"Firefly" seems to be the show that one person watched and they told their friends and their friends told their friends and so on and so on. Every story I hear about the show involves someone who has been prompted by a friend to start watching the show and every person who watches it seems to falls in love with it.

 

I, sadly enough, am not one of those people. Not because I was disinterested or that I am not "into" those types of shows, but simply because I just do not have the time to get attached to a television show. I have one right now and that's hard enough to keep up with. I did, however, add it to the long list of television shows I swore I would watch once it came on DVD, but once Serenity hit the commercial waves, the chances of snagging a copy on rental went from a million to none.

 

So I stand before you a clean slate. I know nothing about the show. I know it was a Sci-Fi-Western and that it was written by Joss Whedon of "Buffy" fame and that is about it. The trailer irked me something awful and I went in with little hope of coming out of my screening a happy camper, despite the rave reviews friends and associates had given me about the show.

 

Serenity continues the story of the crew of the ship "Serenity", comprised of fortune hunters, ex-revolutionaries, and those escaping a dark past. Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) has allowed his ship doctor, Simon (Sean Maher), to bring aboard his "kidnapped" sister, River (Summer Glau). Unbeknownst to the crew, River is an instrument of the Alliance conditioned to be a weapon of violence and espionage (she is telepathic) and she will not only put the crew in danger from the Alliance, but also from herself at times when she falls into murderous fugues. After learning this, Reynolds decides they must find out the source of River's mental instability and her nightmarish dreams and he leads the crew on a hunt to find Miranda, a person, place or thing that River's dementia is apparently centered around.

 

The one thing I couldn't stop raving about once I walked out of the film was how perfectly entertaining it is on multiple levels. Most of all, how amazing Nathan Fillion as Captain Mal is. Fillion reminds me of a young Harrison Ford when he was the charismatic Indy and the free-spirited Han. Not only is he quick on the draw, complete with real pistols and a low hanging gun sling, but spiritually and philosophically oriented. He continually questions the ethics of his actions and the actions of those around him and believes in doing the right thing, even though he is more outlaw bandit than anything else.

 

Without Reynolds' crew, though, I doubt he would have been as fantastic as I am playing him up to be. Ship's pilot Hoban 'Wash' Washburn (Alan Tudyk) and grenade-loving mercenary Jayne (Adam Baldwin) are great counterparts to Mal, since they represent the two ends of the spectrum which Mal's own persona bounces between. Wash is married to Zoe (Gina Torres) and is rather level-headed and calm. Jayne, on the other hand, is a gun-toting freak who looks out for Number One and is relatively hot-headed. Put together, though, these three make an amazing team that can take on even the horrendous group of mad, marauding murderers called the Reavers.

 

The women, though, are not as impressive or as loveable. Zoe is definitely the most awesome of the group, but that is because she is so headstrong and loyal. Kaylee (Jewel Staite), the ship's mechanic, is everything that I despise about shows like "Buffy." She is so meek and almost little-girlish, but she's so off-the-wall about her sex life and proudly proclaims that she will try to fight and live now that her love interest has shared his feelings for her. Well . . that he would have sex with her. I honestly wish characters like her didn't exist, but what can you do?

 

Then there is River, the character who the plot centers around. I have nothing against the character of River. I think, in design, she is about as badass as they come. Reminiscent of Milla Jovavich's character Alice from the recent Resident Evil movies, even taking on some creatures akin to zombies--space zombies. What I didn't like was the casting of River. Summer Glau appears far too gothicly disheveled throughout the film and her face is always in a constant state of childish awe. I just felt she should have been cast with a stronger actress instead of someone with huge doe eyes (yes, by that I mean casting in the show prior to the film).

 

Overall, though, the cast is simply spectacular and even having been someone who knew nothing about the show I must say the plot is handled with such care that it will be hard to miss a beat. Making assumptions and quick connections about aspects of the plot and story's universe on your own will be the key to not feeling left out, but honestly there is little in this film that should make one feel as if they have been left out of a private joke.

 

Joss Whedon really has proven himself to be a fully capable writer. Not only was he part of the dynamic team that made Toy Story such a success, but he's also been involved in Titan A.E., which I also adore, and Alien: Resurrection, which apparently I am the one and only person in the world who doesn't hate that film. You do have to admit that there are some really amazing lines of dialogue in both films, especially among the non-military characters. I will reaffirm I do not like "Angel" or "Buffy" but Whedon does have the gift for witty dialogue, even though at times it is over-the-top and hokey. My favorite line happens to come from Wash when he is trying to maneuver the ship through a battle and he says "I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar." The timing and nervous delivery from Alan Tudyk is hilarious and I highly recommend checking out the sometimes questionable movie site IMDB.com and look at the Serenity quote page. Tons of brilliant dialogue that is poignant and crisp with a wonderful old-timey dialect and manner of speaking that I can only believe comes from a highly competent linguist.

 

On top of the wonderful script, the visuals are all executed in a relatively respectable fashion. Be forewarned, though, there are some very bright white scenes spliced in with very dark scenes and your eyes may have a small amount of trouble adjusting to the shock in the dark theater. There is also rapid cutting, which flashes by as River's visions and disorients the audience. Cinematographer Jack N. Green (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Girl, Interrupted) really puts his skill to the test, though, with his futuristic earthy color palette and he creates a world where the inhabitants are not all desolate shabby robe-wearers, nor do they all have spiffy gowns and tight fitting pants. Now I can only wonder why he wasn't picked to handle Eastwood's visually lacking Million Dollar Baby, when he has been the right-hand man behind the camera of Eastwood ever since Unforgiven. Either way, Whedon lucked out and got someone with a superb eye for the scene and it pays off well here.

 

Marvelously kinetic and exciting action choreographed by Chad Stahelski (The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions) fills the film as well. River's fight sequences are much more impressive within the film than the trailers led me to believe. I thought it would be a bunch of slow-motion dancing moves, but within the film they are fast-paced and flowing. Whedon also allows the audience to watch her graceful moves without swinging cameras and heavy editing, which makes one appreciate the action film even more. Even the scenes where Mal and the Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), sent to reaquire or liquidate River, battle are finely tweaked and they are properly matched blow for blow until the very end (although the film wants you to think Malcolm is outclassed by the smooth Operative). Their quick-hitting Asian techniques are awe-inspiring, so if you're itching to see some properly executed eastern fighting techniques in a western film-- let alone a sci-fi western-- I urge you to run, don't walk, to Serenity.

 

Serenity is not only a great film for lovers of the series, but also for newcomers. I can't say everyone will love it, because there was this one guy outside of our screening who thought the film was a "monstrosity," but then again I had to consider the source and if you look like Hoop from Adult Swim's "Stroker and Hoop" and are frothing at the mouth like a rabid fanboy, I really don't think I can afford to take your outburst of anger seriously, especially when dozens of other people around me were just as happy as I was.

 

If you love the series, there are several surprises in store for you and because I respect you, I have left all of them out, not even tempting you with spoilers. Do know, though, that there are some powerful scenes for you fans and small touches galore to delight you from what I have pieced together.

 

I'm going to go out on a limb here just say that Serenity is the start of one of the best sci-fi adventures this side of 1977 and as good an ol' fashioned Space Western as you'll find around these parts. Go see it, love it, and be sure to tell a friend who'll tell his friend and so on and so on.