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If you're ready to take a breather from the whole global-warming discussion, you might want to try "Sunshine."

A sci-fi film about global cooling, "Sunshine" reunites director Danny Boyle, writer Alex Garland and actor Cillian Murphy, who created a phenomenon with the near-futuristic horror film "28 Days Later."

"Sunshine" feels more like "2001: A Space Odyssey" than "28 Days Later" - at least at first. It manages a similar sense of stillness and awe as eight scientists and astronauts head toward the dying sun to restart it.

Most of the crew of the Icarus II seems transfixed by the star. While crew members were chosen for their various skills, it also appears that they share a form of sun worship. Psychologist Searle (Cliff Curtis, "Live Free or Die Hard"), Capt. Kaneda (Hiroyuki Sanada of "Ringu") and physicist Capa (Murphy) are particularly star struck.

A previous Icarus failed to deliver its payload, and now Icarus II is carrying a bomb the size of Manhattan that should, if calculations are correct, reignite the sun and save Earth from extinction. But before they can reach their destination, the six men and two women must deal with moral dilemmas, human failures and a touch of the sun.

Boyle cooks up stunning imagery that's convincing in its realism and its mystical power. The depictions of space and the ship itself will make sci-fi fans salivate.

The cast, which includes Chris Evans ("Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"), Rose Byrne (TV's new "Damages") and Michelle Yeoh ("Memoirs of a Geisha"), is eclectic, distinctive and believable.

Like most good science-fiction flicks, "Sunshine" is about people, not special effects. But it goes off course a bit in the final act as Garland detours into familiar territory that detracts from the tone of the rest of the film.

There's plenty of suspense and intensity leading up to the awkward twist, which might have worked better had a different character been involved. The flaw isn't fatal, but it detracts from the film's more cerebral conceits.

Even though it's not perfect, "Sunshine" is a welcome addition to the list of cinematic voyages through space. It reaches not for the stars, but for only one star — the one that matters most to Earth.