![]() ![]() Then a real problem becomes apparent: River is being pursued by one of the Alliance's elite operatives (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and he will stop at nothing to eliminate her. At first, having River and Simon on board doesn't seem to be a problem, but Simon's unwillingness to take orders and River's increasing mental instability generate friction. His crew consists of his second-in-command, Zoe (Gina Torres) her husband and the ship's pilot, Wash (Alan Tudyk) Kaylee (Jewel Staite), an engineer who's prettier than Scotty and Jayne (Adam Baldwin), a tough-talking bruiser. The ship is captained by Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), a war veteran who is more compassionate than he lets on. She is rescued by her brother, Simon (Sean Maher), and the two seek refuge upon the mercenary ship Serenity. A 17-year old telepath named River (Summer Glau) is being manipulated by this universe's version of the Evil Empire (called the Alliance) to become a weapon. The storyline is set up economically, albeit with a little too much starting exposition. ![]() Serenity falls in the latter, "retro" category. This is one of the key elements that separates the Star Trek camp from the (new) Battlestar Galactica one. The characters talk like they learned English in the 19th century Old West (with occasional Chinese curses thrown in for good measure). ![]() The space-ships are not sleek and streamlined - they're hunks of junk being held together by paperclips and masking tape. The emphasis should be on "adventure " the "science fiction" just gives Whedon (making his directorial debut) an interesting canvas to paint upon. Serenity is a fast-paced, engaging science fiction adventure tale. This is an opportunity for a different point-of-view. My goal with this review is to present the perspective of someone who appreciates science fiction but has never been exposed to Joss Whedon's universe (I never saw Buffy or Angel, either). I have been tempted to sample it (opportunities abound), but have avoided doing so. To that end, I have avoided the TV series for the sake of this review. One question that's impossible to answer for a Firefly fan is whether the film works on its own. (To be fair, X-Files did something similar, although it was still on the air when the movie reached theaters.) The box office numbers will determine where the Firefly characters go from here: to a sequel, to a new TV series, or to the dusty part of a DVD shelf. The only other franchise to make such a lofty claim is Star Trek. Serenity, Joss Whedon's follow-up to his defunct TV project Firefly, thus enters rarefied territory. By "it," I'm referring to the process by which a science fiction television show is canceled, becomes a cult hit after its removal from the air, and is brought back to life as a major motion picture with the original cast. This is only the second time it has happened. ![]()
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