I think I remember seeing a couple of the Firefly shows on Fox over the short period it was on, but it never really managed to register with me.
However, the experience of watching the shows in the right order, from the available DVDs proved wayyy more rewarding.
Firefly shows us a future in which humanity has colonized a new solar system. One in which the central planets are civilized and law-abiding, and the outer planets are wild west frontier of moonshine, freeloaders, ruffians, preachers, outcasts, well you get the picture.
Anyway, Firefly the TV series was cancelled … but as with many things that are briefly shown, then taken away … a small spark leads to a guttering flame … a flame that if the circumstances are *just* right, can grow.
According to Joss Wheedon, “Shows that get cancelled don’t ever get made into major motion pictures.”
But, this time, like winning the Texas lottery, the unimaginable has happened. Serenity, the movie of Firefly has been made. And it is good. Very good. Worth a 10 hour roundtrip to Austin for a pre-screening good.
The movie starts with a scene with River. River and her brother Simon are fugitives from the Feds. River is part of a government experiment and they want her back.
In broad terms (so as not to *spoil* anyone’s fun) the movie deals with a large plot based around River, and many subplots and characters that will be familiar from the original season episodes.
The feel of the movie is ‘kinda gritty’ with the effects feeling almost sandpapered into the movie at times, contrasting with the somewhat sterile effects in other movies and TV shows.
This grittiness blends right in with the rough frontier nature of life aboard Serenity and some of the other locations in the movie.
Humor is shot through the movie like gold pellets in a claim scam. The prescreening audience clapped and laughed at pretty regular intervals.
From the first few minutes, right to the end, this was a great movie to watch. Go and see it when it comes out !!!!!