Faded Boxers

Going into the theater to watch the sneak preview of Serenity, I was apprehensive for several reasons. I was afraid of Universal/United International Pictures raping Joss Whedon into agreeing to “Hollywoodize” it for mass consumption. Or that it would only be appreciated by fans of the TV series. Or that it would suck.

It has now been 2 days since I saw the movie and I am still in shock at how wrong I’ve been to doubt Joss. Not only was the movie successful in easing all apprehensions I previously had, but it has me seriously considering getting a tattoo saying “I am Joss’s bitch.” On my forehead. Which would probably improve my face.

In my mind, the challenge that faced Joss Whedon was to successfully introduce all the key players while not driving longtime fans to boredom. A less apt storyteller would probably resort to flashbacks from the TV series, or trip over himself by doing it as fast as possible and get on with the story.

Whedon’s solution was simple as it was elegant: introduce the characters while moving the story forward. Ignoring the convention of doing all introductions during the first 15 minutes of the movie, he decided to introduce the most important ones at the start, and move on to the others as the story requires them.

Watch out for the first scene on the ship Serenity where Whedon’s camera flies in one fluid motion from one crew member to another; showing who each character is, and how they interact with the others. This Brian de Palma-esque technique is rarely seen in movies, and is even more rarely accomplished with such grace and efficiency.
Continue reading ‘Serenity’