by Abel Horwitz
Daily Lobo
Serenity now!
No, this is not about Seinfeld, but "Serenity," the long-awaited film version of the cult hit television show "Firefly."
In 2002 the Fox Network premiered a show named "Firefly," the brainchild of Joss Whedon, the man behind the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" series.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Whedon, whose shows are critically praised for strong scripts and brilliant character development, has a knack for gaining a strong fan base quickly. "Firefly" was no exception.
The series, though amazing, was quickly cancelled. When the series was released on DVD, fans began to buy it and show it to their friends. Word of mouth on "Firefly" was huge, and before long enough people had purchased the show that other studios began to notice.
Universal bought the rights to "Firefly" and asked Whedon to make a film out of it, called "Serenity." Universal hopes the strong word of mouth that made "Firefly" a hit will also make "Serenity" a success and allow Whedon to continue making his show.
The series takes place 500 years in the future. In Whedon's future there are no aliens or light sabers, no teleportation devices or warp drive, only humans who have colonized other planets. There's war, conflict and stragglers trying to make sense of it all.
Captain Malcom Reynolds, played by Nathan Fillion, is one of these stragglers. Reynolds was on the losing side of a war that brought the planets under one rule. He purchased a ship, hired a crew and began running odd jobs for those who preferred the government didn't know what they were doing. This gives the series a unique feel. While there are a lot of science fiction elements to the show, there is just as much of a Western theme as well. The crew is a group of rebels on the run from the law. There are gunfights, love stories, and occasionally, chases on horseback.
"Serenity," captures a lot of the strengths of "Firefly." The dialogue is strong, intelligent and funny, and the story is intense. While the film is much more plot-heavy than the series, it establishes the relationship the crew has with each other and the dynamics on the ship.
For those new to the series, the film shows a vast and fascinating world quickly. It does its job effectively, but doesn't really stand up on its own. My only hope is that those who see the film like it enough to go out and buy the DVD. That way they'll understand much more of where the film is coming from and why the things that are happening in the film are so important to the story.
"Serenity" is to the "Firefly" saga as "The Empire Strikes Back" is to the "Star Wars" saga. Both are fantastic movies, but neither holds up on its own. You need to see the other parts of the series to figure out what is going on. The difference between the rest of the "Star Wars" series and the rest of the "Firefly" series is that "Firefly" remains consistently excellent throughout.
"Serenity" is merely another part of the story of the "Firefly" series. The series as a whole is one of the most compelling and enjoyable stories out there, and the movie isn't complete without knowing how it all started.
