From the mind of writer/director Joss Whedon (of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” fame) comes a witty new-age sci-fi masterpiece unlike any of its predecessors.
Set 500 years into the future after a unification of the United States and China, a new governmental force called The Alliance rules over the entirety of space.
Captain Mal Reynolds is a former Browncoat, a coalition of rebels who once fought The Alliance for joint control of “the ‘verse.”
Having lost the war, Mal and first-mate Zoe have one mission: to avoid the Alliance at all costs.
From this point on, Mal and his crew (consisting of Zoe and her pilot husband Wash, mechanic Kaylee, the dishonorable bad-ass Jayne and the stunning Inara) take any job they can get their hands on, legal or illegal, in order to keep their ship (named “Serenity”) sailing and to put food on the table.
Enter Dr. Simon Tam and his sister, the dangerously genius 17-year-old, River. Wanted by The Alliance for experimental testing and detraction of Alliance knowledge nestled inside her brain, River is The Alliance’s biggest threat and they will stop at nothing to ensure contamination of their abominable atrocities.
One may be leery of the sci-fi genre, not without reason. However, “Serenity” does not overstep trite boundaries once used and later mimicked over and over again. Light sabers do not exist in Whedon’s neo-world. Neither does Jedi warriors or creatures from every sort of imagination. “Serenity” focuses on what Whedon does best: He develops characters and their relationships and ties to one another.
“Serenity” comes from the short-lived TV series “Firefly.” However, after yet another heartbreaking marketing strategy from FOX Networks, fans of the show were ecstatic to have the series follow the “Family Guy” way and prove that resurrection (and victory) can be sweet.
Regardless of the small-screen to big-screen move, “Serenity’s” character development is equal, if not greater, than that of “Buffy.” “Serenity” is written so that former fans can follow the storyline without repetition, yet it also re-tells River’s story to lure newbies.
Because of the clear, crisp writing, first-time viewers will get the same experience former “Firefly” fans will get. Not only does the movie transcend anything I have seen, but you will also fall in love with these characters. Whedon is a professional when it comes to creating characters that are realistic and dynamic, yet also flawed in their own personal ways.
“Serenity” also brings a new look to the boring, sometimes far-fetched ideas that come along with the genre. Whedon revamps and modernizes sci-fi, using excellent CGI techniques for many of the action scenes. Whether it is River’s bar brawl or her fearless attack on the skin-eating, body-raping Reavers that exist in “the verse,” the CGI is never overbearing, making the movie extremely appealing visually.
With only a $45 million budget, Whedon should be applauded and Michael Bay (whose summer science flop “The Island” spent $122 million) should take lessons.
If “Serenity’s” box office and DVD sales are high, Universal Pictures is going to greenlight the franchise as a trilogy and some say it could bring as much attention to the genre as “Star Wars” did back in 1977. It is a seemingly impossible goal, but having seen the movie, I assure you that it is not an impossible feat.
“Serenity” is powerful. A film like this comes along few and far between. It is visual art and should be the quintessential model for all future and current filmmakers. It has mystery, emotion, action, great dialogue and comedy. What more could a moviegoer ask for? It’s true, “Serenity” is bliss.
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