Written and directed by Joss Whedon
Cast:
Nathan Fillion …. Mal
Gina Torres …. Zoe
Alan Tudyk …. Wash
Morena Baccarin …. Inara
Adam Baldwin …. Jayne
Jewel Staite …. Kaylee
Sean Maher …. Simon
Summer Glau …. River
Ron Glass …. Shepherd Book
Chiwetel Ejiofor …. The Operative
Anyone who reads this diary knows I’m somewhat of a Whedonite. Hell, you could probably guess that from my Diary name.
So, it’ll come as no surprise that I really, really wanted to see this film.
I’m glad to report my Whedon fanboy tendancies continue.
Serenity is the best sci – fi film I’ve seen this year. Including H2G2.
In fact, it’s one of the best I’ve seen for a while.
The introduction is amazing. It sets up the verse brilliantly for non-browncoats without insulting the intellegence of those who are. That is not an easy trick to pull off. One of my friends hasn’t seen firefly and he said he didn’t get confused.
Once the main part of the story kicks in, things get ramped up a notch. Then again. And again. At no point does it feel like things are happening just to get us to the end of the film.
The dialogue, something Whedon’s always been recognised for, is as good as always. This is helped by the delivery of the cast.
Aah, the cast. With all 9 characters making the transition, it was never going to be easy. Book and Inara aren’t in it all that much. And Kaylee does feel, at times, as if she’s just there to stop the likes of me moaning. But then, I expected something like that to happen.
Add into the mix newcomer Chiwetel Ejiofor (pronounced chew-it-tell edge-oh-for, in case you wondered) as the Operative, one of the coolest bad guys to hit the screen, and it can get complicated. Ejiofor is one to watch out for, bringing real gravitas to his role of the assassin who is well aware that he may not be a nice guy.
The two main members of the crew in the film are Mal and River. A lot of people are saying that Nathan Fillion is the new Harrison Ford. I actually think he’s better. And he’s helped that the Mal in the film is more like the Mal in the pilot. More like he was supposed to be.
But ultimately, this is Rivers film. We finally get to find out what happened to her, what they did to her in the Academy and why she’s so damned important to the Alliance. It is a big task. Thankfully, Summer Glau is up to the task. On this performance, the only problem they may have with a sequal is if Summer is available.
And if there actually is a second film. I sincerely hope there is. It kills me, absolutely kills me that there are so many crap films getting follow ups, films which don’t really deserve them, and yet Serenity, with all the possible storylines, may not get one.
And to Mr Whedon, I have to say only this: you should be very, very proud of yourself. You took your much loved, unfairly cancelled series and made a film with more heart, wit, spectacle, guts and charm than films with a far superior budget. You have done the impossible, and that makes you mighty.
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