Review: Serenity

Eureka! Serenity is finally out, and I couldn't be happier. For those who've waited months for this film to debut, it will not disappoint; and for those of you who have no clue as to what the hell this movie is, you just might find a cinematic delight (pardon the rhyme).

It picks up six months after the final episode of Firefly (the cancelled 2002 Fox series that the movie is based on) and follows the (mis)adventures of Captain Mal Reynolds and his crew of smugglers/pirates/thieves aboard the rickety "firefly" class spaceship called Serenity. Among his passengers are a young girl named River who has mysterious psychic and physical abilities (i.e. she knows what's going on in the next room - or a galaxy away - and she can kick anybody's ass). The government - called the Alliance, which is made up of earth's superpowers, America and China - wants River back in their custody and will kill anyone who stands in their way.

The movie does have its problems. There are a few lags in the pacing, but the main complaint I have is about the characters. The show's best aspect was how the different crewmembers (nine of them in all) interacted with each other. In the movie version, a few of the characters are relegated to "supporting cast" status (and in some cases, have hardly any screen time at all). While this does leave more room for Mal (Nathan Fillion, above) to shine, it lessens the other characters and thereby dampens one of the qualities that made the show such a blast to watch.

But this is the only big negative I can think of. The writing is spot on (as with the TV series), with writer and first-time feature director Joss Whedon's trademark mix of humor and poignancy, and the acting, for the most part (*cough* Simon *cough*), is well-done. The real break-out star of the movie, as I've somewhat mentioned before, is Nathan Fillion. Continuing the role he crafted in the series, his Captain Reynolds could have easily turned into "Han Solo Lite" in lesser hands, but Fillion fills the role with his own brand of wit, sincerety, brashness, and humanity that gives Mal a life of his own.

As I mentioned in my previous blog concerning this movie, there is the possibility of movie sequels, but how those sequels will play out is uncertain, considering some of the plot developments in the film - I don't want to get too specific so as to ruin the movie's surprise(s). I would highly recommend this movie to fans of the series, and I think newcomers would consider it an enjoyable movie, as well (and could hopefully result in new Firefly fans).

Grade: (for fans) A-
(for everyone else) B