Posted on 09/29/2005 5:09:39 PM PDT by WillRain
Movie Review: Serenity The distribution partners for the new film Serenity, the sequel to the short-lived television series Firefly, have decided to embrace the blogosphere in order to promote its movie. They asked bloggers to set up pre-release screenings across America (or to attend previously scheduled screenings) for free as long as the bloggers agreed to write about the film on their blogs. They did not demand or even suggest that the blog reviews be positive or encouraging, just to write something.
One might assume that Universal might have taken this approach for one of two reasons. The first motive that occurred to me was that the studio did not have confidence that Serenity would score with traditional critics and wanted to bypass them, which would indicate a poor effort. The other option was that the studio didn't have confidence that a sci-fi film based on a failed TV series could find an audience in the fall season, and they wanted to get some buzz going so that a good film would not fall off the radar screen for moviegoers.
I'm happy to report that, based on the film itself, Universal must have had the second motive in mind. I never saw more than five minutes of Firefly, so I have no idea how this fits in with the series. I can tell you that this may be one of the better sci-fi films I've seen in the theaters in a long time. It has some flaws, but they remain minor and do not interfere with a movie that does not take itself too seriously but also does not kneecap itself by insulting its audience with dumb gag lines, either.
It takes a while to understand all the plot elements -- perhaps because I was unfamiliar with the series -- but the story coalesces around the sister, River, of the doctor, Simon, who rescues her from a secret facility that has programmed her for some heavy-duty purpose. A government operative (played with monstrous humanity by Chiwetel Ejiofor) sets out to get her back, which puts him on the trail of the ship Serenity. Mal decides that he must protect her, a decision that he will come to regret, but one that may also unlock a way to finally prevail against his enemies.
I won't tell you more than that; for the purposes of this review, it isn't necessary to give anything away. Very little of what follows is illogical or unbelievable, but most of it will surprise viewers. The film unpredictably navigates an incredibly complex universe, almost never allows viewers to rely on a pure good/pure evil paradigm, and puts its main characters on the line like no movie will risk in an age of focus-group testing and reliance on sequels.
Its characters do not rely on speeches and noble slogans (much), and most of them have their own sense of gallows humor that come from their own unique identity. The laughs the movie gets come honestly from realistic dialogue, from having the characters on the screen say what the audience is thinking, but avoids the "I like you, Solly, I kill you last" kind of goofiness.
In fact, the only major complaint I have with the film is its rating. The film has far too much horrific violence for a PG-13 rating. I thought it must have been an R, and only after the film ended did I discover its MPAA rating. Some of the futurespeak got on my nerves as well, but that gets less troublesome as the movie goes along.
My recommendation: Sci-fi fans will love this film. It reminds me of the best of the classics, where the purpose of all the hardware and the costumes is to remind us of our humanity and how easily it can be lost. It's good enough that many who do not normally enjoy sci-fi might find this one an exception to the rule. Don't bring the kids, though.
OMG!!! Just got back from seeing the film. I've done my part. I took my two brothers, who have recently been converted to Browncoats, and we had a blast. I am on my third DVD set, because my first one went to my brother and has been passed around to my brother's friends on campus and is on it's 13th generation, and my second one was kept by one of my other brothers.
I really don't know what to say about the film right now, simply because I think that I still need time to process. I have never been moved in so many different ways from a movie. Never have I been so satisfied from a movie as a fan, except maybe for Batman Begins.
I need some gorram mudder's milk and a nap.
Just saw it today. As good as everyone says!
That's a very good way to put it. We saw it yesterday; wanna go back again, and again. Hubby is waiting til it comes to the local beer and burgers theater. Movies go there after a few weeks, tickets are $5 all the time, and you can eat a meal and drink a brew while you're watching the movie!! It's gonna be great!
We'd never seen it until our #1 son came home for Christmas last year and told us about this awesome show that had been on Fox, but got cancelled, and was now out on DVD. We started getting the disks from Netflix, and the bought the set.
We LOVED Batman Begins!! There's a sequel in production that's supposed to come out in 2008. Wonder when the next Serenity movie will be out?
Oh, I already saw it once, yesterday. Might go see it again week after next when our #1 son is home on school break. He's the one who introduced us to Wheedon's 'verse'.
I was trying to be as open minded as possible. I really don't blame Jewell. Especially for the tacky line. I think the reality is that her character is simply one that needs a certain amount of screen time to be rounded out. What we have of her here is her edgier side. The one who has her dander up about a couple of different things - which is a perfectly legitimate emotion for that character and well played. but the Kaylee of the series was also more cuddly and affectionate ("I Love my Captain!") and there's just no time to show that.
As a firefly fan, I can appreciate that limitation and not blame Jewell, but looking through the eyes of a non-firefly fan, I could allow that someone would argue that she gave a less nuanced performance than some of the others. In reality, it's the dictates of the script but I wanted to give the benifit of the doubt to those looking for something less than perfect.
You sound like you would know the answer to this. What's the 411 on whether they will bring it back as a TV show based on the success of the movie and the SciFi run?
My understanding is that Fox has reserved first dibs on any more TV productions for 10 years. I also am given to understand that Universal is favorbly inclined to sequals if the movie does reasonably well.
The upshot is that any more TV is a long shot for now (although three films can use up a good chuck of that 10 years) but that more movies has a better than average chance.
Me, I'd prefer the TV series because I hate wating two years or so for my next helping....but as long as they keep flying...
BUMP
As I noted on the other thread, note that (SPOILER)the government does an experiment in social engineering and creates a population that can't take care of itself and a subpopulation of brutal predators. Just like in real life.
The entire cast is terrific. Even Adam Baldwin. (I almost boycotted because he's a Baldwin, but his character, the man called Jayne, is hilariously psychopathic.)
He's not related to those other actors named Baldwin, so don't worry.
Jayne is my favorite character. He doesn't have as much time to get in a lot of good lines in a mere two hour movie, but he does get in a few. Nothing quite like the classic lines from the Firefly series, though:
"Dear diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. Today I was kidnapped by hillfolk never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."
"I'll be in my bunk."
Not to mention Mal's famous comment about Jayne: "My days of not taking you seriously are definitely coming to a middle."
Bingo! I saw this movie as a look into lib Nirvana and how dehumanizing it would be. The good guys are anti-government and self sufficient. Need I say more. On top of all that it was simply one of the best Sci-fi movies I've ever seen.
The critics will hate it.
Actually most of the critics love it. Read the reviews if you don't believe me. Very few "liberals" advocate openly totalitarian methods - they think somehow they can have their cake (big governemnt dogooderism) and eat it too (ie, still keep their freedom and such). No one ever sees himself as advocating "bad politics". It's always "those other guys" who are doing that. Hence, even liberal reviewers, for the most part, are not going to get hung up on the implied politics of Serenity.
I saw Serenity over the weekend. Most excellent. Spread the word - Serenity needs good box office numbers if we are going to see any sequels made. Hopefully Serenity will get good word of mouth and not disappear from the box office numbers next week.
Bingo! I saw this movie as a look into lib Nirvana and how dehumanizing it would be. The good guys are anti-government and self sufficient. Need I say more. On top of all that it was simply one of the best Sci-fi movies I've ever seen.
The critics will hate it.
Actually most of the critics love it. Read the reviews if you don't believe me. Very few "liberals" advocate openly totalitarian methods - they think somehow they can have their cake (big governemnt dogooderism) and eat it too (ie, still keep their freedom and such). No one ever sees himself as advocating "bad politics". It's always "those other guys" who are doing that. Hence, even liberal reviewers, for the most part, are not going to get hung up on the implied politics of Serenity.
I saw Serenity over the weekend. Most excellent. Spread the word - Serenity needs good box office numbers if we are going to see any sequels made. Hopefully Serenity will get good word of mouth and not disappear from the box office numbers next week.
Ooops, sorry for the double post.
Adam Baldwin is no relation to those other Hollywood Baldwins.
Boy was I relieved.
http://www.the-cape.com/the_cape/ab/adam1.htm
Saw the movie last Sunday. I liked it a lot. Jayne's best line of the movie? "I could stand to hear a little more of that."
I had forgotten he was in "The Cape" which I also liked a lot.
The man can definitely act.
And given the context I'd have to agree with him :) River had great ones too: "I swallowed a bug", and the look she gave Simon after "Am I talking to Miranda now?" Heck, everybody had great lines. Fantastic movie, I'll probably see it again this weekend, which I hardly ever do.
Very rare in Hollywood these days.
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