As promised, here are my thoughts about the Joss Whedeon film, Serenity, based on the now-defunct TV series Firefly. I watched it last night in the big multi-screen cinema in Fulham and enjoyed the film a great deal, with one or two reservations.
What is there to like? I liked the continuing focus on plot, character and humour over clever-dick technology. I liked the fact that one did not have to have followed the original television series to enjoy the film, although in my judgement it does help to have seen the series first.
I thought the standard of acting throughout was first class, with especially good performances from Nathan Fillion, who plays the skipper, Mal, and Jewell Staite, who plays Kaylee (I have developed rather a crush on her). The villains were suitably villainous and the film continues to carry that anti-authortarian, anti-state vibe that explains why so many libertarians have loved the shows.
Okay, the nit-picks. It is a highly violent film. Maybe it is because so many aspects of the TV plots get compressed into the film, but one of the results is that the pace is very high and the violence and the noise are overpowering at times. (My fiancee spent much of the time covering her eyes). Perhaps it is a side of old age creeping in, but did the movie have to be so bloody? (It has a Cert 15 rating). I also think that some of the aspects of the film would have gone over movie-watchers' heads had they not seen the television show.
Overall, the film gets a 8 out of 10 rating from me.
It is not the best film I have ever seen (Apollo 13 and Bullitt rank as the tops for me) but it is nevertheless a very good 2 hours+ entertainment. I hope that the success of the film encourages Whedon to have another crack at continuing Firefly, or if not, that the fine bunch of actors in this movie go on to other things. I particularly like Nathan Fillion, who looks like an Ayn Rand hero with a wonderfully dry sense of humour, like Clint Eastwood or Spencer Tracy in their pomp.
Article comments
1 - Chris Beaumont
Nicely put, although the violence didn't seem as high to me. I will be seeing it again, so I will keep it in mind.
I am glad to see non-fans discovering it.
It was one of the most fun films I have seen all year.
2 - Brent McKee
Does anyone know the Box Office for "Serenity" for the week? Some jackass has been saying that the movie's a flop because it "only" did $10 million the first weekend and finished second to the Jody Foster movie "Flightplan". This is cited as "proof" that "Firefly" and "Serenity" are crap. Personally I think that $10 million in three days for a movie that cost something like $40 million to make isn't bad.
3 - Phillip Winn
From what I've heard, it was more or less in line with studio projections, neither a flop nor a runaway success.
Details are here. I'm probably going to see it again this weekend and do my part. :-)
4 - Juan Moreno
I'm glad it flopped. I never liked Firefly. It's glorification of the antebellum confederacy was off-putting, as was the fact that the only black men in the Firefly universe were villains and a a emasculated eunuch. This was a dystopian right wing fantasy future designed as a crypto-racist rebuttal to the more multicultural egalitarian and socially democratic futures envisioned in Star Trek, The Matrix, etc...
Hopefully Serenity's lack luster performance at the box office will put this unsavory franchise to bed for good.
5 - Eric Berlin
Whoah, hold your terraform-planet bred horses, Juan.
Who said it flopped? Meeting studio expectations isn't a flop in my book. (And I'll bet anything it rocks DVD rentals and sales.)
Second, I don't really understand your take on the Firefly universe. Zoe is a beautiful and strong black woman, second-in-command to Mal. And where do you get "antebellum confederacy" from? This is a post-civil war universe, with the winners trying to impose their will and values on the losers and everyone else. To me, that creates an exciting dynamic as we get to travel with a band of misfits and outlaws among the stars.
"Dystopian right wing fantasy future designed as a crypto-racist rebuttal..."
Again, I think you're drawing conclusions here based upon your own assumptions. The only critique (and a small one) I can see about race is that there are no Asian characters in evidence, even though this world is clearly heavily influenced by a concoction of Eastern and Western cultures.
6 - Johnathan Pearce
I second what Eric Berlin said. Juan, what utterly weird comments from you. One of the main heroines of the film is er, black. There are also lots of references to Asian culture, too. The Sherpherd is black and one of the true heroes. So the main villain is also black. So what? As far as I know, Joss Whedon does not have a racist bone in his body.
I guess it is "right wing" or "fascist" to question the holiness of the Mother State these days. On those grounds, Minority Report, which also mocks the all-embracing police state and the pursuit of utopia, is "fascist".
7 - Eric Berlin
Yes, it doesn't make sense to me to declare that a movie that features minority actors is "racist" and that rails against the strictures of conformist culture and authoritarian government is "fascist."
Finally, the main villian displayed not a hint of stereotype.
8 - Rob Larder
Crikey Charlie. It's a FICTIONAL marginal film chaps. I'm sure the censors were satisfied.
9 - LowAndBehold
After much Raving and Hype from friends, I finally sat down to eagerly watch this film two nights ago. It has been said by many that its better than Star Wars Ep 3. I'm not a massive fan of Star Wars, and in particular of George Lucas. But you cannot deny its qualities. Quite simply, Serenity isn't even in the same leauge.
Its average, VERY. One plus was the good acting from what are unknown actors. Everything else is average, its been done before, and much better. If your mad on Sc-Fi, and unfunny and cliche jokes don't bore you, you'll like it. If you like a good story and quality film making, then you won't like it.
10 - James Clip
I watched this when it fist came out on the big screen. just a load a toss. Worst science fic film I've ever seen. I can't beleive how bad it was.
11 - Fred
Sorry, Juan, but as you can see the majority of Joss' fans are mostly white and will freak out if you point out the obvious racism in his works. But you are correct, the film and series glorified the Confederate south. I don't think they meant to be racist, they simply don't care if they are.
12 - Roy
I ain't a big fan of Joss Whedeon though some of his work is mildly entertaing. Anyone who socially aware and has watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer knows whats lurking behind the sets in Summerdale. You could of counted the number of black characters on the finger of one hand.
Let's see, there was the Kendra black Slayer (The worst carribean accent I have ever heard), the rapping black vampier Absalom, the street wise entrepreneurial black vampire Mr Trick, Giles' black girlfriend, who didn't say or do much, Lissa the black Vamp, Rossa the argumentative black 'potential' slayler and possibly the most positive black character of the whole show Pricnciple Wood, tho the writers tryed to make him out the be the bad guy when Wood confronted Spike for mudering his mother years earlyer so they loose points for that!
I was amazed that after 7 seasons and nearing the end of the series, he introduces a whole tribe in one episode! (and we were treated to Buffy kicking their ass). The utter cheek!!! It's almost as if he was trying to fill a quota or something.
They had a chance to redeem themselves with the spin off 'Angel' when they introduce the character of 'Gun' even if he was one big stereotype. For a while there it seemed that they were making an effort. When Gun and Winnifred 'fell in love' I thought ''Great, an inter-racial relationsip, how bold and forward thinking of Joss and the writers of the show....but that was vary short lived when I realised that the whole romance was a wry attempt at creating frustration in the viewers and in the rejected Wesley. They wanted the viewer to yearn for Winnifred and Wesley to be together and dispise Gun for getting in the way.
My views were sealed when they finally made Gun, indirectly the cause of Winnifred death (didn't you know that the only way for a black person to become a lawyer was to use dark mysical powers??) In doing this, they ensured that Winnifred and Wesley never get togeather and it's THAT black guys fault. But not to worry a couple of episodes later (in 'Origin' I think) Gun is in a 'Hell' dimention and the viewers are treated to a lovely and VARY graphic scene of Gun having his stomuch sliced open revealing his guts for all enjoy and having his heart ripped out over and over and over again, I really can't imagine any of the other characters being portrayed in such a way, not even the shows baddies. So what message does this send. To me it says ''This is what happends to black savages who dare to put they paws of white women''. Well done JossWhedeon & Co. You guys really have some issues that you need to work out.
The series Charmed is vary similar in its portrayal of black people, at one point I thought it was written by our friend Joss, it definatly has his stench smeared all over it.
13 - Brian
Dear Roy,
I am all the way with you here. The Judeo-Christian culture, or what passes for culture in the Judeo-Christian world, is based on the dogma of the white people carrying the "burden" and the torch of their so called "civilization" to the untermensch of color.
Of course, their various forms of art are just serving this dogma. Look at their paintings - what is the role of the black persons there? Servants and/or villains all. And of course, visual arts being the most powerful means of impressing their stereotypes on the pliable brains of the masses, they use the cinema as the main channel to spread the message of white superiority.
It will be naive not to expect the "glorification of the antebellum confederacy", as Juan Moreno astutely mentioned. And, of course, the likes of Star Trek where representatives of all races, colored and aliens and all work and live in harmony are not sitting well with the crypto-fascists like that Joss Whedeon fellow. But Joss Whedeon may not even be the guilty party here - there are more powerful and sinister forces behind the scenes that guide him and his likes...
Think about it, Roy