First off my Joss Whedon credentials.  I've caught the occasional episode of Buffy and Angel, always enjoyed what I saw and class myself a fan but by no means fanatic of both. I hadn't even heard of Firefly (the show on which Serenity is based) till it was cancelled, and it was only due to the film that I decided to have a look.  Fourteen episodes later my anticipation for Serenity was through the roof, and after watching the movie I think Whedon nailed it; for both fans of Firefly and those people yet to see an episode.

To those of you familiar with the show I'm already preaching to the converted. Since cancellation Firefly has attracted a Star Trek cult like following, and it’s largely due to this vocal fan base (and excellent DVD sales) that the film was made at all.  Serenity does an excellent job of tying up loose ends from the series, and pretty much answered all my unresolved questions.  Enjoy your multiple viewings 'Browncoats', and let us all hope Universal greenlights a sequel.

To those who haven't seen the series your most important question is 'Does this work as a standalone film?'  The answer, quite simply, is yes. Serenity does an excellent job of introducing the characters and concepts from the show, while wrapping things up in a self contained plotline requiring no knowledge of previous events. It must have been quite the juggling act for Whedon to perform, and he deserves praise for the fact it succeeds so well. This really sets the standard on how to please your previous audience without alienating your potential one, and makes me wish 'If only the X-Files film could have been like this'.

The movie at heart is a space opera, a sci-fi action flick with a likeable ensemble cast and unusually large western influence.  People here ride horses, shoot revolvers, say 'yeehaa' and 'damn tootin', and generally act like you'd imagine the old west.  They just happen to have cool spaceships as well. The film focuses on the crew of 'Serenity', a beat up smuggling ship captained by likeable scoundrel Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion).  The comparisons here to Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon are obvious, but Fillion does a wonderful job of playing his own version of the lovable rogue type character.  We learn that Reynolds has previously fought on the losing side of a war against the Big Brother like Alliance, and now spends his days just trying to survive, taking whatever jobs come his way and doing his best to keep himself (and his ship) out of trouble.  When the Alliance comes hunting for a member of his crew due to some sensitive information she is carrying, Reynolds is faced with the choice of taking the easy option and giving her up or doing the right thing.  Needless to say he takes option number two, and the film kicks into high gear
from then on.

There's a lot to like about Serenity; the action is well staged, the dialogue sharp, and the characters play well off each other.  The special FX are good, though don't expect them to match Episode III due to this film having close on a third of the budget.  In fact when watching this you'll probably find yourself making the comparison to Star Wars quite often, but the great thing about Serenity which Lucas's prequel trilogy lacked is humour.  It's a welcome addition that is all too rare these days in sci-fi films, and one I'd like to see more of.  One small problem I had with the film was that it moves a little too fast, trying to pack a bit too much information into its two hour running time, but that really is a minor gripe.   Overall I'd rate this as one of my most enjoyable experiences at the cinema this year, and a whole damn lot of good old-fashioned fun. Yeehaa!

Review by David Quan

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