movie review - Serenity
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Okay, some disclaimers first. I have been a fan of the TV series that spawned this movie from the outset. I think the moment when I knew I was hooked came when the captain responded to the thug who was threatening to pursue him for the rest of his life by kicking the bad guy into the engine of his idling space ship.
Following the crib-death of the show, the subsequent only life of this show was the DVD's and the fan-boy sites. I indulged in both. I have been waiting for this movie for a long time.
Now that I've disclaimed myself (if that's the term) I have to admit that this isn't really a rave review. I really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. It's an entertaining and original work that departs from current movie making in several ways. This movie - while admirable in many ways and certainly worth watching - has problems that prevent the viewer from being consistently engrossd, and being engrossed is a requirement for a movie with this much going on.
I saw it on the opening day (and the day after that) in two cinemas in different parts of the country. And the crowds just weren't as into it as I'd hoped for. First of all, there were some flat scenes in the early parts of the flick that dragged. There were also some scenes that seemed to have been included primarily to give some screen time to the characters from the show. Throughout, there were a number of disorienting changes of pace that seemed to happen without thought to the movie a whole.
I was clapping in gleeful anticipation at times (especially toward the end), and I was delighted with some of the innovative and intriguing film-making (the pre-credits introduction alone is worth the price of admission). I just wish the whole thing had been that way.
Ah well, I expect that this Firefly/Serenity thing is due to return to the TV. When it does, I'll buy a TV set.
Recommended.