SL Trib gives "Serenity" good review....

[Tyler]

Sean Means of the SL Tribune hates movies, I’m sure of it; he rarely gives as good a rating as this, so it must be a good flick!

@Sean Means of the Salt Lake Tribune

‘Serenity’: Solid sci-fi, with a ‘Firefly’ buzz
By Sean P. Means
The Salt Lake Tribune





Nathan Fillion, left, as Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, Alan Tudyk as Wash, Gina Torres as Zoe, Adam Baldwin as Jayne, Morena Baccarin as Inara and Sean Maher as Simon in “Serenity,” about a transport-for-hire ship caught between warring forces out to dominate the galaxy.



Serenity

Where: Theaters everywhere.
When: Opens today.
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense violence and action, and some sexual references.
Running time: 119 minutes.

Bottom line: The scruffy crew from TV’s “Firefly” gets a second chance to be heroes in this movie follow-up.

I only saw one episode of the science-fiction series “Firefly” during its brief run in 2002 and 2003 (15 episodes were produced, but only 11 aired). I liked what I saw, between the rugged “space Western” attitude and the always-kicky dialogue of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon.
With that in mind, I feel I can judge Whedon’s movie continuation of the “Firefly” story, “Serenity,” from the vantage points of the novice and the dedicated fanboy - and this energetic space saga works exceedingly well from both perspectives.
Whedon begins by cleverly setting the scene in several directions at once. He orients us to the overarching political landscape (the “civilized” Alliance planets, colonized by earthlings, trying to rein in the rebellious Independents on the outskirts of a solar system) and introduces a pivotal character, River (Summer Glau), a mentally disturbed teen with psychic abilities and the combat skills of a small army.
River is busted out of an Alliance military lab by her brother, Simon (Sean Maher), and the two hide out on board the rebel spaceship Serenity, with Simon paying their way by offering the crew his services as a doctor. Serenity’s captain, Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds (Nathan Fillion, who could easily be the next Harrison Ford) begins to doubt the wisdom of that deal when he discovers that a ruthless Alliance operative (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, the charismatic star of “Dirty Pretty Things”) is trailing River - and that River carries a dangerous secret that may bring down the Alliance.
For newcomers, “Serenity” offers a solid science-fiction story with plenty of twists, a salting of good humor and a crew of engaging characters. For people familiar with the show, the development of the characters - like Mal’s tempestuous relationship with the courtesan Inara (Morena Baccarin) - feels natural and authentic, and there are some surprises along the way.
Everybody from the series - including Mal’s second-in-command Zoe (Gina Torres), her navigator husband Wash (Alan Tudyk), plucky engineer Kaylee (Jewel Staite), musclebound mercenary Jayne (Adam Baldwin) and enigmatic preacher Shepherd Book (Ron Glass) - is back, and the actors’ season together on TV has honed their rapport neatly.
Whedon’s two great talents are in creating a believable mythology for his characters and in writing whip-smart dialogue. With “Serenity,” Whedon gives us a ragtag crew looking for a mission after being on the losing side of a civil war, and provides fearsome enemies in the oppressive Alliance forces and the cannibalistic Reavers. The dialogue is particularly compelling, as Whedon replaces “Buffy’s” pop-culture savvy (it is 500 years in the future) with a retro-futuristic lingo that’s somewhere between Buck Rogers and Huckleberry Finn.
Whether this is your first trip or you’re a charter passenger, “Serenity” is a wild ride - and, if things work out, not the last.
movies@sltrib.com

[jsluder]

I didn’t read this review, 'cause me and the Mrs are gonna see the movie this afternoon, and I want to form my own opinions.

[TonyHiggins]

I’m watching the 4th disc this weekend and I’ll wait until next weekend to see the film. I’m really psyched about seeing the disc. The previous 3 were great.
Tony

[Darwin]

@TonyHiggins

I’m watching the 4th disc this weekend and I’ll wait until next weekend to see the film. I’m really psyched about seeing the disc. The previous 3 were great.

The background stuff is pretty interesting, too. I normally don’t care about that sort of thing, but I enjoyed it this time.

[jsluder]

@jsluder

I didn’t read this review, 'cause me and the Mrs are gonna see the movie this afternoon, and I want to form my own opinions.

Well, we saw it. Twice. This is the first time in my life that I’ve come out of a movie and immediately bought tickets to see the next showing. It was awsome the first time, and even better the second time. To avoid spoiling anything for those who haven’t seen it, I’ll just say that it’s the shiniest movie in the 'verse. Go see it.

Serenity:

[Joseph_E_Smith]

I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I can’t wait…

[Dale]

@DaleWisely

Just got back from the movie. I thought it was very good. Good for the “Firefly” fans, although it doesn’t cater to them and fans will have to deal with the fact that, by the end of the movie, one realizes that significant story line developments have occurred–so that subsequent movies will be different.

Good story. Quite dark, actually. Lots of good action. I could have used a little more of the humor I’m accustomed to from the series…it’s there but I wanted more.

Reviews are running about 80% positive, last time I checked.

Dale

(edited to eliminate a bit of an unintentional spoiler.)

[Joseph_E_Smith]

@DaleWisely

(edited to eliminate a bit of an unintentional spoiler.)

… maybe too late, at least for moi.

[jsluder]

@Joseph E. Smith

I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I can’t wait…

So don’t. Go now.

[fearfaoin]

@Joseph E. Smith

@DaleWisely

(edited to eliminate a bit of an unintentional spoiler.)

… maybe too late, at least for moi.

Well, the spoiler spoiled nothing for me. There were still surprises, and I
enjoyed myself thoroughly. The movie had tremendous emotional depth.
I wish Joss Wheedan had started making movies earlier!

[Unseen122]

One of my friends was just telling me that I have to see it.

[fearfaoin]

@Unseen122

One of my friends was just telling me that I have to see it.

I concur. Everyone should. I was there with a couple guys who had never
seen the series, and they didn’t have any problems understanding what
was happening. I had to discuss with them afterward a little back story
between characters (specifically, the love interest between Kaylee and
Simon, and between Mal and Inara), but these weren’t really germane to the
plot, so didn’t distract from their enjoyment of the movie.

[buddhu]

I’ve never seen Firefly, but I was a big Buffy fan. Whedon is a clever chap - very sharp.

Nevertheless, I am surprised to see such overwhelming, gushy enthusiasm. As my wife isn’t much of an SF fan I’ll have to wait for DVD to find out what all the fuss is about :roll: Doh…

[fearfaoin]

@buddhu

I’ve never seen Firefly, but I was a big Buffy fan. Whedon is a clever chap - very sharp.

One of the guys who had never seen the show was sitting beside me, but he had seen Buffy and Angel.
After several very funny lines, he commented “This has Joss Wheedon all over it.” So, I think
a Buffy fan would probably enjoy it. I don’t know if SciFi is a good category; it’s almost a
suspense/thriller with a hint of romantic comedy (put THAT in your pipe and smoke it, Lucus).

[Tyler]

@fearfaoin

(put THAT in your pipe and smoke it, Lucus).

“I am so smart, smrt, I am so smart.”

[Darwin]

@buddhu

I’ve never seen Firefly, but I was a big Buffy fan. Whedon is a clever chap - very sharp.

Nevertheless, I am surprised to see such overwhelming, gushy enthusiasm. As my wife isn’t much of an SF fan I’ll have to wait for DVD to find out what all the fuss is about :roll: Doh…

The Firefly 4-disc set is already out. I’d start with that.

My son and I saw Serenity yesterday and felt that it was entirely up to the level of the series.
(I did cry a bit to’rds the end, but I’ve cried watching Buffy, too.)

[TonyHiggins]

Just saw the movie today. So, when’s the next one due out? It didn’t really look like they were setting up a sequel, though. Great movie (if you like sci-fi). Saw a trailer for Aeon Flux that looked pretty cool. I loved the early animations where she got killed off each time.

On the subject of fun movies, I rented Kung Fu Hustle recently and loved it. Not for everyone. Pretty brutal in places, hilarious in a lot of places.
Tony

[Redwolf]

I saw Serenity this weekend, and was totally enthralled. Even our daughter liked it, and she’s neither a sci-fi lover, nor a devotee of the series. I really think they did an excellent job.

Redwolf

[GaryKelly]

V.cool movie clip, first 9 minutes of the movie Serenity:

http://video.vividas.com/CDN1/3929_Serenity/web/index.html

It has various ‘quality levels’ depending on whether you’re on broadband or dial-up etc. The broadband version is outstanding!

I bought the Firefly box set and watched the first disk last night. Must see the movie!

[jsluder]

@GaryKelly

I bought the Firefly box set and watched the first disk last night. Must see the movie!

Heh. Another volunteer for the Browncoats.