Review: Serenity (2005) dir. Joss Whedon

Serenity is not only my favorite science-fiction movie, it is one of my all time favorites regardless of genre. The film is self-contained and doesn't require familiarity with the television show Firefly on which it's based. Firefly is well worth watching and some of its episodes, such as "Out of Gas," are stellar achievements. Serenity's opening scene is brilliant. It's a flashback within a flashback that is clear and provides the viewer with all the required backstory. 

The story revolves around the adventures of the crew of the spaceship Serenity. As with the Millennium Falcon, the Serenity is a smuggling vessel commanded by a lovable rogue, Mal Reynolds, portrayed by Nathan Fillion. These "naughty men flit about" the "verse" engaging in various illegal ventures. They try their best to stay ahead of the evil tyrannical "Alliance" that rules the star system. 

The story's "verse" is believable and self-contained. There are no aliens in the Firefly universe. The "verse" is apparently made up of one, large solar system. There is no faster than light travel. In the film's prologue it is alluded that the "verse" was populated by pioneers escaping the "earth that was" in some form of generation ships. 

The film and television show have been characterized as "libertarian" in theme. There is much truth to this. After fighting on the losing side of a rebellion, Browncoat Mal Reynolds simply wants to go "his own way" without taking "make-work" from the Alliance. His crew is made up of outcasts who have few options that don't require coming to terms with the evil empire. 

Two of the Serenity's crew are wanted fugitives. Gifted teenager River Tam was kidnapped and cruelly brainwashed to do the Alliance's bidding as a "weapon" devoid of free will. Her brother, Simon, broke her out of prison and they are on the run. River's psychic abilities allowed her access to the Alliance's most guarded secrets. It will spare no expense in tracking them down. 

Chiwetel Ejiofor is excellent as the Alliance "Operative" tasked with finding the Tams. Unlike River Tam, the Alliance has been successful in transforming the Operative into a "monster." He's a dedicated assassin and true believer in creating the Alliance's utopia that is "free of sin." He is Javert like in his relentless pursuit of the Serenity and its crew. As with Javert, the Operative discovers too late that he has devoted his life to and committed crimes for a lie.  

Many of the Firefly saga's best lines are from this movie. The film's heroes discover one of the Alliance's most heinous atrocities and seeks to "broadwave" the evidence across the entire "verse." The odds against them are high. Mal Reynolds breaks it down in his "I aim to misbehave" speech. 

One intriguing thing about this wonderful film is its creator Joss Whedon. Serenity is considered an auteur film. Whedon both directed the film and wrote its screenplay. He was deeply involved in all aspects of its production. I don't care for his other work - what I've seen of it. I could only get through two episodes of "Buffy," for example. Whedon's non-Firefly productions seem to me as adolescent, shallow and uninteresting. What's more, Whedon supports "Alliance" style fascism in real life. He comes across as an emotional creature largely incapable of abstract thought and is given to virtue signalling like a teenage girl.  He isn't the first, and won't be the last, artist whose sub-conscious premises are far superior to his odious conscious beliefs. 

In any event, this is a great film. Watch it and Firefly for a rare treat.