"We're out here on the raggedy edge of space", says Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), Captain of the good ship Serenity. And boy is he right.
So forget the teleporters, forcefields and evil doers brushed aside with a tweak of the starboard nacelles. If something needs fixing, well, there's a wrench and there's the bit that's broken. So get going.
Serenity is the big screen debut of the little known US sci-fi series, Firefly. Fox cancelled it nine episodes in and the rest dribbled out on a box set DVD which is well worth picking up.
After a immense outpouring of grief from the show's fans, it's creator, Joss "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Whedon, hustled the idea round Hollywood and this is the result.
River Tam (Summer Glau), one of Mal's bunch of n'er do wells, was subjected to all manner of experiments by the all conquering Alliance - Serenity's version of Star Wars' Empire, a mish mash of East and West wrapped up in pretty bow.
But River's carrying a secret that would cause huge heaps of trouble for the powers that be if it ever got out, so an Alliance stooge (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is despatched to sort it out. With a large sword.
They say:
Channel 4: "A likeable and rousing adventure that revitalises the bloated Hollywood science fiction film. Great stuff, if you don't mind Whedon's idiosyncratic dialogue."
Empire: "If you’re a novice, this is a plucky introduction to Whedon’s world and the most fun sci-fi of the year. If you’re a devotee, this is the magnificent return you’ve been praying for."
Guardian: "Just another sci-fi action movie with a cheesy script, variable acting and only the odd touch of class. It plays more like a Dark Angel episode in space with a few bits grafted on from The Matrix, Minority Report and Star Wars."
We say:
Firefly the TV series boldly went where no sci-fi had gone before with great ideas, scripts and performances, but the big screen version is a bit of let down.
All the cliches are here. A big secret that must not be told... wooo! A bad man who's going to make sure lips stay buttoned - someone send out for a clean pair of pants - and a punch up at the end over a scary looking precipice. It's rent a sci-fi.
What happened to the strong characters from the series? It's been said in some quarters that Cap'n Mal is shaping up to be the new Han Solo - true - but everyone else just mills about waiting for the script to give them something to do. A shame as the cast of unknowns are all first class.
While Serenity remains light years ahead of anything George Lucas can muster these days, it could have been so much better. Rent this by all means but make sure you buy the Firefly box set.
CAST
Nathan Fillion, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Gina Torres
Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau
DIRECTOR
Joss Whedon
TIME
119 mins
POSTED...
Wed 8 Mar 2006 at 6:20pm
