My Officialish Serenity Review Blog

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 6:06 AM

Well, here I am. And there is Serenity. Big. Vivid. Larger than life. All on the silver screen. I've managed to get myself on a list as "press", as an internet blogger, to see a prescreening of the final product. So with this review, I will make it official, as I reckon I do feel some responsibility on my part to "Do the job."

Now being a fan, and a rabid one at that, it is sometimes hard to keep my geekboy fandom in check so I can maintain impartial judgement. I will try to do that here, and most likely I will fail, but all for good reason. (Hopefully I can avoid the spoilers!)

Serenity is a damn fine movie. Is it the best ever made? No. But it certainly shoots for the moon and gets there. The movie will certainly prove to be a debate for many generations (especially if the sequels follow) as to how good of a sci-fi movie this really is. However, Serenity is more than just a sci-fi movie, and for that reason, it may be the best sci-fi movie never to be hailed as the best sci-fi movie ever.

Serenity is a wonderful, well thought out, well played story about people. Everyday people. Like you and I, or not(since I suspect most of us aren't petty thieves), but people nonetheless who try to survive everyday into the next. The crew, like most of us, are living payday to payday, and do what we need to take care of ourselves and our own crew(families). Serenity shows us that we have to fight for the freedoms most take for granted, and some would look to take from us. Sure, you could say this is a political statement by Joss, but I think you need to look beyond that. Look into yourself. I think the movie begs the question of every viewer "Do you have what it takes to fight for what you believe in?". That in itself is a bold statement for any movie to make. I think this is what sets Serenity apart from all the other sci-fi out there today.

Serenity invokes so many emotional reactions from its viewers as well. While I watched the movie, I also gleaned, both by sight and by sound, the reactions of other people, both fan and not, in the theatre. Every key emotion you could invoke in a film was there. Laughter, excitement, anger, sorrow, frustration, love, hatred, anxiety and even fear(yes, I heard people yelp!) are so artfully invoked by dynamic characters (played by great actors) set in a engaging story. Joss Whedon has an undeniable skill in getting you to those emotional highs and lows during the rollercoaster of action, and sometimes at points it would seem inappropriate (I mean, who laughs during a death scene? I'll be surprised if you don't chuckle too...and then cry. Trust me, it'll happen). Without this, the drama of the movie would slide on by, probably unnoticed.

Simply said, if you like Science Fiction, this movie will please you. The action, the major story points, and the special effects (minus 1 or 2 mistakes I noticed that won't be obvious to most viewers, its just a curse I have) will make you dance for joy.

However, if you are the type that wants more out of their movie, or you are bold enough to drag someone along who might not be the typical sci-fi fan, you will be treated to so much more. The drama is intense. The characters, played by the same actors that portrayed them in the series, are so nuanced, that they come alive and tell you so much about the world in which they exist with simple glances and short quips. They tell you how life in the 'Verse isn't fair. How things don't always go according to the plan. How the line between good and evil isn't so much a line as it is an ever-changing field of gray.

And then there are the fans, like myself, who will not be disappointed (well, okay, a FEW of you might...but Joss is Joss and he will do what he does, so you are warned) by the near seamless transition for small screen series to big screen movie franchise (that's right, I expect there will be sequels...hell, some of those Star Trek movies were the worst ever, but they keep cranking them out don't they?). Joss makes a multitude of homages to

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