Serenity DVD Review
I was fortunate enough to be offered a pre-release copy of the DVD for Joss Whedon’s Serenity. I said yes of course. Serenity is the movie sequel to Whedon’s short lived tv series Firefly. Though no doubt most of my regular readers are perfectly well aware of that. In this first part of a two part review I take a look at the movie Serenity itself. Part two will look at the extras that come with the DVD.
The focus of Serenity is on the character of River Tam. In the Firefly series it was established that she was a psychic and that she was on the run from the Alliance. The early moments of Serenity rapidly establish how she escaped and also introduce The Operative, a man who is eerily calm in his insanity and who seems bent on returning River Tam to the Alliance.
It’s a fast paced opener that effectively combines an info-dump to get everyone up to speed with the central plot thrust of the movie. All wrapped up in some special effects goodness and slick camera work.
Once we get past the opening credits we’re presented with most of the familiar characters and the sort of snappy dialogue that Joss Whedon is famous for. It’s immediately obvious that the sets and special effects of Serenity have hugely benefited from the larger budget. But unlike another science fiction film that came out this year, the special effects are clearly the backdrop, not the centerpiece of the movie.
Nathan Filion reprises his role as Mal, Captain of the Serenity. In many ways he is Han Solo without the PG rating. Essentially good-hearted man, he is capable of almost anything in self-defense. As the story developes and his desperation grows he is faced with situations where his already hazy grip on morality is blurred even further.
This sort of darkness is present in all of Serenity’s characters and its one of the things that made it a pleasure to watch. I suspect though that it’s also one of the things that limits Serenity’s appeal. The complexity of the characters means that no-one is entirely good and perhaps that makes them harder for some people to root for.
The acting is consistently impressive throughout the film. Even if you’re not familiar with Firefly you will likely recognize several of the actors from other Joss Whedon series. The character depth gives the actors something to work with and they make the most of their opportunities.
There are two ways to look at Serenity. Either as a fan of the series Firefly, or as a fan of science fiction movies in general.
As a sequel to Firefly, Serenity succeeds by taking key plot elements from the series and crafting a tale that both compliments what was presented and revealing new elements of the back story.
On a more fundamental level though Serenity also succeeds as a science fiction movie. No knowledge of these characters prior to the movie is required in order to enjoy it. The story is complete as presented, offering an action packed sci-fi adventure with moments of comedy and moments of heartbreak.
Whatever level you watch Serenity on, it is sure to entertain you.
The Serenity DVD will be available on Tuesday December 20th 2005.
Link: Official Serenity Website
Eoghann Irving is amongst other things the creator and Editor of Solar Flare. He has a life long interest in all forms of science fiction and fantasy and a pressing need to share this interest with anyone who will listen. Find out more at his personal website eoghann.com..
No Comments, Comment or Ping
Reply to “Serenity DVD Review”