Firefly

If there’s one film I’m truly hangin’ for this year it’s Joss’s space-saga. It’s starting to look like this is the sci-fi film to see in 2005 - and not the final days of wee Anakin. But I guess we’ll find out in due course. Our first review of "Serenity", courtesy one of the lucky chaps in the harbour city...Now, whose going to sneak me into a screening?

Serenity

Hey Clint,

I was lucky enough to be taken to a galaxy, far, far, away this week......nope, not "Sith", I was one of the few lucky ones who caught a test screening of "Serenity" in Sydney. I know you’re a big fan of the show (and anything else Joss Whedon!), so thought you’d like the verdict.

Now, first things first, I’m not a "Firefly" fan - and until after I went to the screening, I hadn’t seen the series. The movie actually inspired me to go and hire out the DVD box set AFTER I watched it.

The print reminded me of when I saw ’Men In Black’ earlier, some of the special effects had yet to be put into the film and the music was probably just a temporary replacement, but overall, this is near as good as finished, so it’s worth a review, right?

So is it like "Firefly"? After now watching the series, I’ll tell you - well, yes, it is - besides a couple of little differences. Kaylee looks a little different (thinner?), and so do a couple of the other characters (it has been a while since the show I guess) but mainly it’s it’s the change of focus from cheeky humour to lots of action with the occasional quip - usually supplied by comic relief, Jayne (Adam Baldwin). But mostly, it’s like a full-blown episode of the show with bigger sets, bigger stunts, bigger plot....much in the same way the "Star Trek" movies differed from the TV episodes.

The movie started without any kind of title sequence - strange? - but the audience still seem very hyped, a couple even clapped, and then laughed at themselves.

It kicks straight into proceedings, but unfortunately there’s no explanation to what we have missed between the last episode (12?) of the show and the first scene of the movie. I guess they’re trying to kick it off afresh, so people like me don’t need to know what’s happened before - because well really didn’t have to. It’s pretty self-contained.

The star of the movie, and the lead character is River Tam (Summer Glau) whose still on the run and now wanted by a bounty hunter (this chap’s very sinsiter! he’s a great actor too!). It looks like the end of the road for River there for a while, but everyone bands together and brings on the fight. There’s so much more we didn’t know about River that we now find out - she’s full of surprises - and just wait till you see what she does at the end of the film. It’s amazing! - - too reveal much more would be to spoil one of this year’s most surprisingly-fantastic movies!

As I said, it’s much more action oriented (there’s a long-ish star wars like space battle in ships) than it is funny (which some of the TV episodes were) but mostly, it’s about all these characters - they’re so well written and detailed and that. Whilst Summer is the new fave, Mal is equally as cool - he’s like Indiana Jones in space, full of smart arse comments and the wall anyone has to get through if they want to take on his crew/get to anyone of them. But don’t despair, there’s still three of four big belly laughs! Jayne could star in his own spin-off I think!

My friend said he saw the trailer and it reminded him of "Supernova", that crappy science fiction thing from years ago, he’s so wrong....and I so hope I can get him to change his mind and drag him along to it when it opens...This is the ’Star Wars’ movie we’ve been waiting for. Watch Joss Whedon kick George Lucas’s ass with a film that’s as good, if not better, than the original "Star Wars".

Two Fat Thumbs Up!