Ever watch "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and think, "I wonder what this would be like if it took place on Neptune?" Well, wonder no more. With the new film "Serenity," Joss Whedon, most famous for his film-turned-TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and its subsequent spin-off "Angel," has created something completely unique that can only be loosely defined as a Sci-Fi Western. Sounds absurd, yes, but somehow it works.
Set 500 years in the future, "Serenity" is the feature-length adaptation of Whedon's short-lived TV series "Firefly." FOX cancelled the show prematurely after only 11 episodes had aired in the fall of 2002. Although it disappeared almost as quickly as it had begun, the show garnered a cult status quickly among Sci-Fi fans. Strong sales of the complete series on DVD helped Whedon convince Universal Studios to do a big screen version.
The plotline for "Serenity" was originally intended to be the two-hour pilot for the show, containing character introductions and a vast back-story. FOX interfered and decided not to air it because they were looking for a premiere episode with more action. After the show was cancelled, a somewhat modified version of "Serenity" was aired. Nevertheless, the movie is perfectly suited for both fans of the series and those who never knew it existed. Those who know the story get to see it done right, while those new to it need not know any preexisting information.
The story takes place in the year 2517. Humans have relocated to a far-off solar system after civilization overpopulated their own and depleted its resources. The organized inner planets are governed by The Alliance, the galaxy's legislative body. Yet there is a lingering tension between those in power and the outer rogue planets, which were defeated by The Alliance in a major galactic war. It is in these untamed nether regions that the main characters reside, living life similar to the olden days in the 19th century American frontier — but with spacesuits instead of saddles.
Nathan Fillion ("Two Guys and a Girl") plays Malcolm Reynolds, a drifter who after fighting on the losing side of the war has only his ship left, Serenity. As the captain, he and his crew live day to day by taking on any random job that pays, legal or not. The ragtag bunch includes his first mate and loyal friend, Zoe (Gina Torres, "The Matrix" sequels), her husband and pilot, Wash (Alan Tudyk, "Dodgeball"), the mechanic, Kaylee (Jewel Staite) and mercenary and resident brute, Jayne (Adam Baldwin).
Drama ensues after Malcolm takes on two new passengers, Simon (Sean Maher), a young medic, and his slightly unhinged, telepathic sister River (Summer Glau). Turns out the two are federal fugitives on the run after Simon busted River out of a government research facility. Somehow River learned something no one was ever supposed to know and The Alliance is determined to do whatever they can to ensure no one will.
The brilliance of the film comes from the fact that "Serenity" attempted the seemingly impossible — passing itself off as a Sci-Fi Western. In theory, it is a completely ridiculous concept. What is more ridiculous, however, is how they manage to pull it off.
First off, no one uses a spittoon and there is no mention of the word "hyperspace." "Serenity" tries its hardest to avoid clichés of both genres. Whedon, in all his genius, even went as far as to accurately deny sound effects to any action taking place in outer space, because as any 8th grade science student knows, sound does not travel in a vacuum. This is just one example of the movie's originality and cleverness.
There is also a balance of humorous and serious that sets "Serenity" light years ahead of other science fiction films. As fans of "Buffy" well know, Whedon is gifted at providing witty dialogue. At first some of the one-liners can come off as pure corniness, especially with the Western-like style of conversation the characters are given. However, "Serenity" is interlaced with smart quips the audience cannot help but chuckle at throughout its entirety. Lightheartedness is something often lacking in the genre — or rather something that is not often done well (three words: Jar Jar Binks). Fillion, in particular, excels at delivering Malcolm's lines. This makes him the perfect underdog hero, combining just the right amount of cockiness with a bona fide sense of inelegance.
Not all is perfect in the distant frontiers of space, though. Glau's portrayal of River, who albeit is supposed to be unbalanced, comes off at times as just plain weird. The romantic storylines are rushed and contrived, but thankfully kept to a minimum. Plus, there are some undeveloped characters thrown in that seem to detract from the main plot, but they were probably included more to appease fans of the original series.
Even so, "Serenity" succeeds in providing something fresh on the big screen. No one knows the future of these characters. Perhaps the studio will want to do a sequel. Whedon has even suggested that he would consider reviving the series if a network was interested. Nevertheless, "Serenity" stands on its own as a fun film to watch.
Grade: AB
