Serenity

Starring: Nathan Fillion, , Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarain, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, and Ron Glass

Written and Directed by: Joss Whedon

It’s not often that a failed tv show that barely makes it one season before being cancelled gets to be made a feature film. But in this case, I’m certainly glad it happened. Firefly was a great show that never completely found it’s footing or audience, but it definitely made it’s mark.

In a show that was full of questions, it was great to have some answers finally and right from the get go. We get to see Simon break River free from the Alliance. This sequence also introduces us to the main villain of the movie, the Operative who reminds me very much of Jubal Early from the final episode of the series, in that he’s a well spoken monster.

We see our gang is mostly still together, although lnara and Book are no longer flying with them. They are on a bank heist of Alliance money. They crew brings River along due to her psychic abilities against Simon’s wishes. It’s a good thing she does, as by the end of the heist she starts to feel…

Reavers.

After hearing about Reavers in a few episodes of the series, without getting to really see one, it was hoped we’d get to see some in the film. It’s a brief view in this sequence, more to remind you how terrifying they are to the Serenity crew.

After the crew escape in a daring hovercraft chase, Simon punches Mal out for endangering River. After a verbal sparring, Simon says they’ll get off at the next port.

While Mal is meeting with Fanty and Mingo, River sees a commercial that sets her off in a brilliantly choreographed action sequence where River takes on the whole establishment, including Jayne. There is no stopping her until Simon says a “safe word”.

Mal, who is too good for his own good at times takes them back on the ship. They head quickly to Mr. Universe’ a man who has cybernetic connections withe the galaxy. He studies the feed and figures out the subliminal message from the ad.

Mal then gets a wave from Inara, who says she might need some help if they are in the area. In a great extension of the series, the two never will say what they truly feel, but Mal knows that it’s a trap. He won’t leave her alone though. He goes in and we see that the Operative is the one laying the trap. In a great moment, one you don’t see out of your lead hero much, as soon as the Operative says he’s unarmed, Mal pulls his gun and shoots him.

Unfortunately he’s wearing body armor.

The Operative proceeds to give Mal a buttwhupping until Inara surprises him with a little “incense bomb”.

On board the ship, River loses control again a little as she needs to get the crew to hear about a little planet called Miranda. The crew has to decide what to do next. A few of them want to check out what the Alliance is hiding on Miranda. Unfortunately it’s Reaver territory in between them and Miranda. They decide to head to Shepherd Book’s to figure out what to do next.

As the crew makes it back to the little community that Shepherd Book has founded, they are saddened to discover that it’s been destroyed by the Alliance. Mal finds Book dying, and we see the man that Mal truly is, an honorable and loyal individual.

It becomes evident quickly that the Operative has targeted all the places that Serenity has hidden out after a heist. Mal is taken over the edge and falls back into military mode. He will get to Miranda by dressing Serenity up as a Reaver ship and make it to Miranda. It’s a great moment for Fillion as he really takes the part of heroic leader and commands it.

The crew makes it to Miranda to discover a terrible secret, the secret that River has been carrying around in her brain unwittingly. The secret that the Alliance is willing to kill everyone to keep. They created the Reavers with their attempts to better humanity. Pax, a drug that is supposed to quell aggression, make people passive worked so well that everyone on Miranda just stopped doing anything. They dide because they didn’t care anymore. Unfortunately about ten percent, it had the opposite effect on. It made them so aggressive that they became insane from it, causing the birth of the Reavers.

The crew plan to go back to Mr. Universe to get the word out. The only problem is the Reavers and the Alliance all want them dead. But Mal has a plan.

Knowing the Alliance will be waiting for them, Mal targets the Reavers and gets them to chase Serenity. The Alliance has gotten to Mr. Universe and destroyed his equipment, and killed him.

The Reavers distract the Alliance long enough for Serenity to get through, but they have to crash land, and Wash is killed in the process. It was actually a good death. I loved Wash, but war has it’s casualties. It was surprising and shocking, but meant solely to get the audience even more drawn in and it worked.

Mr. Universe has a backup, that is hard to get to, but it will do the job. Mal goes off to try to get the word out with the Reavers on their tail. The rest of the crew make what looks like their last stand, trying to hold off the Reavers.

Mal gets to face the Operative one last time in a great duel, but Mal gets the better of him this time around and after the Operative hears about the secret he’s been trying to keep, he slowly becomes less and less an Alliance man.

The great thing about Firefly and Serenity is the cast. They all just KNOW each other and clique together. That is not more evident than during the final standoff. Simon and Kaylee finally make their feelings known, and finally it’s time for River to be who she is.

River takes on the Reavers singlehandedly and beats them all in a glorious dance of violence.

The crew is victorious, and although it’s a bittersweet victory with the deaths of Book, Wash, and Mr. Universe, you get the feeling that they’re still who they’ve always been.

Beyond the great story, and the great cast, the the special effects are of course leagues beyond the television show and that makes for a more believable universe.

The music, however is not as memorable as the series, but it is serviceable. Overall it is a great thrill ride with some answers, and some lingering questions in an uncertain universe. But for a little while, it was great to call Serenity home again.

A