Serenity

—1. Overview (multimedia)
—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)
—3. Reviews and Blogs
—4. Cast and Crew
—5. Photo Pages
—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—7. Posters
—8. Production Notes (pdf)
—9. Spiritual Connections

It’s hard to believe that a failed TV show could end up as an epic film that bests some of the biggest blockbusters of the summer, but that’s exactly what happens with Serenity. The film is based on the short-lived TV show Firefly, which was created Buffy and Angel creator Joss Whedon. However, despite its short life as a prime time TV show, Firefly developed an intensely loyal following. When the entire series was released on DVD, sales for the set went through the roof; and as we all know, if there’s one thing entertainment executives can’t ignore, it’s money. So the failed show known as Firefly was given new life on the big screen as Serenity, and let me just say that this film blows away any of the other sci-fi efforts from this past summer, even without Jedi or invading alien tripod machines. In fact, this movie was some of the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year.

At its heart, Serenity is a story about belief. Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillon) is captain of the Firefly class vessel known as Serenity, and he’s man who’s had everything he ever believed in fail him. He became a man who decided the only thing worth believing in was himself and getting the job done, whatever the job may be. But during the course of events that make up the film Serenity, Malcolm finds something new to believe, something that gives his life purpose beyond just going from day to day, job to job; which is something that we’re all searching for. We all need something to believe in order to give our life purpose, we all have a longing to do something great, something meaningful, to fulfill a worthy cause, and if you don’t believe me, then how come people spend so much money at the movies watching fictional characters fulfilling those very desires? However, the sad fact is often what we choose to believe in turns out to be worthless or unworthy. In the movie, Malcolm does find something truly worth to believe in, but even that doesn’t last long. It may have given him a purpose, but he fulfills that purpose before the end of the film, which left me wondering what would happen to him next. Where he would turn to find purpose once again? There’s only one place where we can place our trust, our faith, and our beliefs and find a purpose that won’t just last for a moment, but for all eternity, and it can only be found within the pages of a Bible. Now you may have tried that, and during the TV show Firefly, Malcolm also had a history with it, but the simple fact is he, like so many others, gave up on that belief too soon. It’s easy to give up when things don’t go our way or become too difficult, but that’s when the true strength of our beliefs are revealed. Ultimately, when all is said and done and this world comes to its end, the faith spoken of in the Bible will prove itself the only thing truly worth believing in.

Of course, the biggest question about Serenity is since it was based on a TV show, and basically picks up where the show left off, will people that have never seen the show enjoy the movie? I believe they can. I went to my advance screening with someone who had no familiarity with show, and he came away just as excited and satisfied as I did. Granted he didn’t quite catch everything that was going on with the characters, but the movie was written and structured in such a way that he was able to enjoy the film as a standalone adventure, completely apart from the show. The story starts off a little slow with a lot of exposition to set everything up for newcomers, but when the thick of the plot kicks in, Serenity becomes a fast and furious epic adventure that deftly weaves together comedy, drama, tragedy and action. As a fan of Firefly, there were several parts I found much more enjoyable because of my familiarity with the characters and their stories, but in the end, neither fan nor newcomer will walk away disappointed. If you are a fan, however, prepare to have your world rocked. Nothing can prepare you for what happens, and don’t let any Internet spoilers or people who talk too much ruin it for you.

Joss Whedon, who as I said created the TV show along with shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, does an excellent job with his big screen debut. It had to be tough to make a movie that balanced the needs of fans and the uninitiated, but he’s done a good job of doing just that. The writing is spot-on, it’s tight, and it doesn’t miss a beat from the excellent writing of the TV show. All of the actors put in good performances, but since they’ve already played these characters before, that should come as no surprise. In fact, there really isn’t anything about this movie that makes it feel like a TV show. From the actors’ performances to the special effects to the music, it all meshes together to make an epic, sci-fi adventure that just feels as though it belongs on the big screen. As I said, you may feel it starts a little slow, but give it a chance, and I think you’ll find that there’s more of a saga here than the one the that recently concluded, and more drama than in a recent big screen portray of an alien invasion. The tough part about Serenity is that it’s an unknown. There aren’t any big actors in it, it’s not a familiar concept, and it’s from a guy who creates TV shows. Don’t let any of those things deter you from seeing this film. If anything, the fact it isn’t a sequel, prequel, spin-off, video game or some other successful property or franchise will add to it’s feeling of freshness. As with Batman Begins, this is a movie that even people who aren’t big fans of sci-fi can enjoy because it doesn’t focus on the space battles or futuristic technology or sci-fi technogeekbabble; it focuses on the people and the obstacles they have to overcome in order to survive, which is what makes a great story in the first place. With so many films this past summer that proved to be disappointing, it was nice to see one that had all of its high expectations (by the fans) fulfilled, and even surpassed. Truly, Serenity is a blissful experience.

—Overview