Serenity
Title: SerenityRating: 4/5
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau
From the creator of “Buffy,” “Angel,” “Drive,” “Dr. Horrible,” and now “Dollhouse,” comes the film continuing the story of “Firefly;” A TV show cut by Fox mid-season and replaced with – ugh – “House MD” re-runs. I think I should make it readily apparent that I review this as a fan of the original TV show, so naturally my opinion of this film is presented with some bias. I will however try to approach this from a subjective point of view. Following the story of the crew of Serenity (a firefly class transport ship) they are hunted by an operative of the Alliance (think ‘The Empire’ from Star Wars) for two of their number. Siblings, both are wanted fugitives, for one of them a psychic with knowledge of a secret. The operative must recapture her before this secret can be unveiled to the universe.
The matter of genre is a difficult one to place. Often described in a derogatory fashion as ‘Cowboys in Space,’ it doesn’t quite encompass what is presented here. It is set in the future, largely on the border of the known universe, where technology has yet to trickle down to yet and where criminal activity is common. This aspect feels quite natural and believable (as far as sci-fi really can at any rate), even taking influence from Chinese culture in the future (there are a number of phrases spoken in Chinese, though their meaning is always apparent in the context they are used), and lends an excellent distinction between the richer central planet and the poorer Border planets. Outside of the Sci-Fi/Western influence there, there is a strong adventurous plot with plenty of well choreographed action scenes, dramatic tension between characters and even comical one-liners to lighten the mood. This is a film that at some point touches on a vast number of genres, and handles it remarkably well.
The CGI is not the best – better has been seen from big budget films - but what it lacks in realism it compensates for in its use for creating vibrant backgrounds for many of the backdrops and planets explored, from smoking wreckages to vibrant cities and some damn nifty flying. The script is fast-moving, and it is here he treads a fine line, attempting to appease long-time fans whilst bringing in a draw from new fans. This is largely done by introducing new elements fitting to the universe already created, from the character of Mr. Universe, a more notable Reaver element (frequently mentioned, yet never seen in the TV show) as well as exploring the background of one of the characters, pivotal to the story being told. This dedication to the plot over the characters, whilst successful in maintaining a happy medium between the two sides of the coin, leaves the original cast somewhat poorly introduced.
The characters constituted a major highlight to the original show, but here there is little introduction, and whilst some characters attitudes and manner is fairly prominent, without knowing their back story many feel redundant, for it was their vibrant past that made them feel so realistic and fully fleshed out. I don’t disagree with this decision, however, as to fully explore each character in turn would be time consuming and likely rather dull for both new and old fans alike, but is certainly a drawback to watching from here before exploring the show, and may leave the ‘un-initiated’ in the dark regarding certain scenes. In fact, the notable lack of presence by Kaylee (Jewel Staite) and Shephard Book (Ron Glass) may make their characters feel redundant without knowing their history.
Despite this, no character introduction is needed to follow the plot itself; it is more than capable of standing in its own right, and the combination of action, tension and witty dialogue should make itself endearing to all who watch it. Some will never get past the concept of a Sci-Fi/Western to see how well made this film really was, and whilst I highly recommend watching “Firefly” first, this is an excellent film in its own right.
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau
From the creator of “Buffy,” “Angel,” “Drive,” “Dr. Horrible,” and now “Dollhouse,” comes the film continuing the story of “Firefly;” A TV show cut by Fox mid-season and replaced with – ugh – “House MD” re-runs. I think I should make it readily apparent that I review this as a fan of the original TV show, so naturally my opinion of this film is presented with some bias. I will however try to approach this from a subjective point of view. Following the story of the crew of Serenity (a firefly class transport ship) they are hunted by an operative of the Alliance (think ‘The Empire’ from Star Wars) for two of their number. Siblings, both are wanted fugitives, for one of them a psychic with knowledge of a secret. The operative must recapture her before this secret can be unveiled to the universe.
The matter of genre is a difficult one to place. Often described in a derogatory fashion as ‘Cowboys in Space,’ it doesn’t quite encompass what is presented here. It is set in the future, largely on the border of the known universe, where technology has yet to trickle down to yet and where criminal activity is common. This aspect feels quite natural and believable (as far as sci-fi really can at any rate), even taking influence from Chinese culture in the future (there are a number of phrases spoken in Chinese, though their meaning is always apparent in the context they are used), and lends an excellent distinction between the richer central planet and the poorer Border planets. Outside of the Sci-Fi/Western influence there, there is a strong adventurous plot with plenty of well choreographed action scenes, dramatic tension between characters and even comical one-liners to lighten the mood. This is a film that at some point touches on a vast number of genres, and handles it remarkably well.
The CGI is not the best – better has been seen from big budget films - but what it lacks in realism it compensates for in its use for creating vibrant backgrounds for many of the backdrops and planets explored, from smoking wreckages to vibrant cities and some damn nifty flying. The script is fast-moving, and it is here he treads a fine line, attempting to appease long-time fans whilst bringing in a draw from new fans. This is largely done by introducing new elements fitting to the universe already created, from the character of Mr. Universe, a more notable Reaver element (frequently mentioned, yet never seen in the TV show) as well as exploring the background of one of the characters, pivotal to the story being told. This dedication to the plot over the characters, whilst successful in maintaining a happy medium between the two sides of the coin, leaves the original cast somewhat poorly introduced.
The characters constituted a major highlight to the original show, but here there is little introduction, and whilst some characters attitudes and manner is fairly prominent, without knowing their back story many feel redundant, for it was their vibrant past that made them feel so realistic and fully fleshed out. I don’t disagree with this decision, however, as to fully explore each character in turn would be time consuming and likely rather dull for both new and old fans alike, but is certainly a drawback to watching from here before exploring the show, and may leave the ‘un-initiated’ in the dark regarding certain scenes. In fact, the notable lack of presence by Kaylee (Jewel Staite) and Shephard Book (Ron Glass) may make their characters feel redundant without knowing their history.
Despite this, no character introduction is needed to follow the plot itself; it is more than capable of standing in its own right, and the combination of action, tension and witty dialogue should make itself endearing to all who watch it. Some will never get past the concept of a Sci-Fi/Western to see how well made this film really was, and whilst I highly recommend watching “Firefly” first, this is an excellent film in its own right.
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