Review of Serenity

I wasn't sure about Serenity at first. I knew it was based off the brilliant TV show Firefly, and while I was interested part of me had my reservations too. Apart from a couple of exceptions I have seen a fair number of based-of-TV-show films and they haven't worked at all, the worst offenders being Dragonball Evolution, My Favourite Martian and Wild Wild West, and I remember disliking The Avengers and The Dukes of Hazzard too.

Serenity to my surprise worked wonderfully. On its own it is a fantastic film and is not a disgrace to the show. Firefly as many before me have said was amazing, and one of the worst decisions FOX ever made was cancelling it before it had the chance to blossom even more. Serenity does have a somewhat simplistic story, but it is also a well-written, intense and thrilling one that maintains the tone of the show nicely. The dialogue is often intelligent and thought-provoking too, and Joss Whedon does a great job directing the film.

The action thrills and excites, the music is clever and doesn't detract from the atmosphere and the visuals and effects are dazzling. The actors do do a credible job in connecting to their characters, who may be over-familiar perhaps in set-up but quite likable and compelling thanks to the acting and writing. Nathan Fillion especially is great.

All in all, a fantastic film both as a stand-alone and a successor to a superior but equally fantastic show. For me, Serenity is easily one of the better based-of-TV-show films I have seen. 10/10 Bethany Cox