Spirk Suggests: Serenity
Fans of the sci-fi and horror genres know who Joss Whedon is. The creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it’s popular spinoff Angel for the WB and UPN had a loyal following built on Joss and his team’s ability to tell stories. When Fox came knocking asking Joss to create a TV show for their network what he presented them with was a hybrid sci fi/western combination called Firefly. From there Fox did everything they could to make the show’s failure a guarantee. From refusing to air the two hour pilot to moving the show around different nights and different times Firefly was doomed to failure without ever being given a chance. After a handful of episodes the series was canceled.
Fans of the show were up in arms. How could Fox do this? How could they not even give Joss and company a chance to show what they could do? A few months later Fox released Firefly as a boxed set and had to be amazed at the way the set sold. It sat at the top of the charts for months, people were giving them as gifts and the word began to spread. This was a damn good show and well worth watching! The storyline was amazing, the characters complex and loveable the villains reminiscent of the Empire from the original Star Wars Trilogy. The cry was loud and it did not go unnoticed.
Along came Universal studios with a proposition for Joss Whedon. We will give you 50 million dollars to bring the crew of the Serenity to the big screen and to tell the sweeping epic that Fox wouldn’t allow you to tell. What we got was the movie Serenity.
The original cast all returned for the jump to the big screen. Nathan Fillion as Captain Malcom Reynolds the rebel captain unwilling to bend to the Alliance’s will. Gina Torres as Zoe, his loyal friend and second in command. Alan Tudyk as Wash, Zoe’s husband and wise cracking pilot of Serenity. Adam Baldwin as Jayne the not too bright muscle with the big guns. Jewel Staite as Kaylee the cute mechanic who keeps the ship afloat when it should have fallen apart months ago. Morena Baccarin returns as Inara, the Companion and flame of Captain Reynolds. The centerpiece of the movie however is Simon and River played by Sean Maher and Summer Glau respectively. They are the reason that the Serenity has to fly so far under the radar. River was taken and forced to undergo tests and treatments by the Alliance because of her ‘special’ abilities. With the aid of some freelance ‘terrorists’ Simon Tam, River’s brother, was able to break her free and escape into the black where they were picked up by the crew of the Serenity.
Six months have passed since the final episode of Firefly ‘Objects in Space’ and the heat has been turned up considerably for the crew of the Serenity. With the bigger budget Joss was able to tweak and update the look of the Firefly class ship as well as the Alliance Fleet. With an opening segment that showed the escape of Simon and River it is learned that River may very well have gleaned secrets that could be very dangerous to the Alliance should they find their way out of her scrambled brain. Thus we are introduced to ‘The Operative’ played wonderfully by Chiwetel Ejiofor. He is a zealot who believes in the Alliance and it’s cause so fully that he kills anyone who fails the Alliance in his eyes.
What secret could there be in River’s mind? What could she have gleaned from a visiting dignitary that could put the whole of the Alliance in jeopardy? To reveal such secrets would spoil it for those who read this review and then wish to watch the movie so my lips are sealed. Needless to say it’s a nonstop thrill ride with twists and turns that make this such an amazing movie.
If you haven’t watched Firefly you will still enjoy this movie. However Firefly is well worth watching and I highly recommend doing so. It will add to your enjoyment of Serenity.
What’s next for Joss Whedon? Well right now he is stuck in Development Hell over at Warner Brothers as he attempts to finally bring Wonder Woman to the big screen. The script was finished almost a year ago but the movie has yet to enter preproduction. However, Joss is working with DarkHorse comics to develop an ongoing comic series for both Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His goal apparently is to do an 8 th Season of Buffy in comic book format and continue the story of the crew of Serenity in ongoing monthly tales.
What’s next for the Spirk Suggests? Snatch, A Guy Ritchie Film…Stay tuned!
Richard Carroll is an avid movie viewer and all around fanboy. You can probably find him at his computer playing Guild Wars when not watching,writing, reading or roleplaying something (Oh and then there’s the real world and work). Check out some of his written works at www.ficofthedead.com. A website in need of a webmaster to ensure it gets updated. (Any takers? Anyone? *grins*)