Firefly
Created by Joss Whedon
2002
The roguish captain of a space vessel and his crew take on several passengers and travel from planet to planet for jobs while trying to evade authorities. A major cult success cancelled after just over a dozen episodes, Firefly has carved out of space for itself as one of the most popular science fiction shows of the 21st century.
One of the first you'll hear mentioned when discussing prematurely cancelled TV shows, Firefly may have only lasted 14 episodes but what it accomplished in that time was pretty impressive. There wasn't a single main cast member whose personality wasn't well-defined during its short run, and unlike with many science fiction shows, it was pretty instantly entertaining. While it would have obviously been nice to see the show have a chance to develop the story arcs for their characters better, since it ended so quickly it never had a chance to fail. It's sort of a double-edged sword.
In spite of being a TV show from over 15 years ago, the effects are actually pretty decent. While the CG is a bit fuzzy, the show never relies heavily enough on it to really matter, and the way it's implemented is reserved in all the more effective because of it. Where the visuals of the show really thrived is in its technology, which strikes the perfect balance between futuristic and old western. While I do feel the show played up the western aspect a little too much at times, it does make for a good backdrop that keeps everything grounded in a futuristic society that isn't terribly outlandish. It isn't a polished view of the future, but hasn't reached dystopian levels. That middle ground makes it a lot more fun, but still dangerous enough to keep up the tension when danger arrives.
Nathan Fillion is a great lead for the show, a rugged and charming guy with a sense of humor and a good head on his shoulders. He isn t infallible, though, making him all the more believable. It would have been easy for this character to feel like a Han Solo clone, but somehow he felt different to me. The rest of the cast are made up of equally standard character types, but all manage to stand above this simplicity thanks to solid acting and well-balanced scripts. No single character feels underdeveloped, which is remarkable for a 14 episode show. Sadly, "for a 14 episode show" is the only way it's really able to impress me, but I suppose it's the only fair way to judge it.
Like with most everything Joss Whedon touches, the show is all a balancing between action and humor, and it mostly comes out of success at both. While I may sometimes fail to adequately thrill, there's humor to make up for that, and vice versa. That's how the show is as a whole, it's all about balance and the results are all the better for it. It's not the best sci-fi I've seen, but I really dug it, and I get why it has such a loyal fans.
My grade: B
Created by Joss Whedon
2002
The roguish captain of a space vessel and his crew take on several passengers and travel from planet to planet for jobs while trying to evade authorities. A major cult success cancelled after just over a dozen episodes, Firefly has carved out of space for itself as one of the most popular science fiction shows of the 21st century.
One of the first you'll hear mentioned when discussing prematurely cancelled TV shows, Firefly may have only lasted 14 episodes but what it accomplished in that time was pretty impressive. There wasn't a single main cast member whose personality wasn't well-defined during its short run, and unlike with many science fiction shows, it was pretty instantly entertaining. While it would have obviously been nice to see the show have a chance to develop the story arcs for their characters better, since it ended so quickly it never had a chance to fail. It's sort of a double-edged sword.
In spite of being a TV show from over 15 years ago, the effects are actually pretty decent. While the CG is a bit fuzzy, the show never relies heavily enough on it to really matter, and the way it's implemented is reserved in all the more effective because of it. Where the visuals of the show really thrived is in its technology, which strikes the perfect balance between futuristic and old western. While I do feel the show played up the western aspect a little too much at times, it does make for a good backdrop that keeps everything grounded in a futuristic society that isn't terribly outlandish. It isn't a polished view of the future, but hasn't reached dystopian levels. That middle ground makes it a lot more fun, but still dangerous enough to keep up the tension when danger arrives.
Nathan Fillion is a great lead for the show, a rugged and charming guy with a sense of humor and a good head on his shoulders. He isn t infallible, though, making him all the more believable. It would have been easy for this character to feel like a Han Solo clone, but somehow he felt different to me. The rest of the cast are made up of equally standard character types, but all manage to stand above this simplicity thanks to solid acting and well-balanced scripts. No single character feels underdeveloped, which is remarkable for a 14 episode show. Sadly, "for a 14 episode show" is the only way it's really able to impress me, but I suppose it's the only fair way to judge it.
Like with most everything Joss Whedon touches, the show is all a balancing between action and humor, and it mostly comes out of success at both. While I may sometimes fail to adequately thrill, there's humor to make up for that, and vice versa. That's how the show is as a whole, it's all about balance and the results are all the better for it. It's not the best sci-fi I've seen, but I really dug it, and I get why it has such a loyal fans.
My grade: B
No comments:
Post a Comment