Movie Review: Serenity

Serenity

All right, I confess: I never saw the TV series Firefly when it was originally broadcast on Fox. I never regretted it, either, until a friend of mind shamed me into watching the DVD of the series. Finally, two years after the series was prematurely cancelled, I began to "get it." Firefly is entertaining in and of itself, but it's also pro-freedom as all get-out. I fell completely in love with the premise and its characters. As a result, when I heard that there was going to be a movie released featuring the same characters and general story arc, I could hardly bear to wait until it opened. That can prove to be a very bad thing. When your expectations are that high, even a good movie can fail to measure up. So now I hope you'll understand just what high praise it is when I tell you that the best thing I can say about Serenity was that I wasn't disappointed in the least.

The movie takes place about 500 years in the future when humanity has spread to other worlds. Unfortunately, it's taken some of its worst traits with it including the tendency of some to demand they be charged with the caretaking of the others. A powerful central government that calls itself the Alliance is spreading "civilization" to outlying worlds, and it will stop at nothing to continue its mission to subjugate various peoples "for their own good." One of its research and development programs involves the literal weaponization of human beings; one of the test subjects is 17 year-old River Tam (Summer Glau). Her older brother Simon (Sean Maher) manages to rescues her from the top secret facility where she's held, but much damage has already been done to the young girl's psyche.

Simon and River find temporary refuge aboard a privately owned transport ship named "Serenity." Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his first mate Zoe (Gina Torres) are veterans of a failed war for independence. Their distaste for the Alliance and all it stands for makes them somewhat sympathetic to the Tams' predicament and so the pair become a nominal part of the crew. What no one knows, though, is just how important River is to the Alliance and why; and they certainly are unaware of just how far the Alliance will go to get her back.

Mal and his crew often cross the line between legal commerce and illegal smuggling, but they generally steer clear of the Alliance and manage to survive in relative freedom on the edges of known space. But the Alliance has assigned an Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) to get River back for them, and he's both very, very good at his job and entirely ruthless. Although they still don't know the details of the danger they're in, Mal is quick to recognize that he's in trouble. So he rallies his crew and braves both Alliance forces and the horrifying Reavers who lie in wait for unsuspecting travelers in a search for answers and, he hopes, some way to survive all that is to come.

To Firefly fans, the main characters in Serenity are old friends. It's truly a delight to see each and every one of them again. The good news is that, even if you don't "know" any of the group, just enough back story is included for you to jump right in and enjoy the movie as a stand alone tale.

Joss Whedon, the creator, writer, and director of Firefly and Serenity, brings his unique touch to the story which makes the humor and the drama work in seamless ways that others likely couldn't manage. Though the actors are largely relatively unknown, the performances are uniformly good; given that Whedon isn't George Lucas and didn't have a Lucas budget at his disposal, the special effects are also impressive (an epic space battle involving countless ships in particular is just wonderful). There's some real drama, some horror, and moments of laugh-out-loud levity in Serenity. There's also an underlying and very important message: Freedom! That's a concept that too many take for granted and, as such, we are imminently threatened with losses of it every day. Films like Serenity may not change that, but at least we can hope that more will recognize what's happening as a result.

Firefly fans will, of course, love Serenity. Science fiction fans should also be pleased. For those of you who are neither, Serenity still has something for you. There's mystery and love; there's suspense and horror. I recommend Serenity on many levels, not least of which is the fact it's a pretty darned good movie. (As an aside, I'm betting that many of you non-Firefly fans will like the movie well enough to check out the series, too.)

POLITICAL NOTES: There's a line uttered by a young school girl near the beginning of Serenity that's positively haunting. When another child asks a teacher why it is that anybody would want to fight against a government that only wants what's best for them, the girl says, "We're in their homes. We're in their heads. We're meddlesome, and we don't have the right." Amen! And the horrors that ensue when the Alliance determines it can improve the lives of some of its citizens are truly frightening, and ought to serve as a warning that even the best motives can result in the very worst of unintended consequences.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Serenity is rated PG-13 for "sequences of intense violence and action, and some sexual references." The rating is probably about right given the graphic nature of a few violent scenes; your very youngest should probably stay at home. But slightly older children — even those 12 and 13 year-old kids who aren't old enough or knowledgeable enough about politics or government — should enjoy the battle scenes quite a bit (both those in outer space and those in convenient outer limits bars). Meanwhile, those able to understand the political undercurrent will get far more than mere enjoyment out of the film, or at least I hope they will. I saw Serenity twice this weekend; I hope every one of you will see it at least once. The worst that can happen is that you'll be entertained, but in the best possible world, you'll also come away with a new and personal appreciation for liberty.