Post by FillionRules on Sept 24, 2005 9:29:40 GMT -5
As the first in our semi regular series where we look at things beyond toys, I give a non-spoiler review of the upcoming movie Serenity, which I recently got chance to see...
Serenity, for those who don't know, is the Movie Sequel to the short-lived TV series, Firefly. As many of you may know, Firefly had a bit of a troubled history. Coming from the mind of Buffy creator, Joss Whedon, a lot of people held high hopes for his sci-fi western, but when Fox screened episode 2 first, a lot of people got turned off of the series, finding it confusing. However those that stuck with it, got to see the series blossom into another Whedon classic. Unfortunately for them, the viewing numbers were poor, and the series was cancelled after only half a season.
Many people have since discovered the TV series on DVD and lamented the series' demise. But the story of the crew of Firefly wasn't over, as Whedon did a deal with Universal to bring the story to the big screen.
The opening 10 minutes introduces those who haven't seen the TV Series to the world of Firefly. The war between the Alliance and the independents is explained. It's quite a long exposition sequence but it works well. We're introduced to River, and see (as we knew from the TV Series) how the alliance took her and turned her into a pyschic and a weapon. We actually get to see her brother Simon rescue her (a change from the TV series as it was said in the true original pilot epiosde of the TV Series that he paid people to rescue her and did not see the lab for himself), but it isn't until that 10 minute openign sequence is over that the viewer sees them on board the Firefly class spaceship Serenity.
Whilst in the original series, the threat was always in the form of the alliance wanting to retrieve their secret weapon of River, the movie takes a slightly different tact, with the alliance worried that she might have read the mind of some visiting dignitaries to the lab and hence picked up some secrets the alliance might not want known. And so we're introduced (again in the 1st 10 minutes) to the nameless bad guy known as The Operative who wants to eliminate River.
The crew of Serenity is much as we remember them from the TV Series. The changes are that Shepard Book has settled in a place called Haven and Inara has left the ship following the tension between her and Mal at the end of the TV Series. There's a nice touch when we first see Serenity and introduced to the crew where there is one continuous shot throughout the whole ship from the bridge to the hold. Small touch but it helps show that the ship is a character in her own right.
All this in the first 10 minutes, whilst a lot to take in, helps bring those that have not seen Firefly up to the same point as those who have. I'm not sure those who haven't seen the TV Series will feel the same level of attachment to the characters, but I would say that if you have chance to watch the TV Series before seeing the movie, you'll have a better experience for it.
So what makes this movie so much better than recent Sci-Fi fare? Well there are certain conventions in Sci-Fi movies. There should always be a prophecy, there's always an alien race, there's always a new crew member (sometimes wearing a red shirt) who you know is there to be expendable towards the end of the movie. Thankfully, Serenity has none. This is not something trying to be the next Star Wars or Star Trek, but tries to stand on it's own feet, and succeeds.
All too often in movies, there's a threat to the heroes at the end, where you hear people quoting the cliche "I didn't know if they'd all make it through". Well, forget that, I seriously found myself thinking "Jesus, they are seriously ALL gonna die!". Whedon plays with the audience, and by the time the film reaches a climax you are really not sure what will happen, but are sure that anything could.
The script is clever (I would use the world rollercoaster but that's so cliched) as you'll be laughing at a joke and suddenly hit by something that will change your mood through 180 degrees, or have a joke right in the middle of a serious event. The banter between the characters is great, to the degree that if you watch clips you might think this a comedy, but this is a script that takes risks. It's certainly not formula, and whilst Whedon's risk on TV shows sometimes fall flat, it all works here.
For example, trying to find something that's not a spoiler, the character of Jayne. Jayne is a mercenary, he's in it for the money but doesn't have the nobility or honor that a character like Han Solo would have. Heck if someone offered him money to sell out the rest of the crew, he'd pretty much take it without hesitation. In fact he has no redeeming qualities, and yet I love him as a character. There's just some great chemistry between the characters, in the same way as the scooby gang in Buffy, that makes you care about all of them.
Special effects are great, but certainly not outstanding. This isn't something with the budget of Revenge of the Sith but the SFX are certainly upgraded from the TV Series. They certainly aren't bad, and it helps keep the focus on the characters.
I found myself leaving the cinema, still shocked at some of the events that had taken place. You also realise that what you saw was pretty much a condensed Season 2, and you can't help but wonder that if things had been different and the events of the movie had taken place in a second season of the TV Series... well it might have just been the greatest TV Series ever.
www.action-figure.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=15889&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
Serenity, for those who don't know, is the Movie Sequel to the short-lived TV series, Firefly. As many of you may know, Firefly had a bit of a troubled history. Coming from the mind of Buffy creator, Joss Whedon, a lot of people held high hopes for his sci-fi western, but when Fox screened episode 2 first, a lot of people got turned off of the series, finding it confusing. However those that stuck with it, got to see the series blossom into another Whedon classic. Unfortunately for them, the viewing numbers were poor, and the series was cancelled after only half a season.
Many people have since discovered the TV series on DVD and lamented the series' demise. But the story of the crew of Firefly wasn't over, as Whedon did a deal with Universal to bring the story to the big screen.
The opening 10 minutes introduces those who haven't seen the TV Series to the world of Firefly. The war between the Alliance and the independents is explained. It's quite a long exposition sequence but it works well. We're introduced to River, and see (as we knew from the TV Series) how the alliance took her and turned her into a pyschic and a weapon. We actually get to see her brother Simon rescue her (a change from the TV series as it was said in the true original pilot epiosde of the TV Series that he paid people to rescue her and did not see the lab for himself), but it isn't until that 10 minute openign sequence is over that the viewer sees them on board the Firefly class spaceship Serenity.
Whilst in the original series, the threat was always in the form of the alliance wanting to retrieve their secret weapon of River, the movie takes a slightly different tact, with the alliance worried that she might have read the mind of some visiting dignitaries to the lab and hence picked up some secrets the alliance might not want known. And so we're introduced (again in the 1st 10 minutes) to the nameless bad guy known as The Operative who wants to eliminate River.
The crew of Serenity is much as we remember them from the TV Series. The changes are that Shepard Book has settled in a place called Haven and Inara has left the ship following the tension between her and Mal at the end of the TV Series. There's a nice touch when we first see Serenity and introduced to the crew where there is one continuous shot throughout the whole ship from the bridge to the hold. Small touch but it helps show that the ship is a character in her own right.
All this in the first 10 minutes, whilst a lot to take in, helps bring those that have not seen Firefly up to the same point as those who have. I'm not sure those who haven't seen the TV Series will feel the same level of attachment to the characters, but I would say that if you have chance to watch the TV Series before seeing the movie, you'll have a better experience for it.
So what makes this movie so much better than recent Sci-Fi fare? Well there are certain conventions in Sci-Fi movies. There should always be a prophecy, there's always an alien race, there's always a new crew member (sometimes wearing a red shirt) who you know is there to be expendable towards the end of the movie. Thankfully, Serenity has none. This is not something trying to be the next Star Wars or Star Trek, but tries to stand on it's own feet, and succeeds.
All too often in movies, there's a threat to the heroes at the end, where you hear people quoting the cliche "I didn't know if they'd all make it through". Well, forget that, I seriously found myself thinking "Jesus, they are seriously ALL gonna die!". Whedon plays with the audience, and by the time the film reaches a climax you are really not sure what will happen, but are sure that anything could.
The script is clever (I would use the world rollercoaster but that's so cliched) as you'll be laughing at a joke and suddenly hit by something that will change your mood through 180 degrees, or have a joke right in the middle of a serious event. The banter between the characters is great, to the degree that if you watch clips you might think this a comedy, but this is a script that takes risks. It's certainly not formula, and whilst Whedon's risk on TV shows sometimes fall flat, it all works here.
For example, trying to find something that's not a spoiler, the character of Jayne. Jayne is a mercenary, he's in it for the money but doesn't have the nobility or honor that a character like Han Solo would have. Heck if someone offered him money to sell out the rest of the crew, he'd pretty much take it without hesitation. In fact he has no redeeming qualities, and yet I love him as a character. There's just some great chemistry between the characters, in the same way as the scooby gang in Buffy, that makes you care about all of them.
Special effects are great, but certainly not outstanding. This isn't something with the budget of Revenge of the Sith but the SFX are certainly upgraded from the TV Series. They certainly aren't bad, and it helps keep the focus on the characters.
I found myself leaving the cinema, still shocked at some of the events that had taken place. You also realise that what you saw was pretty much a condensed Season 2, and you can't help but wonder that if things had been different and the events of the movie had taken place in a second season of the TV Series... well it might have just been the greatest TV Series ever.
www.action-figure.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=15889&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
