Thoughts : Serenity (2005)
A blog could probably be written about shows that were taken off of the air before their time. Most anyone who is a fan of TV has a show that they wish survived the corporate chopping block for a complete series run. In all my years, however, there is only one franchise that I’ve ever seen end prematurely, only to be given a feature film. The series was Joss Whedon’s sci-fi gem Firefly, and the film that gave the franchise its proper (yet bittersweet) send-off was Serenity.
In the 26th century, humanity has been forced to spread out across the galaxy in order to survive. The inner ring of planets are ruled by the Alliance, a powerful ruling entity that fought against and defeated the Independents, who now mostly hustle to survive on the outer planets and the edges of the black. Simon Tam (Sean Maher), a young doctor, has exhausted his family fortune to rescue his sister River (Summer Glau) from Alliance control, where they have down psychic experiments on her in hopes of creating an assassin. The siblings find refuge on Serenity, a ship captained by Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), an Independent through and through with a penchant for living dangerously to survive. The Tams attempt to find their place among Mal’s crew : first mate Zoe Washburne (Gina Torres), pilot ‘Wash’ Washburne (Alan Tudyk), heavy artillery aficionado Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin), and young mechanic Kaylee Frye (Jewel Staite). Little does the crew know they are being hunted by the extremely dangerous Alliance assassin simply known as the Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who has intentions on bring River back to Alliance control. As the crew of Serenity struggles to find balance among themselves, they must fight off the threat of the Operative, while soon realizing that River and her yet unleashed abilities will lead them to Miranda, the edge of the universe, and realities they cannot prepare to face.
Updating the cowboy narrative to fit into the context of space, while not an original Joss Whedon idea, is one that he executes with masterstrokes. His balance of mixing techno-jargon, colloquial speech patterns and Chinese makes for dialogue that is equal parts futuristic and rustic, helping to enhance the experience of the world that the characters roam. Honor is a key element to most of the narratives, though morals are not always necessarily part in parcel with said honor. Ultimately, the aesthetic of flying by the seat of your pants, doing whatever it takes to survive, and living off of the skill set (and reputation) the lifestyle provides you fits the world of Serenity quite nicely.
The film does a good job of wrapping up most of the major narrative threads introduced in the Firefly series while managing to not fall victim to indulgence. Fan favorite characters like Saffron or Early Grace do not make appearances, but the expected touchstones are all hit : River Tam and what causes her odd behavior, the unrequited love/tension between Mal and Inara, the thick attraction between Simon and Kaylee, and (possibly most importantly) the ever present threat of the Reavers given just focus and attention. Characters we have grown to love over the short run of the series meet grim fates, while others grow and flourish into fuller versions of themselves.
Bigger and better would be the key synonyms used to describe the film. The special effects and cinematography style introduced in the series is given the Hollywood sheen it so rightfully deserved, down to subtle details like the ability to traverse Serenity via steadycam, giving us a true feel for the size and geography of the ship we’ve grown to know and love. New characters are introduced that provide greater scope, specifically the aforementioned antagonist the Operative, as well as a wonderful appearance by David Krumholtz as Mr. Universe, the key to connective communication throughout the vastness of space. The action is even ramped up to the highest degree, be it River’s sudden ability to dispatch a room full of threats, or the dynamic final battle in space that must be seen to be believed.
The crew of the Serenity bring their collective A-game back to the table for this last round of glory. Nathan Fillion is as sharp as ever, bringing his misbehaving nature that melds with his code of honor to the forefront for the proceedings. Gina Torres continues to be the foundation of the ship, while Alan Tudyk keeps the levity going while bringing forth acts of courage much needed to round out the love we all have for Wash. Jewell Staite amplifies the charm to ridiculous levels while showing an edge not previously allowed for her network portrayal. Adam Baldwin slightly tones his role down, but to great effect, bringing a balance to the overall crew, and a sense of imminent blow-up possible from his character. Sean Maher reels back his nature of standing in opposition just so slightly, allowing Summer Glau’s character portrayal to finally take the front seat it truly deserves. Chiwetel Ejiofor is wholly compelling in his antagonist role, while David Krumholtz finds dynamic ways to serve up exposition. A short appearance by Ron Glass helps ground the overall tone of the desperate times and measures taken.
While bittersweet, it is nice to know that the powers that be allowed Serenity to occur, giving many fans a taste of closure that most fans of cancelled programming never get to see. Of all the space dramas that exist, this is one that will always hold a special place for me.
