I'm rewatching Sunshine and the things that I'm noticing that could have used more... intimacy? were Corazon's mother-earthness so that the loss of the oxygen garden and her subsequent but also under-explored broken-ness made more sense. We never got to know Trey before his mother-of-all-screw-ups.

We never really got to know anyone. Not really. I think it was all a bit too subtle and understated for it's own good, although on the other hand I'm glad that we didn't get a cheesy exposition for each character's personality in the first half-hour.

Kappa/Cillian was a bit remote and unknowable, Rose Byrne/Cassie was bland as all get-out, Michele Yeoh was wasted and I wanted to see more of her besides as a victim of Pinbacker. Searle/Cliff Curtis was incredibly fascinating and might possibly have had the most dynamic personality and story-arc (and also I heart Cliff Curtis).

And there were a slew of other crew members that I never really got to know, even if on just a name-basis.

But, damn, is this movie pretty. The cinematography, the sfx, the score, the ambient noise, just lovely, all of it.

Danny Boyle is hit or miss with me. Loved A Life Less Ordinary, but despised 28 Weeks Later but that might have been because it raped the happy ending (if you don't watch the alternate endings, that is) of the first movie, and also because the concept of "the horrible things we must do in horrible circumstances, yet love still finds hope (survival vs. living) the sacrifices we must make to survive and the sacrifices we must make to have a life worth living" was also fucked over and turned into "gee, kill everyone, istn't it fun!" And omg Rose Byrne strikes again, delivering one of the most excruciating scenes that was the final clincher in my hate for Weeks.

Maybe that's why I can't watch Damages.

28 Weeks Later

FYI, Danny Boyle didn't have a whole lot to do with the sequel.

We never really got to know anyone. Not really. I think it was all a bit too subtle and understated for it's own good, although on the other hand I'm glad that we didn't get a cheesy exposition for each character's personality in the first half-hour.

I did like that, actually. That we learned about the characters through their actions and reactions rather than getting any real exposition about them. It was neat.

Rose Byrne/Cassie was bland as all get-out

I never could figure out what her role on the ship was. But I thought her little victory dance was cute.

But, damn, is this movie pretty. The cinematography, the sfx, the score, the ambient noise, just lovely, all of it.

Yep.

FYI, Danny Boyle didn't have a whole lot to do with the sequel.

I forgot to clarify that I can't blame him for the script.

I did like that, actually. That we learned about the characters through their actions and reactions rather than getting any real exposition about them. It was neat.

I almost feel like it should have been a longer movie, so that we could have been given just a titch more "show, not tell" for the characters. If only for Corazon's character, because I didn't fully comprehend her reaction and change until I saw the special features. I didn't gather that she was really tied up in the garden in a spiritual, earth-loving sense. That the loss of the garden was more than just a means of survival, but something very important to her personally.

And then to have her being the one to suggest that they kill three of the crewmembers, the impact isn't quite there, because I didn't know her well enough.

I forgot to clarify that I can't blame him for the script.

I'm not sure what you can blame him for, though.

I didn't gather that she was really tied up in the garden in a spiritual, earth-loving sense. That the loss of the garden was more than just a means of survival, but something very important to her personally.

I didn't really get that in the beginning, but her reaction to its destruction certainly spoke to that.

I forgot to clarify that I can't blame him for the script.

When it comes to who's responsible for the story, script, execution, overall concept and end product, I am very confused, because I know there's so many players, not including studio influence. I'm never sure just how much control director's have over all the players there are and the direction that movie goes in. I mean, between the producers, cinematographers, DP, studio, how much control does a director actually have? Which kinda pisses me off, in that there are possible/probable outside influences as to how as story is told, and how that factors in to whom I can blame when I don't like it. It's so much easier to complain when it's not a collaboration of fuck-ups.

Well, on 28 Weeks, Danny Boyle only had a producer credit, and it may have just been an executive producer credit, which can, in effect, mean I've washed my hands of it; do what you like - the name is B-O-Y-L-E for the check. Or a more involved participation, but I never got that feeling.

my bad, when I was looking at his (Danny Boyle's) credits, they had Weeks under his director-ship, as opposed to when I look up the movie itself, which lists Fresnadillo as director.

I never could figure out what her role on the ship was

Nearish the end it becomes more clear that her role is that of illogical, unreasonable, and yet totally understandable, compassion. The voice of the one for the sake of the many, even when the stakes are high.

eta third time around, the transition at the end didn't seem so glaring, if it ever did (I'd have to do a search to recollect my initial reaction). Skiffy Monster Movie of the Week seems a bit harsh.

Eh, no matter the critique, this movie will be a guilty (or not so guilty) pleasure of mine. That, despite it's flaws, I *want* to like it, and I'm willing to do what it takes to enjoy it. As opposed to LotR, where I really did want to like it, and even though the special features made me appreciate it more, I still ended up hating all three movies. Passionately. Also, Narnia sucked balls.

I just watched Repo Man. That is a strange, strange movie. And it reminded me of Dude, Where's My Car? in the sense that all the alien stuff was sort of going on in the background while the main characters were having their own plot.