Serenity now, sanity later...... (Serenity (DVD))

Name: pmcds

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Product:	Serenity (DVD)
Date:	08/04/08 (32 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great action film mixed with quick wit

Disadvantages: Like a long TV episode

Serenity (2005) is based on Joss Whedon's TV series Firefly. Sadly, Firefly did not last long, and I do not see why. Whedon proved himself as an Emmy-nominated writer/director with Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel, and Firefly and Serenity both retain his writing wit and intense storylines.

The Plot

500 years in the future, Captain Malcolm Reynolds, on the losing side of the galactic wars, finds himself transporting a special passenger on his ship, one who is holding a secret. Pursued by a deadly government assassin and under constant threat from the Reavers, Reynolds and his crew, already fugitives, find themselves fleeing and fighting harder than they ever have done before.

The Cast and Performances

For the film Serenity, Whedon has used the same actors and actresses as in Firefly. Nathan Fillion is the Captain, Mal, and gives a witty and powerful performance as the unwilling hero on the run. His crew are well acted, but there is nothing special here. The acting is very much as you would expect of a Star Trek film, for example, with series actors giving similar performances as they do on the small screen. This gives the 114 minute filma TV show feel about it, and possibly too long.

The assassin chasing them is known as The Operative, and is payed emotionlessly by Chiwetel Ejiofor - the perfect performance for an assassin who is so cold and clinical. The star of the shoe is undoubtedly Summer Glau as River, the telepathic passenger whose secret is her power.

My Opinion

There are many aspects of this film that I really liked. The majority of the special effects and the scenery in a future ravaged by time and employing futuristic technology is handled very well, and the choreography of the fight sequences is amazing, particularly where The Operative and River are concerned.

My only problem with this film was that it did seem like a really long episode of a TV programme. However, it did not detract from my enjoyment of what is essentiall a very good film, well made and acted. Whedon at the helm has nurtured his creation onto the big screen in a very clinical manner, with the right balance of wit and action.

Conclusion

A well made film that runs like a really long TV episode.

I rate this film at 4 stars out of 5.

The DVD is available from amazon.co.uk for £4.98.

This review may aloso be posted on ciao.co.uk.

Thanks for reading.

Summary: Serenity (2005) - film of the TV series Firefly