Well, well, well. Serenity finally came, and sadly will go soon enough. Fro my thoughts on why it will be going away, see my livejournal, which I tried to do in the manner of speech reticent of Joss Whedon’s Firefly Universe (need the practice for an upcoming project).

This is your final warning, as there are mucho spoilers in here.

Movie starts in a very clever way. It shows you not only the history of the universe, but also that River is a particularly gifted girl, and also why the Browncoats fought the Alliance during the war. We are then greeted to our first shock of the show (Joss will startle you with the cheap “jump in your seat” gimmick a few times, thought there is typically something creepy that made you do it, lessening the cheapness and justifying it’s use). River is sitting in a chair being tested on. Poor kid is being shown off to an Alliance Official. Damn those guys, they’re such jer - hey, wait a second. It’s really Simon. We get to see that if Simon is in his element, he can deliver. The rescue of River is exciting and clever, though is stopped halfway when we find out that it’s just a hologram recording, being viewed by a man simply known as The Operative. This guy is a bad-ass Zen ninja, that feels frightening just in having you fall on his sword. And I do mean that literally. This guy will beat you down with his brain, his philosophy, then with his physicality. How in the hell will Mal being able to beat this guy? Will he? Newcomers are introduced to all of the characters through what must’ve been the toughest single-shot flythrough in history. We go the length of the ship, and we find out just about everything you need to know about everyo - hey, where’s Book? Hmmm. Oh that’s right, the comic book. It’s in there. Though we get to see him again, and it also gives us some insight into him. Without telling us, I think he confirms something I’ve thought for a while. Book is a former Operative himself. You see, an Op believes so unquestioningly about his mission, he is justified in killing anyone to accomplish it. After the mission is over, he admits he has no place in the world. It’s that Belief that singles Book out. The Op has no name or rank. Look at Sheperd Book’s name. It is rank and it is mission. If that isn’t enough, Book knows a lot about the underworld, crime, military weapons, etc. I don’t think he was sent after Mal or Simon and River. I think that he accomplished his mission and afterwards had nothing to do. He had immense belief, just nothing to believe in. Maybe he stumbled across a Sheperd. Maybe a Sheperd was his target. Or maybe he did many unspeakable things, and is trying to atone, or escape these tendencies. Which explains his breakdown at the end of the Pilot. He fears he’ll return to his former ways. Which is also why he leaves Serenity. He punches Mal, and Mal says “it don’t matter to me that you hit me.” To which Book replies, “Which is exactly why I need to be away from you. Because sooner or later, it won’t matter to me, either.” There is definitely some issue of him not wanting to be accustomed to violence. Although, he is shown to be a catalyst for Mal. Before, Mal was a thorn in the side of the Alliance, and a strong dislike of each other. To him, it was personal. But after the Operative kills Book and his entire commune, we see a darker side to Mal. This has gone far more than personal. He is now at war. But just before Book’s final breathe; he passes on what could lead Mal on to victory, and save his life. Now that I think about it, the single word is exactly what saves Mal from being eaten alive with thoughts of revenge, which would’ve led to his death. “Believe” It doesn’t matter what he were to believe in, just believe. In this we see what saved Book after his days of being an Operative (If I’m right). For him, it was God. But for Mal, I think it was a belief that he would be able to save the day. Mal always seemed to me to only be doing what is right in hopes of dying in the process. Some people think that’s the only way to make up for a life of bad living. Go out in a final act of Good. Which does lead me into Malcolm Reynolds. We see that he is in a dark place in his spirit. Not so jovial here. He seems a might thinner, but that could be just the actor wanting to look better on screen. Or it’s a subtle way of telling us that he has done without for a while. You see, he says something that struck me. “My ship has parts falling off her, my crew hasn’t been paid, and they have a powerful need to eat sometime this month.” No one else seems as if they done without too much, but Mal is darker, more withdrawn, and angrier. I think this is due to a battle of conscience. He wants to do what is right, by helping Simon and River. Though his crew, his family, is barely scrapping by, thanks to them being onboard. He knows he can’t abandon them, so he turns to crime. But not just smuggling, but really one of the lowest forms, bank robbery. This time he decides to use his charges’ singular talents as a reader. Simon has earned his fare by patchin’ up the crew, now it is Rivers’ turn to learn from her brother’s fine example. It of course is River that saves the group from a heroic minded guard at the heist, but also from the horror that are the Reavers. They stretched out even further this time, attacking an outpost with Alliance folk on it. Mal, with his quick thinking saves the day, though River has felt the touch of Reavers in her brain. See, she isn’t like most folks. She is psychic, and not only does she experience Reavers like you and I would (which drive some people to becoming like them), but she pulls them into her brain, and her into theirs. She is haunted by these thoughts throughout the entire movie. And maybe it’s what enables her to fight them toe to toe later. By the way, her fight against a roomful of Reavers, and essentially nearly two shipfulls is amazing. Of course, we find that Mal knows a shitload about the Reavers. Everything from what they’ll do to you, to how to disguise your ship to look like them. And does not think twice about the morality that is sacrificed to do so. Personally, I think all this information comes from him being a survivor. He is so willing to die, and do something good for the universe, seemingly to stop evil. He knows so much about the Reavers, and eve knows how to act like them. What horrors he saw, or survived through are as yet unknown, but hopefully Joss will let us into the heart of a troubled hero later. Thanks to Mal’s knowledge of the Reavers, and the following desecration of Serenity, they are able to sneak through Reaver territory, past what looks like a ship graveyard. Obviously the crew weren’t too keen on this course of action, but Mal’s pistol changed their mind. He has killed in cold blood after Book’s death, and has told the crew that they are either helping him, or leaving him, or dead. Three options. Once they get to Miranda, the planet that was on the mind and lips of River after she is triggered, resulting in a bar full of beaten men, they find a dead world. This planet had been erased from charts, history books, and even popular knowledge. Though there seems to be nothing wrong with this planet, the dead bodies seemed to tell us otherwise. But they weren’t killed. Those people just imply died. They stopped caring about even themselves, and just died. After investigating a crashed Alliance search and rescue Ship River walks directly to a recording device. She plugs in the cartridge that is sitting askew and we are treated to the story of what happened on this rock. Turns out, the Alliance was playing around with people’s brains. A chemical was created to make them not want to fight. Problem was, it was a little too effective. They stopped wanting to do anything. Actually, that’s only 90% true. Turns out the other 10% got more than a little aggressive. The chemical had an opposite effect, and one of them attacked our virtual host. This is also the only recorded attack of a Reaver. That’s right kids, the government created the Reavers. Which explains why they erased all record of this planet, and also wanted to erase young River. See, during our flashback at the beginning, when River is rescued, a the proud head of Messing With People’s Brains department bragged to Simon that “key members of Parliament” had been in to see River. Which of course the Operative reprimands him saying what we were all thinking. Why would you allow key members of your government, who know all about Military, government, and covert operations into the same room as a psychic? Well, this info about Miranda, the Reavers, and the Govt have been rotting up poor River’s brain, mixed with the horrible tests and whatnot have been making young Tam a bit wonky in the grey matter. But now that the truth has been revealed, she seems to think a might straighter. Mal calls an all-hands, and asks them if they would like to spread the newfound gospel to all the ‘verse. And guess what? He aims to misbehave. After being noticed while traversing Reaver territory, he has an entire armada on his heels. They’re headed to Mr. Universes pad, to broadcast the truth. Well, there happens to be an Alliance fleet just inside the ion cloud, which has veiled Mr. Universe to the rest of the galaxy. Mal assumes their waiting, and we get to enjoy the look on the Operatives face when first he knows that he has Malcolm Reynolds in his crosshairs, and then revel in the look of knowledge that he is humped when a flock of gorram Reavers come barreling down on him. We are treated now to some of the best flying we’ve seen in a movie in a long time. Think Episode 3’s opening times 10, since Serenity has one gun right now, and it isn’t going to do any good against two fleets of ships that are targeting him. Wash is his usual Zen as he is a “leaf on the wind.” They pass through the fight mostly unscathed, though two Reaver ships are stalking them. Once they hit atmo, they are bombarded with a heat ray/laser from the Reavers, who are looking for a meal. Serenity is hit and loosing altitude, reduced to a flat spin. Once recovered, they don’t have the power to land gently, so Wash skids them in. They slide into a building, while breaking engines and more off. After dropping and sliding to a stop, Wash finishes by saying “I am a tree on the wind,” but is reduced to a “Wash pinned to a seat.” Those damn Reavers harpooned my boy Wash to his seat. We see the last of Zoe Washborn in tears, and are introduced to Zoe Alleyne, the lady we last saw at Serenity Valley on Hera. Stowed away is the mourning wife, and all that we see before us is a warrior woman. I was greatly saddened by the death of Wash. He was my favorite character, since I am very much like him. When Book passed, it was kinda like Chewie dying in Vector Prime (a Star Wars novel). Chewie was an over glorified babysitter. His death made an impact, but not as high as if Luke, Leia, or Han had been killed). Wash was killed to make us know that no one was safe. At one point, we were sure that Kaylee would soon be gone, and Simon was as good as gone. But thankfully, no one else would die, but a shitload of Reavers. Mal and the Operative display a brawl that was truly amazing. Think Roadhouse but more epic. It may seem personal at times, but you know it is all about the missions. The Operative must keep the secret, which is his life’s goal. Mal must inform the people. He must spread the truth, which is his mission. And he believes I will win. It is that simple fact that elevates Mal to the same level as the Operative. After a thrilling fight, we find out that the war that has seemingly haunted Mal these long years, saves his life. You wonder if he ever regrets the war, I think we are shown he is thankful for it now. The Operative’s super final move is useless against Mal, and Mal finishes the Operative off. Though not via death, which surprised me. Mal shows not necessarily mercy either, since the Op’s life has been to protect and to serve the Alliance. Mal shows the horrors that the Alliance has committed, and we are left with a beautiful shot of a single tear rolling down the Operatives face, as he is powerless to turn away from the screen. The screen that is broadcasting the message across the Cortex. After ordering his troops to stand down, and offering to help patch up Serenity, the Operative has nothing to live for, though he will find something. And here we are also offered more circumstantial evidence that Book was a former Operative. If Mal sees the Op again, he’s likely to kill him, which we are all surprised he didn’t do earlier. You see, the Operative killed everyone that Mal had considered a friend, aside from his crew. He didn’t anticipate seeing Mal at any of these sites, he just knew that he would go there one day. But they both have an Honor, and that Honor is to their missions. Mal believes that people can change, if given the right chance. People can be more than a weapon.
Of course the movie can’t end on a down note. Our crew says their goodbyes to friends, lovers, and family, and River takes Serenity into space. Even though two members of the crew have passed, Simon and River are finally now family, taking the places of the fallen. So many things have changed in our beloved series, though our final shot tells us that some things will never change, as a piece of Serenity falls off and flies at the camera.


I love the movie; I’ve seen it twice. I am currently reading the novelization, and am planning on getting the soundtrack. I may not like what has happened to some of the characters, but that’s why I love the franchise. In real life, people die. No one is safe, no one lives forever.
Joss, thank you. You’ve done what George Lucas couldn’t since the 80’s. Deliver a movie that makes watching movies fun again. You are my master now.
[Image]