Serenity (DVD)
Newest Review: ... The series was left with many loose ends so after fans wanted answers, a feature length film was made. After only recently watching th... more
Serenity - a space western film!
Serenity (DVD)
Member Name: linzeelou
Product:
Serenity (DVD)
Date: 12/04/12
Rating:
Advantages: Great follow up to the TV series
Disadvantages: Some could find it really strange
About the film
Serenity is a space western film that takes place after the end of the TV series, Firefly. The film was released in 2005 and has a run time of 119 minutes. Serenity is rated 15 due to scenes of violence and action as well as sexual references.
Plot
Set in the future, a spaceship called Serenity is harbouring a passenger with a deadly secret. Serenity is home to six rebels, led by Captain Mal Reynolds, on the run but now an assassin is in pursuit. When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in a battle between the relentless military might of the Alliance, who will destroy anything - or anyone - to get the girl back and the bloodthirsty creatures who roam the uncharted areas of space. But, the greatest danger of all may be on their ship.
Cast
Nathan Fillion as Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds
Gina Torres as Zoe Washburne
Alan Tudyk as Hoban "Wash" Washburne
Sean Maher as Simon Tam
Summer Glau as River Tam
Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra
Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb
Jewel Staite as Kaywinnit Lee "Kaylee" Frye
Ron Glass as Shepherd Derrial Book
Chiwetel Ejiofor as The Operative
David Krumholtz as Mr. Universe
What I thought
For those of you who don't know, Serenity was made after Joss Wheedon's TV series Firefly was cancelled after only one season. The series was left with many loose ends so after fans wanted answers, a feature length film was made. After only recently watching the TV series, I felt exactly the same way and I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next.
Even though this does take place after the end of the series, you don't need to have seen any of Firefly to enjoy this film. The backstory is explained extremely well so everyone will be able to follow the story and what is happening. I was really happy with the way that the film started too as it didn't take off straight from where the series ended. Time has passed and characters have had time to change and develop but obviously, only people who have seen the series will be able to notice this.
Set in a mix between space and random planets, Serenity has a great mix of scenery. It is different to see how characters act and react in different situation depending on where they are at the time and this is where the different settings become a great thing. On the Serenity, characters are more relaxed, more themselves, compared to being on edge when on land. As I said in the plot summary, the crew are on the run from someone hunting down River so they have every right to be on edge. I really liked the diverse range of emotions that these different settings brought to the plot.
When it comes to characters, these are even better in the film than the TV series. For me, this was mainly because I already knew a lot about them before watching the film and I knew what they had been through in the past. While you don't need to have seen Firefly to enjoy this film, I do think you will get a lot more out of it if you have. Captain Mal is at the forefront of the crew, leading them in a race against time across space. Played by Nathan Fillion, Mal is one of the best characters. He's a bit mysterious, a hard ass and a great captain. Mal has an edge to him that makes him hard to relate to but due to his job and position, it fits him really well.
Two of my favourites from the TV series were River and her brother, Simon. The basis of this film centres around River and what has happened to her in the past, which is explained at the beginning of the film. Summer Glau is amazing as River and by far gives the best performance in the whole film. River is not quite all there due to the experiments done to her and has very erratic behaviour because of this. These traits make River an extremely interesting character and I loved her. Her brother Simon, played by Sean Maher is a good partner for River. As an older brother, the love for River is spot on and also how he cares for her is clear to see. There is a sibling tenderness between the two and it was lovely to watch.
Other characters are just as good as these. Cast members Kaylee and Jayne were very entertaining while newcomer, Chiwetel Ejiofor as The Operative is quite scary. The cast is very diverse, just like the characters they play. While there are quite a lot of characters to follow, there is someone for everyone to relate to and also someone for everyone to both love and hate. Watching this film did make me quite sad that I won't be able to see them in anymore episodes though.
The plot is fast paced and exciting. The film starts off with a real bang, explaining River's past and why everyone is on Serenity. The story is interesting and different, unlike anything else I have seen before in a film. All plot aspects were explained well and nothing jumped from one thing to another without explanations. Even though the story is quite complicated at times, it is still easy to follow, even for people who haven't seen the TV series. I liked that small aspects from the series were added in to the film and this is where fans will get more out of watching it. Serenity also has a hell of a lot of action in it which I loved. The Operative brings on a great chase for getting River back and so many exciting things happen throughout the film.
Serenity is the only space western film I have ever seen, and probably ever will, but I loved it. I think I would have liked it even if I hadn't seen Firefly beforehand but that only made me like it more. A great watch.
Serenity is a space western film that takes place after the end of the TV series, Firefly. The film was released in 2005 and has a run time of 119 minutes. Serenity is rated 15 due to scenes of violence and action as well as sexual references.
Plot
Set in the future, a spaceship called Serenity is harbouring a passenger with a deadly secret. Serenity is home to six rebels, led by Captain Mal Reynolds, on the run but now an assassin is in pursuit. When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in a battle between the relentless military might of the Alliance, who will destroy anything - or anyone - to get the girl back and the bloodthirsty creatures who roam the uncharted areas of space. But, the greatest danger of all may be on their ship.
Cast
Nathan Fillion as Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds
Gina Torres as Zoe Washburne
Alan Tudyk as Hoban "Wash" Washburne
Sean Maher as Simon Tam
Summer Glau as River Tam
Morena Baccarin as Inara Serra
Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb
Jewel Staite as Kaywinnit Lee "Kaylee" Frye
Ron Glass as Shepherd Derrial Book
Chiwetel Ejiofor as The Operative
David Krumholtz as Mr. Universe
What I thought
For those of you who don't know, Serenity was made after Joss Wheedon's TV series Firefly was cancelled after only one season. The series was left with many loose ends so after fans wanted answers, a feature length film was made. After only recently watching the TV series, I felt exactly the same way and I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next.
Even though this does take place after the end of the series, you don't need to have seen any of Firefly to enjoy this film. The backstory is explained extremely well so everyone will be able to follow the story and what is happening. I was really happy with the way that the film started too as it didn't take off straight from where the series ended. Time has passed and characters have had time to change and develop but obviously, only people who have seen the series will be able to notice this.
Set in a mix between space and random planets, Serenity has a great mix of scenery. It is different to see how characters act and react in different situation depending on where they are at the time and this is where the different settings become a great thing. On the Serenity, characters are more relaxed, more themselves, compared to being on edge when on land. As I said in the plot summary, the crew are on the run from someone hunting down River so they have every right to be on edge. I really liked the diverse range of emotions that these different settings brought to the plot.
When it comes to characters, these are even better in the film than the TV series. For me, this was mainly because I already knew a lot about them before watching the film and I knew what they had been through in the past. While you don't need to have seen Firefly to enjoy this film, I do think you will get a lot more out of it if you have. Captain Mal is at the forefront of the crew, leading them in a race against time across space. Played by Nathan Fillion, Mal is one of the best characters. He's a bit mysterious, a hard ass and a great captain. Mal has an edge to him that makes him hard to relate to but due to his job and position, it fits him really well.
Two of my favourites from the TV series were River and her brother, Simon. The basis of this film centres around River and what has happened to her in the past, which is explained at the beginning of the film. Summer Glau is amazing as River and by far gives the best performance in the whole film. River is not quite all there due to the experiments done to her and has very erratic behaviour because of this. These traits make River an extremely interesting character and I loved her. Her brother Simon, played by Sean Maher is a good partner for River. As an older brother, the love for River is spot on and also how he cares for her is clear to see. There is a sibling tenderness between the two and it was lovely to watch.
Other characters are just as good as these. Cast members Kaylee and Jayne were very entertaining while newcomer, Chiwetel Ejiofor as The Operative is quite scary. The cast is very diverse, just like the characters they play. While there are quite a lot of characters to follow, there is someone for everyone to relate to and also someone for everyone to both love and hate. Watching this film did make me quite sad that I won't be able to see them in anymore episodes though.
The plot is fast paced and exciting. The film starts off with a real bang, explaining River's past and why everyone is on Serenity. The story is interesting and different, unlike anything else I have seen before in a film. All plot aspects were explained well and nothing jumped from one thing to another without explanations. Even though the story is quite complicated at times, it is still easy to follow, even for people who haven't seen the TV series. I liked that small aspects from the series were added in to the film and this is where fans will get more out of watching it. Serenity also has a hell of a lot of action in it which I loved. The Operative brings on a great chase for getting River back and so many exciting things happen throughout the film.
Serenity is the only space western film I have ever seen, and probably ever will, but I loved it. I think I would have liked it even if I hadn't seen Firefly beforehand but that only made me like it more. A great watch.
Summary: A great film
