Serenity (2005)

The Expectation:
First, I must tell you right off that I am an avid Buffy fanatic. Not the really stalkerish creepy kind, but the kind that owns every season, buys the comic books, and writes papers about the symbolism, style, etc. I also understand that there is a very fine line here- don't argue. This fanaticism, of course, clouds my expectation of Serenity because it is a Joss Whedon creation in the same way that Buffy is. Hence my fan pic to the right here of the Serenity cast in Lego form- thank you Dunechaser! I once read that if Buffy is the apocalypse about to occur and Angel is the apocalypse happening in the present than Firefly is post-apocalyptic. I had seen Firefly, the one-season tv show that is Serenity's prelude, so my expectations were high- although they take into account the show's sci-fi foundation, cheeky humor and cheesy story lines. A ship of smugglers; Cowboys in space- what a premise.

The result:
This is a great film for sci fi comedy lovers. It flirts with you with stock characters like the witty pilot and his gorgeous and talented wife, the back country technician pining for her love, the serious doctor who only has eyes for his troubled sister, and the ultimate space cowboy pilot who serves as a kind of patriarch to this family rabble. Ultimately, as they work the universe, robbing and looting, they have a core principle of fighting the rapidly growing, brainwashing, peace keeping Alliance (the State, essentially). Criminals with a noble goal! The premise is smart, the special effects seamless, and the characters fill all the requisite roles that need to be filled for a sci-fi audience. The message is incredibly obvious- the State will fall if its foundation lies in deceit, if its impulse is to deny truth to its constituency. And then we all have to live with the consequences, the grief, and the tragedy- made all the more worse by the cover up. How well we know that now, America. How we will never learn.... I think I just found a way to revive the show- another season, another film?

What to look for:
The scenery, the towns, the sets- its like a smaller Lord of the Rings
The rich and interesting characters.
The technology- it is interesting how we envision the future from our current position in time.


Flickr photo by Dunechaser