General thoughts about ‘Serenity’
Serenity was… interesting. Not a bad kind of interesting, but not an overly great one either. I felt like I was watching a few different things, rather than one cohesive movie. Let me explain.
My issue with Serenity is that I don’t think it knew what it wanted to be. On one hand, it was meant to wrap up the series and give the fans some sort of closure. On the other, it didn’t want to wrap things up too much in case a sequel or even a Firefly continuation was possible as a result of Serenity.
However, instead of answering some of the main questions of the series and just leaving a few potential plotlines open, Serenity answered questions that I never even had. The movie made up totally new questions and rules and followed those instead of ones established in the show. In fact, I felt like Serenity ignored most premises and characterizations that the show had previously put in place.
For instance, I really enjoyed the idea of the Reavers being a result of a government implement gone wrong. I think that speaks volumes both in the show and in real life. However, the fact that that message was a large part of what was driving River insane felt like a huge stretch to me. I felt like Firefly was building up the fact that she was experimented upon/mentally changed and transformed into a weapon. Yet, Serenity didn’t really deal with that head on. They dealt with a random consequence of the surgical manipulations.
I wanted Serenity to be about River, what happened to her, and how her story would reach a breaking-point climax. Instead, I watched a movie about River learning a government secret that the government didn’t want getting out and how releasing that secret may or may not change the universe. So while events in the show were very much invested in River as a character, the movie was more interested in what she found out. At least, that’s how it felt to me.
Another issue I had with the movie was the way in which it dealt with characters, mainly Shepherd Book and Inara. These two characters were almost completely removed from the movie’s plot (Book more so than Inara) to the point where it felt like their inclusion into the ensemble was really forced. As a result, Book’s death did not have nearly as much emotional impact as it should have. His just felt like a very unnecessary death (not that all deaths have to be necessary), especially when compared to Wash’s death which really packed a punch.
You know, my reflection of Serenity is coming out a lot more negative than I actually felt while watching. For a lot of it (especially toward the beginning), I thought the movie really captured the adventure and the atmosphere of the show. I especially loved the first scene of the movie, both because it gave more insight into the Tams and because it felt like it was lifted right out of an episode (and then given a glitzy Hollywood makeover). When I wasn’t feeling awkward about the direction that the plot was taking in Serenity, I really liked the adventure. It just felt like a souped-up Firefly episode!
Another aspect of the movie that I enjoyed was the long overdue emphasis on River’s character. I loved how strong and agile River was in the movie and how she took what she wanted, even when she wasn’t going through a mental break. Summer Glau did a great job with the material she was given and had a really ethereal presence that added to the movie’s mood.
And finally, Kaylee/Simon! What more can I say?
In conclusion: I enjoyed Serenity for the ride that it was. It just wasn’t the ride I had expected, wanted, or thought of as an appropriate follow-up to Firefly.
Unfortunately, there’s only so many thoughts that I can fit into this article. If you’d like to talk more Firefly or ask me questions, come find me on Twitter! Before you come asking me questions, though, I have a question for all of you…
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