As luck would have it, I was in Charlotte, NC last Thursday (6/23). My girlfriend treated me to a birthday weekend in Atlanta, and we drove to Charlotte to stay overnight with her family before heading to Atlanta Friday morning. It just so happened that Thursday at 10:00pm, the Stonecrest Cinema in Charlotte was one of the 35 cities showing a sneak preview of Serenity, Joss Whedon's film-continuation of the cancelled FOX tv series Firefly.
This was the third round of screenings of the film, and everyone of the cities had sold out within minutes of tickets being made available online, so I was pretty lucky in getting ours.
Most of the previews featured a guest speaker from the cast and/or crew. In Charlotte, the guest was the film's executive producer, Chris Buchanan. After a few brief words from Chris, the lights dimmed and the film opened with a brief introduction by Joss Whedon.
Serenity is an excellent film. It picks up about 6 months after the series, and fills in a few gaps along the way. Backstory about the characters is woven into the film in a very natural way, and doesn't impede the story.
All of the series regulars return for the film, though not all of them are just as they were in the series. One in particular has taken a minor role and is no longer a part of the crew. Those familiar with the tv series will be privvy to backstory that enhances the character relationships, but such knowledge is not required to enjoy the film (in other words, if you have access to the DVDs of the series, watch them).
This film is meaner, dirtier, scarier and sexier than the series. The characters and universe translate well to the new medium.
If you're a fan of the series, there are a few things that happen in this film that will absolutely break your heart. But they're things that had to be done for the sake of the story and its transition to the big screen.
After the film, Chris Buchanan answered a few questions from fans. Most of them have been answered elsewhere before. When asked about the return of the series, he was hesitant to say for sure if that was a possibility. He did say that the plan was for more films, but if the series DID return, it would be much different than the original.
Two major questions are answered in this film. I won't spoil the answers, but I will tell you what the questions are:
And although it was never hinted in the series, those two questions are directly related.
I can't say much more about the film without spoiling things, so I'll leave it at that. For fans of the original series, Serenity will be an excellent bittersweet ride. For those who have never seen Firefly, Serenity stands on its own as one hell of a sci-fi film.
To be honest, though, this film would work in any genere. It's not a sci-fi film in the same way Star Trek or Star Wars are. Serenity is about people. It's about how people react when their backs are to the wall and they've got nothing left to lose. It's about sacrifice, love, will..and oh yeah, sacrifice. It kicks substantial amounts of ass and takes a few names along the way.
Serenity is also a smart film. The "bad guy" is so intensely bad, it's hard to stomach some of the things he does, yet -- here's the intelligent part -- you not only understand his motives, you can almost sympathize with him. And that's pretty unsettling.
CLIFFS:
Serenity kicks ass.
This was the third round of screenings of the film, and everyone of the cities had sold out within minutes of tickets being made available online, so I was pretty lucky in getting ours.
Most of the previews featured a guest speaker from the cast and/or crew. In Charlotte, the guest was the film's executive producer, Chris Buchanan. After a few brief words from Chris, the lights dimmed and the film opened with a brief introduction by Joss Whedon.
Serenity is an excellent film. It picks up about 6 months after the series, and fills in a few gaps along the way. Backstory about the characters is woven into the film in a very natural way, and doesn't impede the story.
All of the series regulars return for the film, though not all of them are just as they were in the series. One in particular has taken a minor role and is no longer a part of the crew. Those familiar with the tv series will be privvy to backstory that enhances the character relationships, but such knowledge is not required to enjoy the film (in other words, if you have access to the DVDs of the series, watch them).
This film is meaner, dirtier, scarier and sexier than the series. The characters and universe translate well to the new medium.
If you're a fan of the series, there are a few things that happen in this film that will absolutely break your heart. But they're things that had to be done for the sake of the story and its transition to the big screen.
After the film, Chris Buchanan answered a few questions from fans. Most of them have been answered elsewhere before. When asked about the return of the series, he was hesitant to say for sure if that was a possibility. He did say that the plan was for more films, but if the series DID return, it would be much different than the original.
Two major questions are answered in this film. I won't spoil the answers, but I will tell you what the questions are:
Spoiler
And although it was never hinted in the series, those two questions are directly related.
I can't say much more about the film without spoiling things, so I'll leave it at that. For fans of the original series, Serenity will be an excellent bittersweet ride. For those who have never seen Firefly, Serenity stands on its own as one hell of a sci-fi film.
To be honest, though, this film would work in any genere. It's not a sci-fi film in the same way Star Trek or Star Wars are. Serenity is about people. It's about how people react when their backs are to the wall and they've got nothing left to lose. It's about sacrifice, love, will..and oh yeah, sacrifice. It kicks substantial amounts of ass and takes a few names along the way.
Serenity is also a smart film. The "bad guy" is so intensely bad, it's hard to stomach some of the things he does, yet -- here's the intelligent part -- you not only understand his motives, you can almost sympathize with him. And that's pretty unsettling.
CLIFFS:
Serenity kicks ass.
