Cinerant

Better Late Than Never

There's fashionably late and then there's so late that you should be ashamed of yourself. The latter is what I feel about Serenity. I can't believe that it took me almost an entire month to see this little gem of a movie.

I guess first, I shouldn't call it little since it's a significantly budgeted film. Second, it's not like I should be completely surprised since Serenity comes from the brilliant mind of writer/director Joss Whedon. While I might not ever bow to Whedon, I know to completely defer to his brilliance. Unlike most creators of genre television, he imbues his worlds with just the right amount of hope, intelligence, and pain--whether it be mortal, physical, spiritual, or emotional. Why I expected anything less from in his big screen directing debut, I'll never know.

Nevertheless, I was stunned at Serenity. Expecting a fun little film, I wasn't ready for the genre-smashing hybrid that had me squirming in my seat and then fighting back tears. It was one of the more exhilarating movies I've experienced in a while, partially because it was a complete surprise.

For those unfamiliar with Firefly, the TV series the movie sprang from, it's about a group of misfit smugglers in space. The captain (Nathan Fillion) and first mate (Gina Torres) of the ship fought together in some kind of civil war and are now happy surviving on the outskirts of civilization. Their attempt to stay below the radar is compromised when they bring Dr. Tam (Sean Maher) aboard with his peculiar sister, River (Summer Glau). It turns out that The Powers That Be want River because of her psychic gifts and are willing to use any means necessary in order to recover her.

I don't know how someone unfamiliar with the series would react to the movie. While I wasn't the biggest fan of the show, I did find some of the characters interesting, particularly Dr. Tam's selfless love for his sister, and Alan Tudyk's self-deprecating Wash. Whether it was the fact that I was suffering through Joss withdrawal or the writing was just sharper, or everything felt more fully realized on the big screen, I don't know, but the film felt more in focus, than any single episode of the series. To quote Sheryl Anderson, it was simply "higher and faster." And THAT, made it possibly the best genre film I've seen in a long time.

And apologizes to Joss Whedon. I won't doubt or dilly-dally again.

posted by cinegod @ 10:26 AM