| Tuesday, 13 May 2008 | frontiermagazine.net |
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| Serenity |
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| Friday, 05 August 2005 | |
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By Paul Poulton  The brief, spoiler-free review: It’s Gorram brilliant!The slightly more detailed review but, given the threats of violence against persons even considering spoilers, I shall try to remain as spoiler free as possible. On Thursday the 21st of July I was one of the lucky people who had managed to not only find out about a preview screening of Serenity, but who had also managed to acquire tickets. For those who’ve been living under a rock, Serenity is the big screen debut of Joss Whedon’s short-lived Firefly television series. Aired out of order and cancelled after only 11 episodes, Firefly gained a huge following, mainly by word of mouth. Based on the sales figures for the DVD release, Universal greenlit approval for a big screen rendition of the show. Whedon, possibly in an attempt to stifle too many leaks yet still keep fans salivating for the release, started showing screenings of the unfinished film. The one and only sneak peek for Melbourne was supposedly 90% finished with some of the musical cues still to be completed.  Just prior to the movie starting a UIP rep read out a message from Joss. Apparently it was supposed to be screened from the DVD he sent over but “technical difficulties” prevailed. It included such wonderful observations along the lines of "this movie is about the human condition... and big explosions. But mainly big explosions. In fact, if you notice any of that human condition crap, keep it to yourself. No one wants to hear about the human condition.” It was very Joss.Then it was into the movie. It’s set after the TV series but the back-story is explained in such a way as to make it interesting to die-hard fans, yet informative enough for first-time viewers. Serenity is the story of Captain Malcolm Reynolds, his ship Serenity and his crew, struggling to make a living in the aftermath of war. The show’s “western” feel has much of its roots in the similarity of the South under the Reconstruction after the American Civil War. The movie’s tone is a lot darker than the series. The elements of humour that Joss Whedon has become known for are there, though not quite as prevalent. The characters are driven and believable and very sympathetic. There are some beautiful moments, some very intense moments and some that just leave you numb.  I don’t know how much of my enjoyment of Serenity has been enhanced by the fact that I’ve had 15 hours worth of pre-loved back-story. Would a first-time viewer have the same amount of enjoyment? I think they’ll still enjoy it even though they won’t have the level of emotional investment in the characters.I can only hope that the Fox exec. who cancelled Firefly is now being soundly flagellated (probably next to the Universal exec. who passed on Star Wars) and that rather than continual doses of the excrement being touted as “reality TV”, some execs might actually bother with some well written, character driven Science Fiction. Ed: here's the complete introduction from Joss Whedon: Hi. This is Joss Whedon. If you're sitting here, you're about to watch my first ever movie, Serenity... unless you're facing the other way, in which case I’m not sure why you're here but you might need to talk to somebody, maybe a professional. But if you're one of the people actually facing the screen, then let me just say welcome. I created a world - well, I had a lot of help, but this is MY letter so I’m taking the credit - and you're about to enter it. I hope you like living there as much as I have. Serenity is a very personal work with political resonance and a heartfelt message about the human condition and stuff blowing up. 'Cause let's face it, nobody cares about that 'human condition' stuff... in fact if you notice it, try to keep it to yourself. Just tell people about the stuff blowing up, so they'll see the movie too. Thanks! The fact is, I’m very proud of this movie and everyone in it. I'm excited to show you what we've done. And the best way I can do that is to shut up already. Enjoy. Joss Whedon. |
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