Firefly Vs. Serenity

Although it was probably my favorite movie of last year, I had a few very minor niggling doubts about Serenity, the feature spun off from the smash hit (!) televsion series Firefly. Most of them involved the subtle differences between the series and the film - which were not considerable, but noticeable.
Having now re-watched (for the zillionth time) the pilot tv episode, coincidentally also called Serenity, I have come to the conclusion that the film was Firefly v2.0, not necessarily new and improved, but almost like an alternate reality Firefly, made absolutely necessary because Monsieur Whedon was now working in features and not television.
Call me a freak, but Serenity's gameplan and eventual resolution reminds me a little of the Twin Peaks movie, Fire Walk With Me. Twin Peaks was another series probably cut short before it's time and it's co-creator just was not able to leave it behind. A feature film was made, and it could be called a prequel, a remake and a sequel - all wrapped in one. (Slightly unlike Serenity) it was a critical and financial disaster and pretty much spelt the end of the franchise. Serenity was modestly successful, but at the same time, no one is knocking on Joss' door (yet) for the sequel so demanded by the fans.
And then there is the television series. If by some freak occurence Firefly ended back up as a tv series, I can't imagine what they would do? From a purely Mr. Spock POV that they would pick up off from where the movie left off from. Or would they backtrack to Objects In Space?
Watching the pilot, it is almost distracting how similar it is to the feature film. Both have deals gone wrong, chases with Reavers, Alliance stooges and the possibility of the deaths of crew members - but on the other hand don't all the episodes have this? Not quite. As I said, like Fire Walk With Me, Serenity acts as a prequel (we see Simon rescue River, one of the main deviations from the Firefly 'verse) a remake (in moving the series to the big-screen it was very important to succinctly reintroduce characters, backstorys and ideas) and sequel (Book dies, Wash dies, 'nuff said). BTW, if we ever get a continuation I will be very interested to see how Ron Glass and Alan Tudyk are brought back, coz please lord they have to be and I know Joss would do it in an original manner.
There are as much similarities as differences between Serenity (the pilot) and Serenity (the feature). The television series was shot with lovely earthy tones whereas the feature is much starker, contrastier and often has that metallic blue look Jim Cameron perfected so well in his movies. The feature occassionally strains under the restrictive budget, yet the pilot almost looks like a feature due to the quality of its production. Both are blessed with quite astonishing effects by Zoic Studios (although the novelty of the hand-held zooming was since passed). There are a few overdone, pretentious moments in the pilot (such as the verite stylings of Inara's bathing which Joss calls 'arch' in his commentary) but these are far and few between. And who would have thought that taking a key visual image from a movie as insufferable as Demolition Man could prove to be so poignant?



The second episode, The Train Job was designed over a weekend to be a new 'pilot' episode as Fox were unhappy with Serenity. While it doesn't sound like Joss and Tim Minear are fans of this episode (scriptwise at least) on the commentary for it, there are many pleasures to be had along the way such as scenes like where Inara brushes Kaylee's or Book's confession to Inara, important introductions such as Niska and the Blue Hand men and some wonderful comedic moments such as when Inara slaps Mal to save him or when Mal kicks a baddie into the turbine of Serenity.



Bushwhacked follows the Whedon template of turning the story in a new direction with each act break. Initially involving a mysterious derelict in space this gives way to a more horrific segment as the lone survivor is found and then ends with Alliance catching up with them and the whole story resolved with a bit of humour and poignancy thrown in. In some ways this episode is the most successful of the first disc in the Firefly DVD set - it expands the verse in a natural, non-expositiony and humourous way, it sets up later important points (the space suit scene with River and Simon not only resolves his terror of space, but solves the problem of how to hide the characters, plus partly sets up how River defeats Early in the Objects In Space episode) and it tells a damned good story as well. Coming Soon: Disc 2.