Serenity - DJ
I’m just going to go ahead and say it right up front, if I had seen Serenity before I wrote my best and worst of 2005 list, it would be near the top of the best list. As far as sci-fi action movies go, this is the best one I’ve seen in a long time.
Serenity is basically the movie created to appease all those disappointed when Fox cancelled Firefly a couple years ago. I watched Firefly when it was on, brilliantly placed in Fox’s Friday time slot that guarantees a short existence. True to Fox’s reputation, the show didn’t even last the whole first season. This may seem blasphemous to Firefly militants, but to me, the show was ok, but not great. I enjoyed it, but more out of the fact that it wasted an hour with a bit of amusement than the fact that I was really into it. After seeing Serenity, I’m now full blown pissed that Firefly was cancelled. My reasoning is that plenty of shows take a little while to really get up to their potential. The Simpsons is always my best example. In my opinion they didn’t hit their stride until somewhere in season 2 or 3. The obvious improvement between Firefly and Serenity leads me to believe that this was a show that was on its way to greatness.
While the movie continues the story of the TV show, don’t worry if you haven’t seen the show. The movie stands on its own just fine, even if you never even heard of Firefly. As the story has moved from the TV screen to the big screen, obviously everything is done bigger and better. The effects (while good in the show) are excellent and the story is far more engaging than the plots of the show. What hasn’t changed is the dynamic of the actual crew. While two members are no longer aboard (they make appearances later in the movie), all the original actors and actresses have returned and work well together. This movie proves once again that you can make a movie with basically unknown actors and actresses and not lose an ounce of quality. In fact, I prefer a group of talented unknown people over big names simply because I can more easily see the character instead of the actor. The only two people I really recognized were Adam Baldwin (no, not one of those Baldwins) and Alan Tudyk (the pirate in Dodgeball). My one problem, which was unfortunately unavoidable, was that some of the important crew members from the show have been basically relegated to minor characters. When limited to a 2 hour movie, it’s pretty much impossible to explore 9 different major characters properly.
Sci-fi action may be my favorite genre of movies, which means I have seen many many movies of this type. Joss Whedon has managed to craft an engaging story full of action, plenty of comedy, and a good cast. Even if you’re not a fan of Buffy or Angel (I didn’t like either), give this one a chance. As a sci-fi action movie, this is a solid four stars. If you’re into sci-fi action, I highly recommend you pick this one up. I’m sure you’ve already figured it out by now, but my personal enjoyment of this one is also a solid four stars.
Sci-fi Action: ****
Enjoyment: ****
Serenity is basically the movie created to appease all those disappointed when Fox cancelled Firefly a couple years ago. I watched Firefly when it was on, brilliantly placed in Fox’s Friday time slot that guarantees a short existence. True to Fox’s reputation, the show didn’t even last the whole first season. This may seem blasphemous to Firefly militants, but to me, the show was ok, but not great. I enjoyed it, but more out of the fact that it wasted an hour with a bit of amusement than the fact that I was really into it. After seeing Serenity, I’m now full blown pissed that Firefly was cancelled. My reasoning is that plenty of shows take a little while to really get up to their potential. The Simpsons is always my best example. In my opinion they didn’t hit their stride until somewhere in season 2 or 3. The obvious improvement between Firefly and Serenity leads me to believe that this was a show that was on its way to greatness.
While the movie continues the story of the TV show, don’t worry if you haven’t seen the show. The movie stands on its own just fine, even if you never even heard of Firefly. As the story has moved from the TV screen to the big screen, obviously everything is done bigger and better. The effects (while good in the show) are excellent and the story is far more engaging than the plots of the show. What hasn’t changed is the dynamic of the actual crew. While two members are no longer aboard (they make appearances later in the movie), all the original actors and actresses have returned and work well together. This movie proves once again that you can make a movie with basically unknown actors and actresses and not lose an ounce of quality. In fact, I prefer a group of talented unknown people over big names simply because I can more easily see the character instead of the actor. The only two people I really recognized were Adam Baldwin (no, not one of those Baldwins) and Alan Tudyk (the pirate in Dodgeball). My one problem, which was unfortunately unavoidable, was that some of the important crew members from the show have been basically relegated to minor characters. When limited to a 2 hour movie, it’s pretty much impossible to explore 9 different major characters properly.
Sci-fi action may be my favorite genre of movies, which means I have seen many many movies of this type. Joss Whedon has managed to craft an engaging story full of action, plenty of comedy, and a good cast. Even if you’re not a fan of Buffy or Angel (I didn’t like either), give this one a chance. As a sci-fi action movie, this is a solid four stars. If you’re into sci-fi action, I highly recommend you pick this one up. I’m sure you’ve already figured it out by now, but my personal enjoyment of this one is also a solid four stars.
Sci-fi Action: ****
Enjoyment: ****
posted by DJ | 3:00 PM
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