SYNOPSIS
In a future where the universe is being colonized much like the West was, the crew of the cargo ship Serenity take whatever jobs they can, legal or illegal, led by Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion). Trouble comes, though, when a passenger, River (Summer Glau), is pursued by an assassin for the Alliance, the U.S./Chinese oppressive coalition that controls the galaxy. She knows too much and the adventure keeps coming.
CRITIQUE
Joss Whedon has been recognized since the beginning of his Buffy, the Vampire Slayer series as one of the most creative minds in television. He even had a spin-off, Angel, just as critically loved. Film, however, hadn't been as kind-Buffy, the Vampire Slayer had been an unsuccessful film before being turned into a series. In year, Whedon added a new world to his oeuvre: Firefly, set in a future of people pioneering new planets similar to the way they did the new frontier of the West centuries before. Critics loved it, too. Airing Fridays on FOX, though, proved to be a ratings wasteland and the show was cancelled. Ironically, fans became rabid online supporters and the series was released on DVD in late year and became a success-enough to prompt Universal to arrange this film version. Serenity is a clever melding of a Western with science-fiction and has the added bonuses of an excellent script and an appealing, fresh cast.
I should probably say it upfront-I'm a Browncoat. That's the name the fans of the show call themselves, taken from the name of the losing Independence side in the war against unification under the Alliance. Mal and first mate Zoe (Gina Torres) fought in that war and its influence underlies many things, not least the name of the ship-Serenity Valley was a famous, brutal battle they both fought in. Whedon's trademark, other than great premises, is his infinitely witty dialogue. The series was a treasure trove of this and the film is no different. Alan Tudyk's character Wash is the most overtly funny but they ALL get laughs. The best part about the humor is that it's character-driven. Mal and Wash, perfectly inhabited by Fillion and Tudyk, will always be quick with quips, Jayne (Adam Baldwin) will always be the mercenary for hire who's rude, and so on.
What Whedon pushes further for this film, though, is his plotting. In the translation to film length of what is essentially the second season of the television series, Whedon has to shorten some characters screen time but he offsests this with thrilling action sequences and unpredictable plot twists. Aside from good direction like tiny bits of nonlinear editing and split screens to represent River's state of mind, Whedon is also able to expand his universe with new planets and characters. David Krumholtz' Mr. Universe is a particular pleasure. The best aspect of the film, however, is Whedon's progressing of the mythology of his created world. His scary conceit of the Reavers-men who have gone insane, cannibalistic, and violent on the edge of space-gets an exceptional backstory here, tying the whole plot together. The structure here feels very much like the first installment of a saga and I think more people than just Browncoats will eagerly hope for more from the crew of Serenity if the excellent scripting and appealing cast can stick around.
THE VIDEO
Whedon's good visuals, refreshingly low on the CGI, from the theatrical presentation are here in widescreen. His earthy, mostly brown and red palette comes through without any problems.
THE AUDIO
The version of the DVD I received did justice to the film's good soundtrack in the usual Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. A French language track is also available, as are French and Spanish subtitles.
THE EXTRAS
Deleted and Extended Scenes: Most of these are extended, which I usually don't like, but the material makes up for that. I particularly enjoyed Mal and Inara's escape from the Companion house, especially one FUNNY grenade bit that should have made it into the film, and the later quiet moment between them is exactly what female fans will love.
Outtakes: Funny, but has a lot of cursing, mostly the "F" word. It’s longer than most gag reels, though, and you get to see how much the props on a film set actually mess up.
Future History: The Story of Earth That Was: For an excellent discussion on the influences of the world Whedon has created, look to this featurette. The film is put in great context by it. My only peeve is I wish it were longer!
What's In a Firefly?: The action scenes of the film, most specifically the mule chase near the film's beginning, get a nice discussion of how they were accomplished, including welcome interviews from special effects whizzes. Quite interesting and a nice length.
Re-Lighting the Firefly: Fans, look no further. This featurette is all about those people, the ones who got the failed series a chance on the big screen. A lot of footage from the San Diego Comic Con convention is here, along with interviews. Fans of the show will particularly love this.
Whedon Introduction: Speaking to the audience, I think at one of the advance screenings held just for the Firefly fanatics, Whedon explains a bit of how the film came about and sincerely thanks the fans. Nice to watch, especially the part where he says the fans are to blame if the film is bad!
Director Audio Commentary: Joss Whedon provides a solo track that is excellent. Whedon is consistently interesting and articulate throughout, from explaining the layered opening that shifts where we actually are four times as a representation of River's fractured psyche to the various influences he points to, such as noir Westerns like Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar. The technical information Whedon gives is fun to hear, too, especially about the lighting and design. For example, the shots looking down into the "Jaws of Death" chasm in the climactic fight scene could only number five and were very specifically placed. One of the best solo tracks you'll hear.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Whether you saw Firefly or not Serenity is an original science-fiction film that is impressively scripted. Good direction and a fresh, appealing cast will be more than enough for people who aren't even sci-fi fans to give this film a shot. If you rent, you'll probably want to buy. The film is that good and the extras are well done, too.
