http://phywriter.com/archives/2005/10/01/phys-_serenity_-review/ Short review: WOW. Just? WOW. Longer review: There is a very male word that means something along the lines of "brash, reckless confidence". Joss Whedon, writer and director of _Serenity_, has big, brass? confidence. Perhaps you know the story behind the story. Joss Whedon, script-doctor extraordinaire, manic genius behind Buffy, the Vampire-Slayer (the series, not the film dumbed-down from his vision), shopped around this idea of a horse opera in space ? you know, a space opera ? where the good guys and the bad guys aren't just as clear cut as all that. In _Star Wars_, you know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are by the music. In _Serenity_, "good" and "bad" are relative terms, but "manipulation" and "truth" are immutable, and thus is the foundation laid for the smartest, most frenetic sci-fi picture since _Aliens_. The difference is that this picture is following on its own heels. Joss wrote and directed a short-lived series named "Firefly," which got it all right and then was handled all wrong. The two-hour pilot was filmed but not shown until much later, other episodes were shown out of order, three episodes were finished but never aired, and still the series picked up critical mindshare and a diehard audience. The show was a success. Obviously, Fox canceled it. However, in a move that showed he believed in his creation and his fans, Whedon got the first season's episodes put together in the proper order and released as a four-disc set. Then he sat back and waited. The series started small but the word-of-mouth grew, seemingly exponentially. Before long, word got around the world that there was a series out there with the wit of Joss Whedon, the pluck and humor of a Han Solo, and the kind of dialogue that comes around once in a lifetime. Mal: You know, they tell ya to never hit a man with a closed fist but it is, on occasion, hilarious. Zo?: Shepard, isn't the Bible kind of specific about killing? Book: Very specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzy around the area of kneecaps. Simon: I'm trying to put this as delicately as I can. How do I know you won't kill me in my sleep? Captain Reynolds: You don't know me, son, so let me explain this to you once. If I ever kill you you'll be awake. You'll be facing me. And you'll be armed. And so Joss Whedon got the green light, not to film another season for the small screen, but to film another season for the big one. Taking the core ideas for a second season, Joss wrapped them into one feature film, _Serenity_, which opened today, September 30, 2005. I mention the date because this film is kind of historic, a space opera that is big, bad, bold, and brash. Everybody's different this time around - the primary action takes place a few months after the events of the series. Captain Mal Reynolds, channeling Han Solo without the governing love of a princess Leia, is harder, the mercenary Jayne is more vicious and self-preserving, everyone else is skinnier, and the crew is two members short - Inara, the companion, has been driven off to find love, or perhaps because of it, and Shepherd Book has found a flock where he is able to use the talents he can talk about rather than the ones he can't. Zoe, the First Mate, is stone in love with her husband, the kookie, vacillating pilot who is only calm when in the thick of the worst action ("I am a leaf on the wind - watch how I soar"). Kaylee, the mechanic, silently pines for Simon, the Doctor, who is still oblivious, and River, his possibly superhuman, possibly deranged sister, is the key to a puzzle larger than the entire galaxy, a weight that no one denies is too cruel to bear, but no one seems inclined to help her with. This will come back to haunt them. In fact, there are powerful forces hunting her down for what she knows, or might. Somehow, Joss has managed to keep the loyal Firefly fans happy while introducing his franchise to a whole new audience, a neat trick. That, alone, would be enough for most directors, but it turns out that Whedon's just warming up. Like most mortal men, he cheerfully assembles his characters, his universe, his franchise, and then he plays in it. We nod and smile. Then he gleefully dissembles it all, breaking every scriptwriting rule in the process. The bad guys are the good guys, the good guys are the bad guys, and the Reavers? Well, let's just say that you never want to mess with the Reavers. Ever. And yet it is the mystery of the implacable, ferocious Reavers that, taken with Rivers prodigious talents that form a truly compelling third act, ripe with moral implications that cause us to look at ourselves, at our own times, and wonder about our own motives. Unlike many lesser films, there are so many things that just cannot be guessed in advance, such is the reckless fervor Whedon has with his story. Nobody and nothing are safe. That kind of freedom is liberating, and terrifying. Another thing; this movie is funny. Really funny. The thing is that the humor takes place in unguarded moments when you are most terrified, or should be. The humor is so down-to-earth, so authentic, that you can sense the zest and affection that Whedon has for these deeply flawed characters. I dig that. This movie is very dark and yet is so full of life ? and death ? that it is positively crackles with ideas and plot twists. At one point, First Mate Zoe says "It's a fair bet the Alliance is going to know what's coming." Mal says "They aren't going to see /this/ coming", and he's right, and it's the coolest ploy, actually not knowing where Whedon is going next. I reveled in that novelty until Whedon busted me in the mouth, and then broke my heart. By the time the film was over, I felt like /I'd/ been in the war, and I was just in the audience. This is smart, entertaining science fiction. It is also meant for the grown-up audience, and nothing that you'd want to take your kids to. I mean it. The first Star Wars film was fun for the whole family. This, frankly, is not. It is a brawnier, darker, more mature film, and is not for the innocent. There is violence of ideas and situations here that is far, far too strong for younger kids or people who thought Star Wars was "edgy". You don't know the half of it. In this universe, Mal Reynolds as Han Solo not only fires first, he fires last, and again just to keep the chambers clean on his weapon. Yes, he is capable of love, but that love compels him into a plan so daring, so foolhardy that? well, you'll just have to see for yourself. _Serenity_ is not a perfect picture, but it is jam-packed with ideas, action, moral quandaries, and enough snappy dialogue to keep you laughing while you're cringing, and hoping while you're despairing. It is a major achievement and forever challenges those lesser directors who caved into the fans who clamored to bring back Spock (Star Trek III) and Han Solo (Star Wars IV). In this universe, nothing is safe, little is sacred, and we are somehow better for it. If we survive. The Operative: "I'd like to solve this like civilized men. I'm not threatening you, I'm unarmed?" Mal: "Good." Draws pistol and fires? -- johne cook - wisconsin, usa | http://dkamagazine.com | http://theswordreview.com | |http://phywriter.com