A Space Western
I don’t talk about movies much on this site, and for good reason. I don’t really see that many movies. I’m more of a TV guy. I like to multi-task (at home) and it’s more or less frowned upon to take a computer into theaters in Austin. So, we mostly rent until something comes out that we really want to see.
That something a week ago was Serenity, a big screen offshoot of the short-lived, but cult classic television series, Firefly. Never heard of it? Well, that’s not surprising, considering that it premiered on Fox back in 2002 and was yanked shortly thereafter because of low ratings. I didn’t even know I’d missed it until it was already gone, and I’m a big fan of Joss Whedon, who created the show.
But that wasn’t the end. The show made it to DVD, and against the odds, was a huge success. And because of that success, an executive (who was probably fired) decided to let Whedon make a feature film out of a failed television series. Not exactly your everyday occurrence.
So, what is Serenity? Well, it’s a space western, just like it says up in the title. The New York Times described it as Star Wars, but with a good script, and without the wooden performances. That’s not an exact quote, but its close enough. It certainly avoids all the diplomatic filler (crap) that bogged down the Star Wars prequels. For my money, “I aim to misbehave” is way more quotable than “You underestimate my power!” Skeletor should sue George Lucas for stealing his best lines.
Serenity provides a quick back-story that helps to set things up. The Earth was evacuated years ago, and the Alliance wages war with the Rebels over control of the new solar system, yada, yada. A strangely calm guy is chasing a psychic girl with Ninja skills, and she’s hitched a ride on the Serenity. Okay, I’m no Ebert, but that’s enough to get you started.
So, why am I writing this? I loved the movie. I’m a casual sci-fi fan, but I wanted to see Serenity because Joss Whedon wrote and directed it. The same guy who created Buffy and Angel, two of the best written television shows you’ve probably never seen. Whedon has a gift for mixing drama with witty one liners, and making it all work, often in spectacular fashion. It’s not your average “space movie”, but it has everything you might expect from one and much more. It’s exciting and smart. Not exactly your everyday occurrence.
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