Serenity Review

Just wanted to echo Brodie's hello! /Serenity review

Now on to business.

Serenity:

Talk about a fun film. For those of you not familiar with the TV series Firefly, Serenity is a continuation of the show which was tragically cancelled after only a few episodes by the same geniuses at FOX who cancelled Babylon 5 and The Family Guy (twice!).

The story centers around a crew of renegades who spend their time on the "outer rim" making a living taking any jobs that come their way - legal or illegal. There is the captain Mal(Nathon Fillion), a quick witted, scrappy individual who presents a tough exterior but occasionally lets his softer, more empathetic side show through. His "first in command" is Zoe(Gina Torres) who served with him in the war and nows how to get things done. Other crew members include Kaylee(Jewel Staite) their female engineer who isn't as innocent as her smile would lead you to believe, Wash(Alan Tudyk) the funny but nervous pilot of serenity, Jayne(Adam Baldwyn) a slow-witted "tough" who really isn't all that tough, Inara(Morena Baccarin) a "companion"(professional prostitute) who is far more than meets the eye, Shepherd Book played by Ron Glass, and finally Simon and his sister River (Sean Maher and Summer Glau).

Without giving any of the plot away, Serenity is basically the story of how the crew of Serenity try to avoid the clutches of an operative and the alliance because Simon' s sister may know a secret that could bring the Alliance to it's knees.

The script is well written and the movie is well paced. You are never too overwhelmed with action or special effects, rather Joss Whedon finds a nice balance of suspense and action countered with witty dialogue and an interesting story. The film has a good sense of humour and it never takes itself too seriously.

This is not to say the movie is simply fluff. It actually can be seen to have some bearing on the current socio-political climate within the U.S. but never so much so that it blatantly beats you over the head.

One of my favorite aspects of the film is that it doesn't dwell to long on the emotional components within the movie. If it's one thing I can't stand, it would be when a movie hams up the emotional aspects complete with the standard Hollywood soundtrack that might as well be replaced with an voice-over that states "You should feel sad now. Here is where you should get the message of the film" etc etc. There are a few moments, and you will know the ones I am talking about when you see the film, that are strongly emotionally involving, yet they are over before you are allowed the time to process what you have just witnessed.

Overall I would say Joss Whedon did an excellent job with this sci-fi, spaghetti western. If you haven't seen the TV show, don't worry, most of those I have talked too have mentioned that they had no problem getting into the film despite the lack of background information the show provided. If your looking for a fun romp in space, filled with western frontier towns, assassins, quick dialogue, and bountiful laughs take a look!

*** Three stars