Movie was mostly overlooked in the U.S. total gem of a movie.
One of my absolute fave movies ever. Love that you've done this one.
Sunshine amazing, loved it so much at the time but I haven't watched it in years. The soundtrack is truly epic, hope it one days get's a vinyl release. ...I might have also had a massive crush on Rose Byrne for quite a while thanks to this one.
Just before his film career, Benadict Wong stared in a little known sitcom called "15 storeys high".
it was written by comedian Sean Lock who also stars in it.
its the best thing Sean lock ever did.
its just him and benadict wong in a flat being wierd.
it looks bleak, but the comdey is light hearted. its brilliant.
and the entire thing is available to watch, right now on youtube.
15 Storeys High S01E01 The Sofa
I adore this film. The science is flaky af but I just love the twists and turns the film takes creating an almost constant series of exciting obstacles for our heroes to overcome. That moment when Cappa makes his jump to the payload is one of the most epic scenes in cinema history for me.
This is honestly my favorite Danny Boyle movie. And I've softened on my opinion on the back third.
Same. At first I felt like it was in incredible half to 2/3 of a serious, weighty, “hard sci-fi” film followed by a complete mess. On rewatching later and some time, I’d still like to have what it felt like the first part of the movie was heading for… but it’s still a really good movie as a whole and does manage to work.
I remember saw this film at the cinema. I was nagging about the plot "okay they have to switch on the sun". But "Capa's jump" scene with the music at a theater was worth. Btw was not 2007 film but one from 2006, I recommend you "the painted veil" is the only drama/love film that I liked.
This in theaters was so good! I remember the sound being particularly insane.
The Greatest Under Rated Movie Ever! I've waited for Some to Watch This Movie.
This is definitely my favorite movie Ever!!!
Amazing Reactions Guys 👏
Thank You Beautiful Julia from Germany for showing me this movie. I will always love you! 💘
That's awesome! The best recommendation ever yeah
This is one of my favorite movies! I fell in love with the movie at the cinema, I was kinda close to the screen but the scene for mercury in front of the sun... I... I felt like a kid. I think I saw it on IMAX, but maybe just a regular one, but it was mesmerizing
Sunshine is one of my favorite movie, not a perfect film but a film that can leave an impression on you if you are receptive. The imagery of the film is so well mastered, the impact of the sun in contrast to the coldness of the ship, all those details are really well done.
like to thank you on producing you videos within the 40 mn range as you did before getting to 100k , yes it is tough to produce pods on both patreon and youtube ,but never forget where you started from .
this is a good movie and i have a copy and glad to see what you made from it.
Great reaction!
The science aboard Icarus II and Icarus I ain’t great. There are no rotating sections to provide gravity, for example. The parts of the ship that do rotate are unmanned and seem to rotate only to create a plot device (one of them being hit by sunlight and destroying the oxygen garden). Also it’s unclear how parts of the ship would survive once the main shield and stellar bomb were launched into the Sun, since that secondary shield is so small.
John Murphy’s soundtrack is simply amazing and gets reused quite a bit.