Verdict:
Oh man, were the fans sad when they cancelled Firefly. Fox hadn’t even allowed the season to run its full course before it put a bullet in that show’s head. The ratings just weren’t cutting it. But Joss Whedon was still flying Firefly’s banner and somehow got Universal to let him make a movie, providing the beloved series with a fitting conclusion.
Serenity is a space western about a group of smugglers, veterans of a conflict in which they were on the losing side, who encounter a mysterious girl with important secrets. Her presence soon draws major trouble.
Although Serenity is based on the show Firefly, its story stands perfectly fine on its own. The movie deals with some of humanity’s biggest moral dilemmas and touches on many themes such as peace versus freedom, lying for the greater good, loyalty and sacrifice.
The plot is not without flaws. Many events occur because the movie needs them to for the narrative to continue. For example, the main character decides to do something very dangerous, and that’s fine, because he is emotional and driven, but the rest of his team don’t look very impressed. Yet they go along with their leader’s decision anyway. It would’ve made sense to have a scene that shows how they are still idealists and still believe in the cause. Nevertheless, these flaws can be easily excused as the side-effects of an action movie.
Nathan Fillion excels as the charming rogue, and his performance is central to the whole project. His crew is a convincing bunch of mismatched family members. They are capable of handling the action sequences and delivering witty banter at the same time. Chiwetel Ejiofor, stands out as a charming calm psychopathic antagonist.
The special effects look crispy. Though some designs may look cheap, that cheapness is cleverly concealed through a strategic use of shadows and speed. The late 18th century costumes and guns of the smugglers enhance the wild west aesthetic, while the republic is depicted as an organized futuristic Roman machine.
I would’ve toned down the old look, personally. One of the guns is literally just a Winchester rifle. Why is there an M1A1 carabine hanging off the side of the hovercraft? Why is the crew mounting a WWII Flak anti-air cannon to their ship? This disrupts the immersion, considering the futuristic setting.
The film showcases excellent direction, blending humour, action, science fiction, love and hate into a complete package. Joss Whedon is a weird dude – the guy writes and directs teenage soap operas, but also a movie like Serenity.
Ultimately, the Firefly fans are pleased, but the film is a box-office failure, which is bizarre given the film’s high quality, but not that bizarre if you consider that the mainstream public has no taste. This is a space western, and as such, is definitely not for everyone.