The Ridiculousness that is Serenity
"Joss Whedon's unassuming science-fiction adventure is superior in almost every respect to George Lucas's aggresively more ambitious screen entertainments." - The New York Times
Serenity has received some (not?)surprisingly strong reviews (depending on what you expected from a Whedon-big screen production). It really depends as to what you expected of the creator of Angel, Buffy, Firefly, as well as co-writer (with Joel Cohen) of Toy Story, and co-writer of X-Men (the movie) as well as several X-Men comics.
THE STAR WARS COMPARISONS
"I can't believe I am saying this, but I think Serenity could be the new Star Wars. It's hard for me to avoid the comparison because Serenity reminds me, in a good way, of the first Star Wars movie back in 1977 (now called Star Wars IV: A New Hope). It's a movie that makes sense and entertains the hard core fans as well as newbies who have never heard of Firefly, while taking a deeper step into the future with the storyline and characters, who could be Whedon's biggest assets...In short, Serenity is amazing, even if you don't like Sci Fi movies. It's a fantastic film with a great story, great action and classic characters." - Wafflemovies.com
"Whedon has a distinct gift for writing witty dialogue and creating intricate mythologies that inspire legions of devoted fans (such as myself). His talents are on full display in “Serenity,” a film filled with thrilling action sequences, some well thought-out social commentary, intriguing characters and plenty of funny dialogue. This is the film that the last three “Star Wars” sequels should have been." - Sean McBride
"George Lucas could learn a thing or two from Whedon. "Serenity" flies with sass and spirit, qualities that have been in palpably short supply in that "Star Wars" series since, well, "Star Wars." - Newsday
" For a number of reasons I've discussed many times, I kinda liked the most recent trilogy of "Star Wars" movies... I'm here to tell you that if you think the "Star Wars" prequels are a disease, then "Serenity" is the cure." - The Oregonian
"In its own unassuming, self-effacing way, Serenity is the epic sci-fi adventure that the latter years of Star Wars could only dream of being. The problem, of course, is how to sell Serenity, which boasts nary a star, to the many people who have no idea who nerd-genius Whedon is. (He's the guy behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, which is unlikely to pique the interest of anyone who hasn't watched either show.) Happily, this is the rare occasion when movie critics serve some actual purpose." - Phoebe Flowers, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
GENERAL REVIEWS FROM GENERAL REVIEWERS
"There are two sorts of people in the world: those who believe Joss Whedon is a genius and those who are wrong. And even if Whedon's first feature film Serenity doesn't quite match the dark, witty brilliance of his TV creations Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, it's still a lot more sweaty fun than the last three overhyped, sterile, for-dorks-only Star Wars cartoons. George Lucas' menacing bad guys were a bunch of cheeseball robots and an effete Englishman with an acne problem; Whedon offers space cannibals who could take on the Empire and still lay a whipping on the zombies from 28 Days Later." - The Miami Herald
"Serenity shows what might have happened if Han Solo had been the focus of the original Star Wars instead of whiny Jedi wannabe Luke Skywalker. Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) leads his grubby band of intergalactic robbers under the radar of an oppressive government that wants to wipe out sin while avoiding the voracious Reavers, who enjoy killing, raping and eating their victims, not necessarily in that order." - The Miami Herald
"Serenity is precisely the sort of movie that people always "discover" five years after it hits theaters and then feel bad for not checking it out sooner -- like Dark City or The Iron Giant. This flick is not only a wondrous piece of science-fiction adventure; it's an absolute homage to science-fiction itself. Don't just turn your nose up because it's an odd concept starring no-name actors. You'd still feel pretty silly, to this day, if you were the guy who once yelled "Jawas? Tractor beams? Mark Hamill? Nah, I'll just stay home and watch Welcome Back Kotter.... Yes, I just compared "Serenity" to the original "Star Wars." Now you're REALLY curious, aren't you?" - eFilmCritic
"“Serenity” is a fun flick that has just enough going for it in terms of design (the Asian-influenced imagery, iconography, and even philosophy is interesting), character, and action (the solid CGI and outer space handheld camera effects are nifty) to distinguish itself from its born-on-TV trappings. The acting is uniformly solid (Fillion does most of the heavy lifting, and does it well) and the hand-to-hand combat scenes are great – oddly, it’s a reminder that the stunt work on “Buffy” was better than most CGI-laden features." - Brian Juergens, Freeze-Dried Movies
“Serenity” does have riveting battle sequences, compelling characters, and just enough humor to balance the underlying social commentary in the film, but it’s a weird mix of genres." - About
THE BIG GUNS
"The film, right down to the tagline ("You can't stop the signal"), is one big middle finger to Fox TV executives." - The Village Voice
""Serenity" does for serious Lucas fans what Lucas hasn't done for them lately. It evokes the wild-and-woolly zing of the first three "Star Wars" pictures, when the series's myth-minded self-seriousness was the stuff of subtext and its dumb jokes could bring down the house. If "Serenity" takes off and spawns sequels (as it seems destined to), it's crucial that Whedon take a lesson from Lucas's greatest flaw and never stop laughing with us." - The Boston Globe
"They're a futuristic King Arthur's round table, or Dirty Dozen, or Robin Hood and his Merry Men; heck, they're even "Seinfeld." And no matter what's coming their way, post-apocalyptic doom or gloom, this James Gang of the galaxy is just plain fun to watch." - The Washington Post
""Serenity" is made of dubious but energetic special effects, breathless velocity, much imagination, some sly verbal wit and a little political satire. Like Brave New World and 1984, the movie plays like a critique of contemporary society. There are also scenes of real impact, including a planet where -- but see for yourself." - Roger Ebert
"Joss Whedon's unassuming science-fiction adventure is superior in almost every respect to George Lucas's aggresively more ambitious screen entertainments." - The New York Times
"The characters and their relationships are more credible than in most serious dramas, while Whedon's unique dialogue - a self-aware jumble of teen-speak, technobabble, literary swagger and merciless Cantonese swearing - serves up some dazzling one-liners. .. The eye-candy doesn't stop at the cast either - the special effects will make you goggle, and there's a space battle that blows Revenge Of The Sith's out of the sky... Once you are invested in the characters, the emotional stakes just rise." - BBC
"The writing is as good as in the best "Star Trek" episodes, while offering a thoughtfully bleak vision of the future that brings to mind "Blade Runner." After his decade of solid work as a television and movie writer specializing in sci-fi and fantasy, this could be the accomplishment that puts Whedon's face alongside those of James Cameron, Ridley Scott and Sam Raimi on the geek Mount Rushmore." - San Francisco Chronicle
And then from the review that I tend to hold with the highest regard:
"Joss Whedon's feature-film debut, the science-fiction western "Serenity," is beautifully made, written with more wit and intelligence than we get from most contemporary movies of any genre, and features an ensemble of actors whose rhythms are almost supernaturally in tune..."Serenity," like "Firefly" (and like "Buffy" and "Angel" before it), is an exploration of the meaning of community, maybe even the meaning of democracy....And there are spiritual quests in "Serenity" that go much deeper, and are far more unsettling, than the mere question of whether or not God exists. There are moments in which good men do unspeakable things, and malevolent men do noble things... "Serenity" is a trim little picture of epic proportions...as a piece of filmmaking, I'm hard-pressed to find much fault with it" - Salon.com
I thought the film was damn good. After an amusing opening sequence, the first shot in the spaceship Serenity borrows from Woody Allen or Paul Thomas Anderson - or hell, even The West Wing. It is a continuous shot that lasts nearly 4 minutes in which we are introduced, one by one, to the entire crew as Captain Mal Reynolds makes a round through his ship. No Michael Bay (or even Star Wars) 15 second cut scenes here. The attention to detail is especially satisfying - ranging from things like turbulence not making "air wooshing" sounds when they leave atmosphere - because in outerspace there is no air, duh - to the way canisters and barrels lying around the ship are labeled. The storyline is Whedonesque in that it takes a fairly standard storyline of a genre and weaves into it far more important philosophical questions - no it is no Angel and you won't find reference to Foucault in this Space-Western, but it certainly has depth. For me, especially because I was very skeptical of a TV series becoming successfully translated to the big screen, Serenity was a pleasant surprise. It was the same effect that watching Pirates of the Caribbean had on me - a sort of - what the hell, why is this that good?! Of course, I am a fantasy fan (somewhat less of a "sci fi fan"), so I do like my epics.
I would recommend, if at all possible, watch some Firefly if you have the chance, before watching this film. (I have access to all the episodes.) I found that it made a lot more sense to me that way. But I have heard great things about it from most people - and as we all know - most people have no idea as to what Firefly actually was. Anyway, I say go watch it - you shouldn't be disappointed.
Serenity has received some (not?)surprisingly strong reviews (depending on what you expected from a Whedon-big screen production). It really depends as to what you expected of the creator of Angel, Buffy, Firefly, as well as co-writer (with Joel Cohen) of Toy Story, and co-writer of X-Men (the movie) as well as several X-Men comics.
THE STAR WARS COMPARISONS
"I can't believe I am saying this, but I think Serenity could be the new Star Wars. It's hard for me to avoid the comparison because Serenity reminds me, in a good way, of the first Star Wars movie back in 1977 (now called Star Wars IV: A New Hope). It's a movie that makes sense and entertains the hard core fans as well as newbies who have never heard of Firefly, while taking a deeper step into the future with the storyline and characters, who could be Whedon's biggest assets...In short, Serenity is amazing, even if you don't like Sci Fi movies. It's a fantastic film with a great story, great action and classic characters." - Wafflemovies.com
"Whedon has a distinct gift for writing witty dialogue and creating intricate mythologies that inspire legions of devoted fans (such as myself). His talents are on full display in “Serenity,” a film filled with thrilling action sequences, some well thought-out social commentary, intriguing characters and plenty of funny dialogue. This is the film that the last three “Star Wars” sequels should have been." - Sean McBride
"George Lucas could learn a thing or two from Whedon. "Serenity" flies with sass and spirit, qualities that have been in palpably short supply in that "Star Wars" series since, well, "Star Wars." - Newsday
" For a number of reasons I've discussed many times, I kinda liked the most recent trilogy of "Star Wars" movies... I'm here to tell you that if you think the "Star Wars" prequels are a disease, then "Serenity" is the cure." - The Oregonian
"In its own unassuming, self-effacing way, Serenity is the epic sci-fi adventure that the latter years of Star Wars could only dream of being. The problem, of course, is how to sell Serenity, which boasts nary a star, to the many people who have no idea who nerd-genius Whedon is. (He's the guy behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, which is unlikely to pique the interest of anyone who hasn't watched either show.) Happily, this is the rare occasion when movie critics serve some actual purpose." - Phoebe Flowers, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
GENERAL REVIEWS FROM GENERAL REVIEWERS
"There are two sorts of people in the world: those who believe Joss Whedon is a genius and those who are wrong. And even if Whedon's first feature film Serenity doesn't quite match the dark, witty brilliance of his TV creations Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, it's still a lot more sweaty fun than the last three overhyped, sterile, for-dorks-only Star Wars cartoons. George Lucas' menacing bad guys were a bunch of cheeseball robots and an effete Englishman with an acne problem; Whedon offers space cannibals who could take on the Empire and still lay a whipping on the zombies from 28 Days Later." - The Miami Herald
"Serenity shows what might have happened if Han Solo had been the focus of the original Star Wars instead of whiny Jedi wannabe Luke Skywalker. Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) leads his grubby band of intergalactic robbers under the radar of an oppressive government that wants to wipe out sin while avoiding the voracious Reavers, who enjoy killing, raping and eating their victims, not necessarily in that order." - The Miami Herald
"Serenity is precisely the sort of movie that people always "discover" five years after it hits theaters and then feel bad for not checking it out sooner -- like Dark City or The Iron Giant. This flick is not only a wondrous piece of science-fiction adventure; it's an absolute homage to science-fiction itself. Don't just turn your nose up because it's an odd concept starring no-name actors. You'd still feel pretty silly, to this day, if you were the guy who once yelled "Jawas? Tractor beams? Mark Hamill? Nah, I'll just stay home and watch Welcome Back Kotter.... Yes, I just compared "Serenity" to the original "Star Wars." Now you're REALLY curious, aren't you?" - eFilmCritic
"“Serenity” is a fun flick that has just enough going for it in terms of design (the Asian-influenced imagery, iconography, and even philosophy is interesting), character, and action (the solid CGI and outer space handheld camera effects are nifty) to distinguish itself from its born-on-TV trappings. The acting is uniformly solid (Fillion does most of the heavy lifting, and does it well) and the hand-to-hand combat scenes are great – oddly, it’s a reminder that the stunt work on “Buffy” was better than most CGI-laden features." - Brian Juergens, Freeze-Dried Movies
“Serenity” does have riveting battle sequences, compelling characters, and just enough humor to balance the underlying social commentary in the film, but it’s a weird mix of genres." - About
THE BIG GUNS
"The film, right down to the tagline ("You can't stop the signal"), is one big middle finger to Fox TV executives." - The Village Voice
""Serenity" does for serious Lucas fans what Lucas hasn't done for them lately. It evokes the wild-and-woolly zing of the first three "Star Wars" pictures, when the series's myth-minded self-seriousness was the stuff of subtext and its dumb jokes could bring down the house. If "Serenity" takes off and spawns sequels (as it seems destined to), it's crucial that Whedon take a lesson from Lucas's greatest flaw and never stop laughing with us." - The Boston Globe
"They're a futuristic King Arthur's round table, or Dirty Dozen, or Robin Hood and his Merry Men; heck, they're even "Seinfeld." And no matter what's coming their way, post-apocalyptic doom or gloom, this James Gang of the galaxy is just plain fun to watch." - The Washington Post
""Serenity" is made of dubious but energetic special effects, breathless velocity, much imagination, some sly verbal wit and a little political satire. Like Brave New World and 1984, the movie plays like a critique of contemporary society. There are also scenes of real impact, including a planet where -- but see for yourself." - Roger Ebert
"Joss Whedon's unassuming science-fiction adventure is superior in almost every respect to George Lucas's aggresively more ambitious screen entertainments." - The New York Times
"The characters and their relationships are more credible than in most serious dramas, while Whedon's unique dialogue - a self-aware jumble of teen-speak, technobabble, literary swagger and merciless Cantonese swearing - serves up some dazzling one-liners. .. The eye-candy doesn't stop at the cast either - the special effects will make you goggle, and there's a space battle that blows Revenge Of The Sith's out of the sky... Once you are invested in the characters, the emotional stakes just rise." - BBC
"The writing is as good as in the best "Star Trek" episodes, while offering a thoughtfully bleak vision of the future that brings to mind "Blade Runner." After his decade of solid work as a television and movie writer specializing in sci-fi and fantasy, this could be the accomplishment that puts Whedon's face alongside those of James Cameron, Ridley Scott and Sam Raimi on the geek Mount Rushmore." - San Francisco Chronicle
And then from the review that I tend to hold with the highest regard:
"Joss Whedon's feature-film debut, the science-fiction western "Serenity," is beautifully made, written with more wit and intelligence than we get from most contemporary movies of any genre, and features an ensemble of actors whose rhythms are almost supernaturally in tune..."Serenity," like "Firefly" (and like "Buffy" and "Angel" before it), is an exploration of the meaning of community, maybe even the meaning of democracy....And there are spiritual quests in "Serenity" that go much deeper, and are far more unsettling, than the mere question of whether or not God exists. There are moments in which good men do unspeakable things, and malevolent men do noble things... "Serenity" is a trim little picture of epic proportions...as a piece of filmmaking, I'm hard-pressed to find much fault with it" - Salon.com
I thought the film was damn good. After an amusing opening sequence, the first shot in the spaceship Serenity borrows from Woody Allen or Paul Thomas Anderson - or hell, even The West Wing. It is a continuous shot that lasts nearly 4 minutes in which we are introduced, one by one, to the entire crew as Captain Mal Reynolds makes a round through his ship. No Michael Bay (or even Star Wars) 15 second cut scenes here. The attention to detail is especially satisfying - ranging from things like turbulence not making "air wooshing" sounds when they leave atmosphere - because in outerspace there is no air, duh - to the way canisters and barrels lying around the ship are labeled. The storyline is Whedonesque in that it takes a fairly standard storyline of a genre and weaves into it far more important philosophical questions - no it is no Angel and you won't find reference to Foucault in this Space-Western, but it certainly has depth. For me, especially because I was very skeptical of a TV series becoming successfully translated to the big screen, Serenity was a pleasant surprise. It was the same effect that watching Pirates of the Caribbean had on me - a sort of - what the hell, why is this that good?! Of course, I am a fantasy fan (somewhat less of a "sci fi fan"), so I do like my epics.
I would recommend, if at all possible, watch some Firefly if you have the chance, before watching this film. (I have access to all the episodes.) I found that it made a lot more sense to me that way. But I have heard great things about it from most people - and as we all know - most people have no idea as to what Firefly actually was. Anyway, I say go watch it - you shouldn't be disappointed.
posted by arun at 4:06 PM
2 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
hey i watched serenity yesterday, but only because my friend said it was good. and i started downloading firefly too so i know whats going on. i only saw the first episode of firefly before i watched serenity though
-hermann
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