For those unfortunate few, and hopefully by now it is just a select few, I will start off by explaining the Serenity phenomenon. Serenity is based off the canceled Fox show, Firefly. A movie based off a canceled show you say? Yep, and did I mention that it was canceled during the first season?
Firefly was an interesting mix of Sci-Fi, Western, Comedy, and Drama. It was created by Joss Whedon, best know for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Best known for the two aforementioned until one experiences Firefly that is.
Firefly takes place 500 years into the future when the earth becomes too small to inhabit the ever-growing population. Another solar system is found, one with several different planets and moons. The planets and moons become terraformed, which allows for humans to live on them with oxygen and gravity like earth. A Governmental group called the Alliance tries to make everyone live life their way across all the planets and moons. But many people did not take well to this way of life and banded together to fight a war against the Alliance. These people were aptly called the Independents (or Brown Coats to those of us that know the story like a child does Little Red Riding Hood).
In comes our main hero, Malcolm Reynolds, or Mal as you will get to know him. Mal was one of the few Independents to survive the Battle of Serenity, which ended up being the final blow to the Independents. After the war, Mal buys a Firefly-class ship (they like to call it a boat) and he names it Serenity. Mal then does what he can to make a living as Serenity is mainly a cargo ship. He picks up odd transport jobs when he can and picks up a few crew members here and there. It's the crew members that push the stories of Firefly along, particularly the wanted brother and sister team, Simon and River Tam.
It's impossible for me to give justice to the first and only season of Firefly. It's one that must be experienced, even to those that don't care for Sci-Fi. This is not your daddy's Star Trek, it's a show full of life and emotion, one that will make you glad someone like Joss Whedon takes the time to meticulously put together something so grand for us to enjoy during our time here amongst the living.
Ok, so let's get on with the review of Serenity, now that everyone has an idea of what it is. Since I know a lot of people have yet to see it, I'll try to keep it spoiler-free. There are a couple of things that happen in the movie that will leave Firefly fans with a disconnected feeling.
The movie incorporates an Alliance Assassin (resident bad guy that's needed in feature films). This assassin is referred to as The Operative, and is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Ejiofor does a wonderful job in this role. The Operative comes across as someone that never gets jaded, his job is to find River Tam, and kill her, that is all he's concerned about. He will kill anyone and everyone that gets in his way and his signature kill is to have those die honorably by falling on his Katana while he holds it. He's very complacent and unlike most movies of this genre, all human.
That's what separates Serenity/Firefly from most Sci-Fi is that you could see this Universe (it's called the verse in the show and movie) in today's time. There are no aliens or other unworldly beings here. Just regular everyday people like us, trying to make a living.
A lot of River's secrets are unlocked throughout the movie, and I’ll just leave it at that for those still needing to see it. The movie centers on the Alliance's aggressive pursuit of River and the conflict that it causes the entire crew of Serenity. Of course you can still expect all the witty remarks that made you laugh throughout Firefly. There are definitely a lot of great lines that will send you back to the theaters to include "She's damaging my calm," from the ever quotable Jayne Cobb.
From a production standpoint, Serenity has half the budget of most Blockbusters today, but you would be hard-pressed to believe that. Thankfully, many of the camera techniques that made the TV series so unique made their way to the big screen as well. There are some significant differences that stand out such as the overall quality of the CG sequences of Serenity during the many ship battles and chases.
On the sound side of things, Serenity/Firefly has never sounded better. From a great score (even though it's done by someone else, it still has the same feel) to riveting, thunderous booms from Serenity herself, it was a treat to hear it in full Dolby Digital theater bliss.
In conclusion, I know I didn't reveal much in this review. Personally, I feel movie reviews are for those that have yet to see a movie. I know I could careless about reading a review regarding a movie I have already seen because I will have already made my judgment on it. Also, I did it this way because I know several of you out there have yet to experience this epic. Yes, I call it epic because it's some of the best storytelling I've ever experienced. Remember the good, giddy feeling you had when first watching an Indiana Jones or Back to the Future movie? I know I do, and still do when watching those. Joss has brought back the feeling Spielberg and Lucas gave in the mid to late 80s. I encourage anyone that has yet to watch the Firefly DVD set yet to please, run to your local Best Buy and pick it up today. Or you can take the more frugal approach and borrow it from a buddy; I know they would be more than happy to convert a friend. If you think you're too cool for something of the Sci-Fi ilk, not only are you mistaken, you're ignorant beyond belief. Watch the DVDs, hurry to the movie, and then go to the movie again. Oh, and feel the pain us Firefly fans feel after the movie, you'll know what I mean, just trust me!
"Serenity" opens September 30, 2005 and is rated PG13. Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi. Written and directed by Joss Whedon. Starring Adam Baldwin, Alan Tudyk, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Krumholtz, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, Nathan Fillion, Ron Glass, Sean Maher, Summer Glau.
