Platymania

There has been a drought of good Sci-Fi these past few years, as evidenced by the fact that Star Wars Episode 3 (characterised by poor dialogue and shoddy acting) was relatively well received by a public hungry for Sci-Fi which doesn't suck.

Now we have a Sci-Fi film which gets it all right: Serenity. With crisp, witty dialogue, gorgeous visuals, engaging characters and a strong plot, Serenity is a wakeup call to the film industry. It is fun, action-packed, scary, emotionally engaging (without being sentimental or sappy) and it keeps on *surprising* you. Clichés are turned upside down and jokes are made at the most inappropriate of times. The audience I saw this movie with at the Advanced Screening laughed, gasped and cried right through the film and applauded as the ending credits rolled.

Fans of Firefly will be delighted to see their much-loved characters return, but you don't need to have seen the original series to enjoy Serenity (it will add to the experience though). See it if you enjoy action, adventure or just great dialogue.

All I knew about 'Firefly' when I started watching my friend's DVDs was that it was a Space Western, and the brainchild of Joss Whedon. The former had me worried, as I have never been a fan of westerns. The latter gave me hope, as I have a great deal of respect for Joss.

It did take me a little while to accept the very literal extreme to which the 'Space Western' theme is taken, particularly when they were riding around on horses with old-fashioned 6-shooters. But in later episodes where we visit some Alliance worlds, I finally understood how the show is mainly set on the frontier of space where there is minimal infrastructure and not a lot of high-tech gadgetry to throw around.

But the setting is incidental to the characters, and the characters of Firefly are, IMO, Joss's greatest creations. Mal is an enjoyable cross between Mad Max and Han Solo, with a wicked sense of humour, and his relationship with Inara is priceless. Every character has a vital and unique role to play in the show, creating one of the strongest 'ensemble' casts I have ever seen.

Then there are the visuals. The digital effects are masterfully executed, and it is often impossible to tell where reality ends and fantasy begins. The sets are gorgeous with a stunning attention to detail. The costumes are simply jaw-dropping.

It pains me to ponder where this series might have gone if Fox had at least let it run to the end of its first season. It is a tragedy to see such a masterpiece cut down in its prime.