Movie review: Serenity has enough problems to sink a ship
How the mighty have fallen. Pardon the cliche, but that is exactly what one needs to sum up this sci-fi mystery thriller dud.
Serenity features a stellar award-winning A-list cast. You have Oscar winners Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, and Oscar nominees Djimon Hounsou and Diane Lane.
Even director Steven Knight is an acclaimed and prolific film-maker, and his script has the makings of a film noir.
So what went wrong here?
I'd point fingers at the ludicrous twist in the final act, thinly written characters and the one-note performances by these supposed powerhouses.
McConaughey's fishing boat captain on a tropical paradise called Plymouth Island is mopey, grumpy, a borderline alcoholic and clearly hiding some massive baggage.
When he's not on the hunt for an elusive, monstrous tuna that he names Justice, he prostitutes himself to Lane's character for petrol money.
McConaughey is in his element when scenes call him to be shirtless or in the buff - and there are many of those.
Hathaway toggles between a battered wife, femme fatale and worried mother while trying to convince McConaughey to get her abusive husband (Jason Clarke) drunk and then dump him into the ocean for the sharks.
McConaughey and Hathaway shared much chemistry in the 2014 Christopher Nolan sci-fi opus Interstellar, but here, there are absolutely no sparks between them.
Lane's inclusion, in particular, is questionable. It makes me wonder how much she was paid to moan and roll around in bed with McConaughey.
Hounsou tries his best to inject life into his role as first mate.
It was reported that this project was considered so problematic that its distributor Aviron Pictures pretty much gave up promoting it, causing much displeasure among McConaughey, Hathaway and Knight.
Whether the film company made the right move, you just have to find out for yourself, if you dare.
Rating: 1 star
MOVIE: Serenity
STARRING: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Djimon Hounsou, Jason Clarke, Diane Lane
WRITER-DIRECTOR: Steven Knight
THE SKINNY: Baker Dill (McConaughey) makes a living taking tourists out to sea for tuna fishing on his boat named Serenity.
His perceived tranquil life takes a turn when ex-wife Karen (Hathaway) shows up asking him to kill her current husband Frank (Clarke).
RATING: M18
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