Hmmm ... looking at the new movie offerings at our little hometown theatre, the pickin's seemed a little slim. Of the 10 films playing, I'd seen seven. So, I did what any avid movie-goer faced with a night of reruns would do ... I jumped the border to sample the fare at Station Mall's Galaxy Cinema.
Laden with popcorn, pizza, smoothies and candy - they have a really awesome concession - we settled into our seats and saw a really cool movie!
"Serenity" opens with a young girl named River (Summer Glau) being rescued by her older brother, Simon (Sean Maher). River had been held captive by the Alliance, the government of the galaxy, and instilled with psychic talents. She was also trained in warfare to be used as a human weapon.
After River is rescued, The Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) makes it his mission to track her down. The government-funded project - of which River was a part - had been visited by key members of Parliament. Since River could read minds, The Operative surmised that she knew their secrets.
River and her brother paid for passage on Serenity, an old rusty spaceship owned by Captain "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), an ex-soldier who makes his living pulling off small crimes and transporting-for-hire.
With The Operative close on their tail, the crew of Serenity must outwit the forces of the Alliance, while dodging the bloodthirsty, cannibalistic Reavers. But, is the real danger from those chasing them or from the seemingly innocent young girl aboard their ship?
I'm not usually a huge fan of sci-fi, but this was a really cool movie. It was funny, but also serious, and had some pretty cool special effects.
"Serenity" is rated PG-13 "for sequences of intense violence and action, and some sexual references," so is only recommended for mature viewers.
This film was written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is based on the Fox television show, "Firefly," also by Joss Whedon. The original show was cancelled before it completed an entire season, according to Yahoo Movies, but DVD sales of the show were so impressive the movie was made.
The other film I saw this week was "Flightplan." It starred Jodie Foster as Kyle Pratt, a grieving widow taking her husband's body from Germany to the United States for burial. Kyle and her six-year-old daughter, Julie (Marlene Lawston), board the massive, state-of-the-art E-474 plane, which Kyle had actually worked on as a propulsion engineer.
After the plane takes off, Kyle and Julie settle in for a nap. And, that's where the movie gets interesting.
Kyle wakes up and discovers her daughter missing. As someone familiar with the plane, Kyle knows her daughter could be hiding anywhere. But, as the crew searches, the frantic mother becomes more and more convinced that Julie was abducted, especially since her bag and boarding pass are missing.
The captain enlists the help of Sky Marshall Gene Carson (Peter Sarsgaard) to uncover the mystery of Julia's disappearance.
After a search of the plane, the airline captain (Sean Bean) begins to doubt Kyle. He investigates the woman's story and finds that the daughter is not listed on the plane's manifest or the airline's records. The captain then learns that Kyle's husband and daughter were both killed in a recent accident.
So, is Kyle a grieving mother who has hallucinated her daughter's presence on the plane? Or, was the girl actually kidnapped from an airplane at 40,000 feet?
Wow! This was a really, really good movie. It left me guessing until the very end. It was actually a quite surprising film. I wasn't expecting much action because 95 percent of the movie takes place on an airplane. But, it certainly delivered!
"Flightplan" is rated PG-13 "for violence and some intense plot," so isn't recommended for young viewers.
Hitting theaters over the next couple of weeks are:
"The Gospel" - A hit R&B singer returns to his ailing father's church and is inspired to turn the congregation around through music.
"In Her Shoes" - After carefree Maggie (Cameron Diaz) is kicked out by her uptight sister (Toni Collette), she seeks out her long-absent grandmother. Based on the best-selling book by Jennifer Weiner.
"Two For the Money" - Matthew McConaughey is a former football star enlisted by Al Pacino's big-time bookie for his gambling operation.
"Waiting" - Ryan Reynolds leads a rebellious wait staff at a chain restaurant that deals with rude customers in even ruder ways.
"Domino" - Keira Knightley plays Domino Harvey, a model from Beverly Hills who became a bounty hunter. Inspired by a true story.
"Elizabethtown" - Orlando Bloom returns to his Kentucky home for his father's funeral and falls for a helpful flight attendant (Kirsten Dunst).
"The Fog" - A thick fog rolls into a coastal town and brings with it a ghost ship of vengeful spirits. With Tom Welling and Maggie Grace.
Selina Vert is editor of Bay Mills News.
