Films That Deserved Better – Serenity

John Campea 43 Comments

Serenity-PosterFILMS THAT DESERVED BETTER is an ongoing feature here on The Movie Blog of movies that failed to attract an audience at the theaters and failed to perform well at the boxoffice, yet were exceptional films. We just want to give out a hardy slap on the back and say “We love ya anyway”.

On this quick installment of “Films that deserved Better” I’d like to draw our attention to an obvious one. Serenity. This was simply one of the finest science fiction movies in the last 10 years (some feel it’s one of the best of all time). A movie with great action, compelling characters, great witty dialog… and something that is quite over looked by even the most die hard Serenity fans… AN AMAZING BAD GUY!!!!

Victim of a HORRIBLE marketing campaign, Serenity wasn’t even able to break even despite only having a $39 million production budget. The film only took in $25 million domestically, and just $13 million more internationally. Not even huge praise from the critics and fans alike could save it.

An original, funny and exciting Sci-Fi film that the larger movie going audience never bothered to try. Those that did try it, loved it for the most part… those that didn’t, still don’t know what you’re talking about when you mention it.

If you ever doubted that Nathan Fillion could be a legit A-List leading man, look no further than this flick. And did I mention how amazingly wicked that villain was? So cool… so cold… so brilliant… so smooth. He scares the hell out of you with his civilness. Creepy as hell.

Serenity. You deserved better.

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43 thoughts on “Films That Deserved Better – Serenity”

  1. I never saw this, but my sister took my mom to see it, and my mom LOVED IT. This is a woman who fell asleep during the climax of Return of the Jedi when she saw it in theaters, a woman who thinks ET is retarded, and refuses to watch anything unless Julia Roberts is in it, but she loved this.

  2. What made both Firefly and Serentity so great for me was the writing. The character development was about as good as I’ve ever seen on TV. Every character was unique, and played off every other character in an amazing way. And Wheadon put together a marvelous ansemble cast who really added great acting to the great writing. I really found myself caring about the characters. The only other TV show to come close to that for me was X-Files.

    Some of the dialogue was just fucking amazing. Rather than go the Star Trek route of enfusing techno-bable into every line, the writers of Serenity/Firefly mixed vocabularly from about every era of the English language, then cropped it tightly. The result was about the closest thing to Shakespear I’ve ever seen on the small screen.

    Another thing that made Firefly so great was the absence of the wierd alien effect. Star Wars just went way overboard trying to invent wierd sentient creatures to put on the screen in a “Gee whiz isn’t that wierd” way. The lamest thing about Star Trek was the endless number of aliens, all of whom were shaped just like human beings.

    Serenity was better than any of the last four Star Wars movies by a wide margin. In fact, I’d say it was the best Science Fiction movie of the last 10 years.

    Firefly was the best Science Fiction TV show ever…period.

  3. I see ya point Sir Jig-A-Lot, I guess I just had high expectations after such an immersive series.

    …and I totally agree Stormy70. Fox has made some terrible decisions in regards to series’ they have been running.

    Also I agree with John, in that the Firefly fiction was fantastic, and really did draw people in to the world, and especially the ship in which most episodes were based within…

    I just somehow felt there was that true essence lacking from the film. I guess one example is how the doctor was so agressive and stand-up against Fillion, where as there was always this question in the series that stopped people from doing that, even with Jayne, as to whether the Captain could kick thier ass.

    Like I’ve stated, I believe that my expectations of the movie was a bit high, and segments such as the loss of certain characters also (if people havent seen the movie I wont ruin it) but I do understand that one of the characters (who will remain nameless in case I become the target of ‘anti spoiler’ attacks) could not have the true investment of time in him/her/it due to the truely mysterious past, but I would have hoped that things were left open, and there were questions STILL un-answered even in the vague hope of a sequel.

    Sorry all, just my personal opinion, but I feel that after seeing what was done by Joss in the series, I just had a bit of dissapointment to not have the same feeling in the film.

    I’d like to add that the final point of the series was the bounty hunter, which ended up giving a real feeling to the final part of a series without having a ‘cliff hanger’ or some intense ‘large plot line’ resolution. Really a rarity for a final episode that is kind of stand alone to really have that impact.

    Anyway…enough of this rant…

  6. well considering the movie had to condense all the info into an hour n change it did bloody well Spazmo. & followed on where it left off.
    it was an instant classic to me as soon as the credits started rolling.

  7. I loved Firefly and Serenity. I actually went out and bought the TV series on dvd and watched those before I saw the movie. And while the movie is a stand alone piece, watching the TV shows puts a lot of what goes on in the movie into proper context.

    Firefly will never be resurrected on the Idiot Box or the Silver screen. Fox owns the rights to the Firefly series and they won’t be letting that go anytime soon. People say “well they brought back Family Guy and there’s talk of more Futurama”. Well those are animated series. Live action 5-10 years after the fact is a whole other kettle of fish.

    Lets face it, Sci-Fi fans don’t number enough to make a difference with Network TV stations like Fox, that pander to the lowest common denominator. How else can we have 50 billion reality TV shows and 10 billion Sit Comms featuring an oblivious fat guy with a hot wife..oh let the hilarity ensue.

    We’ll have to make due with the ever diminishing BSG!

  8. I honestly have to say after being a MASSIVE fan of the series (damn you Fox), I found the movie didnt capture what the series did.

    The characters felt dry, didnt have thier individual quirks. Maybe I am biased due to having watched the series and having ‘grown’ with the characters, but movies are focused on establishing character connectivity with audience alot sooner, and I just didnt feel it.

    The TV Show = Fantastic
    The Movie = A good attempt but not really something that jumped out at me.

    The villan/evil guys (i.e. the Russian in the Space station, or the Bounty hunter in the final episode) really left a mark…this guy just seemed…distant…

    Just my personal opinion :)

  9. And the sad thing is if the movie and the series had different names both would have fared better. Firefly and Serenity just don’t evoke the proper image for this franchise.

    Heck, Browncoats would have worked better as a name.

  10. Great article…have to admit I was never a follower of the TV show, but I actually blind purchased the DVD based on reviews. As mentioned above it’s not too difficult to follow. I am an example.

    A really neat sci-fi flick, and yes I wouldn’t mind a sequal.

  11. I completely agree. This simply, since the 70’s late 80’s, has been one of the best sci-fi films around. It has that flair that the old ones had (logan’s run, star wars, star trek 2: wrath of khan) to give a few. Nathan Fillion also is a brilliant actor and I wish he were in more to become that A-list actor because he gets good praise, his films just don’t get marketed very well or his shows. The guy is funny as hell (Slither is a great film of his as well). I love to this part of the blog and I look forward to your newest film.

  12. I saw it. I didn’t like it. I hate it because every time I see a sci fi movie it makes me feel like they are ripping off Star Wars. And I don’t want to feel that way. I want to be able to accept Sci Fi…..whatever at the moment I sound retarded. But its true.

  13. God, not again. You brown coats didn’t support the movie or the show, the ratings fell week after week.(or there aren’t enough of you to make a difference.)

    While I saw some of the episodes when they reran on Sci-fi, they weren’t great and when I finally saw the movie on cable, I was glad I didn’t bother to spend money on this. (Every scene with the numbers guy was idiotic.)

    It seems like a month cannot go by without some SF site bringing up this story over and over again. It’s canceled. Whendon started this up again becuase of the “special” DVD edition he is selling, so he goes ahead and tells his fans (who have already bought the DVDs) that if this box set does well, maybe we could make a sequel. The man is just after your money, let it go. The actors have moved on, so should you!

  15. I am not going to get flamed…but I am going to be frowned upon.

    *I saw Flightplan opening week. I loved Flightplan. Since I saw Flightplan, what other film the same weekend did I (and many others) miss? Wonder what it could have been….

    *No seriously, I did catch up to Serenity a short time later (just before it vanished) and while it didn’t deserve the fate it recieved…the first half of this movie —->sucked ostrich eggslovelove<--- Serentity. Did it deserve better, at least in marketing? Sure. Did it deserve huge box office numbers, or to top Flightplan at the box office? The answer is simply NO. The film is extremely overrated. I'm not saying it is a bad film. Again, I liked the second half of the film. But it wasn't anything special. Look, I hate to tick off all you browncoats, but at least I tell it like it is. And I'll also say this: where were the fans at the time of this film's release? Watching...'Flightplan'...?

  16. yeah good point SLYBRI why did he have to kill off wash?! apart from Mal and Jayne and.. well all the characters are my favs! such an awesome show and an awesome movie fav sci fi for sure

    peace

    oh and kudos to those expressing different views :) above all in a non offensive way

    love this site

  17. Just don’t understand why shows like American Idol (and it’s clones) and Americas Home Videos can go on for years. We are getting closer and closer to the world depicted in Idiocracy.

  18. One reason that Serenity didn’t do so well on opening weekend was that it came out during the whole Katrina disaster. Lots of people were staying home and watching CNN instead of going to the movies. The spectacle of an entire american city dying, and the government fumbling it’s response, made for very compelling TV news.
    Maybe that’s why it’s done so well on DVD but tanked in the theatres.

    With so much buzz, FOX is insane not to bring back Firefly. Look what happened to Star Trek after it was cancelled. It came back stronger than ever and it’s still going! Maybe one day, years from now, they will bring Firefly back for good. Too bad Whedon killed off Wash and Book.

  19. There is nothing I can say that’s hasn’t been said – I love this movie as much as the series. Why is it that so many smart and well written shows get cancelled? -sigh-

    Reading this article and comments makes me want to watch the movie right now!

  20. AS much as I love the series Firefly, Serenity is where these characters truly shine. It’s a damn shame that we may never see them on screen again. Someone must pay…deeply.

  21. Frak Yes! This movie kicked ROTS ass six ways to Sunday. Great flick, excellent – flawed characters, witty dialogue, and convention busting scenes.

    Filion rules. He could be the next Indy Jones in my book or even the next James T. Kirk.

  22. “the TV series on the other hand was fucking stupid. the whole concept that in the future people would mimic the frontier age of the 1800’s, i understood where whedon was coming from, like “a western in space” but then you had people running around with “remade” six shooters and riding horses, and then the next scene people have speeders and all types of insane futuristic shit..come on”

    Haves vs have-nots. Simple as that. Just like today where there are people in the world who would look at your iPod with bewilderment.

  23. I totally agree with you John. I am willing to bet that Serenity will gain more fans over time, and eventually become a classic like Blade Runner. Cheers.

  26. i thought this movie was ok, Chiwetel Ejiofor saved that movie.

    the TV series on the other hand was fucking stupid. the whole concept that in the future people would mimic the frontier age of the 1800’s, i understood where whedon was coming from, like “a western in space” but then you had people running around with “remade” six shooters and riding horses, and then the next scene people have speeders and all types of insane futuristic shit..come on

    for the movie he “tamed” alot of that shit that made the TV show horrible, and focused on character development, and them being always on the run. i wouldn’t put it in all-time status, but i liked it

  28. At the risk of being flamed: The villain was actually was ruined this otherwise very good flick for me.

    He just seemed like too much of a samurai-Klingon cliché (I was reminded of a blog entry I read not long ago, about the pointlessnes of Klingons talking about honor and the like as if it would make any fanboy instantly want to marry his television screen) and his acting took me out of the movie.

    Also the whole ‘Creepy-Girl in boots turns into Kick-ass Ninja with an axe’ at the end seemed too Buffy (And I did not particularly care for Buffy the Vampire Slayer) for my taste.

    Otherwise a very entertaining flick, and yes, after learnning what Whedon had to go through to make it, I definately think it deserved better.

  30. Hey Evilcat,

    While I clearly disagree with you… the most beautiful thing about film is the pure subjectivity of it…. we all see different things in the art. You probably see something great in a film I don’t like… so it all evens out.

    Good on ya for expressing your view.

  31. Hell yea it deserves better! I love Firefly and Serenity! In fact, I just interview Alan Tudyk yesterday – great guy…

    You’re right that it really got screwed over. However I think in the end what matters most is that it was made and those of who do love it are the fans that keep it still alive. They’re not ever making anymore Firefly again, but it is always alive and can always be watched thanks to all of us.

    Thanks again for the recap on one of the best movies from one of the best TV shows of all time!

  32. EVILCAT,

    I disagree, but I give you mad props for speaking your piece at a place where it’ll be unpopular. Thanks for an alternate view on the flic.

    Frankly, I thought the movie really transcended its TV background to become cinematic–with the exception of the location for the final fight vs. the Reavers (that had Direct-To-DVD written all over it), I thought the movie looked as good as any theatrical release carrying a similar price tag.

  33. I’m going to get flamed for this, I know, but I disagree. Following the hype and recommendations of workmates, I watched this on DVD and got… well, it felt like a double-length episode of a TV show with a half hour finale from something like ‘I, Robot’ tacked on the end.

    I never saw the TV show, and went in with modest expectations, but came out feeling that this film was simply not a good film. It would have made a good pilot for a TV show, but like the 3-hour pilot for the new Battlestar Galactica (which I love), it just wouldn’t justify a cinematic release.

    I’d say Whedon is restricted by his TV background, as most movies he’s touched have been poor.

    [I’ll get my flame-proof jacket now]

  34. What can I say that hasn’t been said countless times before? I agree with the masses here. Serenity is, by far, one of the best sci-fi films I have ever seen.

    John, you are correct: man, you just can’t get a better villian than the one in Serenity.

  36. A while back I picked up that this is supposed to be a damn good flic. That being the case I have recently started watching Firefly and am about half way through the series.

    The pilot seemed pretty cool with the war and Alliance stuff and the stuff with River. But the episdoes since haven’t touched on this stuff and have only been alright.

    Here’s to hoping the movie pays off to the 10+ hours I’m putting into this.

  38. Chiwetel Ejiofor was a major casting coup for Whedon and Company. Great Villian, and the mans career has been solid from his breakout leading role in DIRTY PRETTY THINGS (fabulous film) and his supporting roles in Children of Men, Inside Man, and the currently ignored Petey Green biopic starring Don Cheadle called TALK TO ME. IMDb says he had a small role in Spielberg’s Amistad too.

    Looking forward to seeing him in the new R. Scott film AMERICAN GANGSTER.

    Too bad Fillian can’t seem to get his career in high-gear, he was excellent in Waitress and Slither.

  39. After seeing Serenity at the cinema, I had to go right out and watch Firefly (well…I had to have a friend tell me that Firefly existed after telling him what a great movie Serenity was). This is the smartest sci-fi ever made (Lucas said that no one would watch a movie if there wasn’t sound in space…hah). They don’t play down to their audience like so many others do. The ‘verse seems so real and natural. The reconstruction/old west type era is perfect. The 19th century language patterns, sprinkled with Mandarin euphemisms, was a nice touch. I could go on and on about this franchise and its actors. They can’t stop the signal.

  40. Amen to that.

    I blame Fox for mistreating the series, if handled properly, we may not of had “Serenity” the movie, but we would still be watching Firefly every week. That could of translated into even bigger and better movies in thew future.

  41. And I just saw this again 2 nights ago. The failure of Serenity and Firefly will always elude me. It had great characters, a great setting, and great (and witty) dialogue. It was like Fox didn’t want Firefly to be successful since the get-go by showing the series out of order. What show has the pilot episode shown as the final episode. And Chiwetel Ejiofor was great as the villian. At least he is getting some good roles in such films as Inside Man and Children of Men…he must like working with Clive Owen.

    I am still hoping that maybe just maybe the Sci-Fi Channel (or Space) can pick up and continue this show before it’s too late, but I am sure it is. RIP Firefly.

  43. Here! Here! Bravo! This is not only one of my favorite Sci-fi movies but it is also one of my favorite sci-fi story endings/resolutions.

    For those of us that actually watched Firefly, Serenity actually tied up ALL the plot lines introduced in the Firefly pilot, even the ones that the TV series never picked up on.

    Hell, I’d love to see a box set with just the Firefly Pilot and Serenity. Honestly, as good as the series was, there were only a handful of episodes that really covered the events introduced in the pilot.

    For people new to all this you did NOT have to watch every episode of Firefly to understand Serenity. Realistically you could watch the Firefly pilot as a primer and get the most out of Serenity.

    I have followed the progress of both the show and the movie and really feel for Joss Whedon. He has been put through hell and back with this setting/story and given that he initially did NOT want to even make Serenity, was still angry over the TV series while making Serenity, and did not even have his heart in Serenity…
    …for it to be such an incredible piece of filmmaking is a testament to this man’s abilities and I eagerly await all his future projects.

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