Movie Review: Serenity
11-01-2005
by Aaron Dicer

Serenity,
PG-13

I think I growled at the screen, it’s not that I wasn’t enjoying the movie, in fact it was just the opposite. I was enjoying Serenity so much that the words I heard shocked me into an audible “grrrrrrr”. My wife, who should be used to this kind of thing by now, used a well placed elbow to quickly improve my theater etiquette. After the pain subsided, I whispered, “But did you hear what he said?”

“It doesn’t matter what you believe, Mal, just believe it.”

They are the dying words of the man who is the moral center of the film; they are the words that serve as the crisis and inspiration for our hero. And they are the words that caused an involuntary grunt from yours truly. In truth, these words reflect the best and the worst of what Serenity (and Firefly, the TV show that preceded it) has to offer.

Now before we go any deeper, there is a good chance that this is the first review you have read from me. If so, here is a little insight into how I approach culture. I sum it up like this, “It’s not what you listen to, It’s how you listen”. In other words, I’m not as concerned about separating movies, TV Shows, etc. into “the good pile, and the bad pile” as I am about pursuing a lifestyle that views everything through the siphon of truth. So my reviews won’t be as much about, “Should a Christian see this movie?” as it will be about “How does this movie stack up to truth?” I balance the quality, content, and message of a film and give it an overall score, knowing that all are important ways a Christian might assess the value of something. Oh, and I also ramble… , back to the review.

Firefly hit the airwaves in the fall of 2002 with a combination of brilliant writing, top notch acting, and a wonderfully unique plot. So FOX did what it always does with a show that is so clearly destined for greatness, it cancelled it. But a funny thing happened on the way to obscurity; a group of fans wouldn’t let it go. These Firefly disciples, or “Browncoats” as they like to be called, loved the show so much that their loyalty and devotion eventually paved way for all filmed episodes, including some that never made it to air, to be put on DVD and released. Long story short, the DVDs sold well, and FOX (who can recognize when money can be made, even if they can’t recognize great art) decided to green-light Serenity.

The simplest way to describe Serenity is as Sci-Fi western; in so much as space exploration would be very similar to the exploration of the western territories of the United States. Instead of horses, spaceships, instead of six shooters, pulse guns, and instead of bar fights, well… space bar fights. “Serenity” follows Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Mal) and his crew as they discover the truth about one of the passengers they have taken aboard and explore a big secret the authorities of the universe might be hiding.

Serenity, directed and written by Joss Whedon (Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), is as brilliant and funny as the TV Show it was spawned from. Whedon has an amazing way of turning a phrase, and a great feel for character development and how to balance humor, action, and depth. It is a testament to his skill (as well as the actors) that there is an immediate connection with almost the entire ensemble. The most noteworthy performance is Nathan Fillion (Two Guys and a Girl) who’s Captain Mal drives the momentum and heart of the movie. Summer Glau also shines as River Tam, part little girl, part prodigy, and part terminator. The drama and the plot swirl around her, and she is absolutely stunning in her transformation. The periphery elements of this film also do their work, as the score, special effects, and cinematography all excel with invisible beauty. Though there is some scattered bad language, violence, and inappropriate sexual talk, there is certainly nothing that would keep me from seeing it again, or recommending it to a discerning viewer.

So it’s a high quality movie, with little objectionable content, but what about the message? The overwhelming theme of this film is about loyalty, commitment, and devotion. This is not a surprise, especially considering Captain Mal’s military background, where “leave no man behind” is second nature. As a side note, I find it noteworthy that those who fought for this show, even after its demise, exhibit the same commitment and loyalty that is preached in this series, life imitating art, indeed.

Mal, however, likes to paint himself as a selfish hero, where the heroics are often directly related to his own survival. Yet, the underlying assumption is that there is a heart of self-sacrifice below the false bravado and selfishness. So far, so good, and then, out of nowhere, the sentence hits, a dozen words that turn beauty into the beast. “It doesn’t matter what you believe, Mal, only that you believe it.” All of the sudden, the wonder and strength of faith sink into the ether of relativism. What do you mean, “it doesn’t matter”? How can our hero fight for truth when truth is only in the eye of the beholder? I don’t think it’s giving too much of the plot away to say that in this movie some bad people do some bad things, that result in other bad things happening in the universe.

But my guess is that these “bad guys” believed in what they were doing, so following through on the given logic, can we really call them “bad”? I mean, they did, after all, truly believe in something. It is also implied that this nebulous belief in anything is what gets us through the rough times. Also not true. I’ve had faith in the Detroit Lions for years, and look where that has got me. The point is, that in order for belief to matter, truth must matter as well and Serenity loses big points on this account.

In the end, Joss Whedon has delivered a beautiful, deep, moving, and downright hilarious movie. It is a testament to his passion, devotion, and perseverance, and in an increasingly apathetic culture, it is a delight to see both his devotion to his art and a call for belief on the big screen. But his faith in this film will not be the thing that matters in the end, nor will my devotion to a sports team, TV show, movie, or even another person. These things will not provide a foundation through the storm, and only a devotion to the Truth of scripture and the God that wrote it will. And if you tell me otherwise, no matter how much I like you, I might just growl at you.

Message – C+
Content – B
Quality – A
Overall – 86%

Aaron Dicer is Program Director and does the morning show at 101.7 The Fuse, in Saginaw, Michigan. He has also spoken around the country at youth events and seminars on how a Christian can interact with culture in a positive way. Every Wednesday he will offer a new review or a TV show, Movie, or other piece of pop culture. You can hear him at wprj.org, read more articles at hookedonsiphonics.com, or be his friend at myspace.com/aarondicer.