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 ans
of the now defunct science fiction show
"Firefly" seems to be the main reason
"Serenity" has reached the big screen at
all. Cancelled in mid-season during its chaotic
run on the FOX network, "Firefly" went
straight from TV to DVD within a matter of months.
Luckily for creator Joss Whedon (who also created
the fan favorite and long running "Buffy the
Vampire Slayer") and fans of the show, DVD
sales for "Firefly" went through the
roof. Thus, in the
land
of
Hollywood
, this could only lead to one thing: a
feature-length movie. Suffice to say, expectations
were high and questions arose as to whether a
two-hour movie could conclude (or continue) the
series in an entertaining way. Surprisingly, even
for a non-fan like myself, it does.
"Firefly" begins
with 17-year old telepath River (Summer Glau)
being rescued by her brother, Simon (Sean Maher),
from an evil organization called the Alliance.
River is brought back to the mercenary ship
Serenity, captained by Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan
Fillion), a not-so-typical leader who isn't afraid
to make rash decisions. His crew consists of
second-in-command Zoe (Gina Torres), her husband
and the ship's pilot
Wash
(Alan Tudyk), Kaylee (Jewel Staite), an engineer
who has a secret crush on Simon, and Jayne (Adam
Baldwin), the muscle. Quickly, the ship and River
becomes the target of an elite
Alliance
operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) tasked with
eliminating River and anyone who gets in his way
-- namely the crew of Serenity.
"Serenity" borrows
much of its plot from other space adventure films
like "Star Wars", "Star Trek"
and even "Stargate". However, Whedon
manages keep things interesting with unique
additions, such as characters speaking as if they
live in
Texas
during the nineteenth century. Also, weapons of
the future do not include lasers beams or light
sabers, but instead beefed up machine guns. In
terms of characterization, fans of the show will
no doubt get more out of the film than the
non-fans.
For me, the bad guy was the
most interesting. (Doesn't that always seem to be
the case?) Brilliantly portrayed by Chiwetel
Ejiofor (who was also recently the bad guy in
"Four
Brothers"), the
Alliance
assassin has no feelings towards death or remorse.
Yet his character becomes much more complicated,
especially when the reasoning behind is hiring is
revealed.
This isn't to say that the
crewmembers aren't well drawn out, because most of
them are. Nathan Fillion brings charm and gusto to
his role as the captain of Serenity, coming across
as more Indiana Jones than Jean Luc Picard.
Familiar Whedon muse Gina Torres is suitably
fiery, and Adam Baldwin does his best as the comic
relief. However,
Kaylee
,
Wash
and other members of the crew don't fare quite as
well, if only because their screen time is so
limited. TV shows have opportunities for
background characters to shine, but movies are
limited by the need for pacing, especially in an
action movie. (On a side note,
"Firefly's" possible return to the small
screen for a second season is probably up to the
film's box office performance.)
My other peeve with
"Serenity" is that the effects sometimes
look too cheesy. During a runaway scene on a small
ship that actually looks more like a jeep, it was
clear when CGI effects were piped in, thus taking
a bit from the tension of the chase. Without a
doubt,
Whedon's
script for "Serenity" is one of the reasons the film works so well. Fans of
Whedon's extensive work on the TV version of "Buffy
the Vampire Slayer" will instantly recognize the
character quirks, the quips, and even the style of talking in
"Serenity", all Whedon trademarks.
"Serenity" is a
fast paced and taut adventure, with the space
setting serving more as a background than anything
else. If "Serenity" was Whedon's calling
card to prove that he can be a feature film
director, then
it's thumbs up. Congratulations, Joss, project
"Serenity" is a resounding success. |
