When they
decided to take down one of the best TV series ever made (Firefly), I guess
they didn’t imagine the massive cult following that would follow. Firefly was
an awesome series based on a renegade crew aboard a Firefly-class spaceship,
led by a former war sergeant named Mal.
This movie (Serenity)
was the follow-up to the series, and like the show, its immersive cult
following grew after the movie was released and deemed a box office bomb.
It’s a mystery
why both the series and the movie ended up being financial losses because
they’re great to watch, and the cast is warm and welcoming to behold. When Fox
canceled the show after just fourteen episodes due to bad ratings, Universal
Studios bought the rights to make a movie series—an adventure they couldn’t
pursue because of the financial loss.
The movie is
named after the spaceship the crew is on (Serenity), and it was fun to be back
on board. It delves deeper into the life of River Tam, the 17-year-old psychic,
and reveals the origins of the Reavers, the man-eating space pirates.
Two of the cast
members from the series were killed off: Wash (Alan Tudyk) and Shepherd (Ron
Glass). Both couldn’t commit to a sequel, so their characters were written out.
If only the producers had known this would be the only movie they’d make, I
guess they might have reconsidered.
The movie also
introduced The Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a man from the Alliance who is
hellbent on getting River back.
If you haven’t
seen Firefly, I wonder why? But I’ll assume some haven’t, so here’s a
brief history of what you’ve been missing—or missed—fourteen years ago. Firefly (and
this movie) are set in 2517. The story takes place in the aftermath of a civil
war on Earth between The Independents and The Alliance. The Alliance won and
now dominates the universe.
A crew aboard a
spaceship called Serenity travels the universe, taking on jobs
(moving cargo, carrying passengers, and even committing crimes) to get by. The
captain of the ship is Mal (Nathan Fillion), a former sergeant for The
Independents. He’s flanked by his war buddy and second-in-command, Zoe (Gina
Torres). Wash is the pilot, Jayne (Adam Baldwin) is the weapons guy, Kaylee
(Jewel Staite) is the mechanic, and Simon Tam (Sean Maher) is the ship’s
doctor. Along with them are River Tam, a psychic (Simon’s sister); Inara, a
companion; and Shepherd, a priest.
In this film,
they’re being hunted by The Alliance, who want to retrieve River. She was taken
as a child and experimented on to become a weapon. Simon broke her out, and now
both are living on Serenity.
Please make time
to watch both Firefly and this movie. With all the relaunches of old
series happening these days, I wonder if Firefly will ever get a
reboot.
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