SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

‘Serenity’ is a disaster, but there are some nice tropical locations

Jan 25, 2019, 1:57 PM

“Serenity” is one of those films that leaves the most important question about the film totally unanswered: which is, how did you get Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Dianne Lane, and Djimon Hounsou to participate in a film like this? It’s a disaster. It makes no sense.

I give “Serenity” 1.5 out of four stars.

This is a film noir set in a Caribbean Island that may or may not exist called Plymouth. Matthew McConaughey plays a character who barely makes a living taking visitors out on his boat to catch big fish. His ex-wife turns up, and asks him to take out her current husband, kill him, and feed him to the sharks. She offers him $10 million.

RELATED: Coen brothers’ “Ballad of Buster Scruggs” evokes great John Ford films
RELATED: “The Upside” is Kevin Hart’s best dramatic performance

They’re all outstanding actors, and you can’t blame McConaughey’s performance for this. What you have to go to is the script; it just doesn’t add up. Considering how talented these people are, it’s unbelievable that it ends up being this. There are some nice tropical locations, and plenty of big name stars, who seem to be trying most of the time. McConaughey’s character loves to run through the town and take off his clothes for some reason. There’s plenty of McConaughey taking off his clothes; and a little bit of Hathaway taking off her clothes.

“Serenity” will achieve none of that for people. It’s rated R and there are some reputably steamy sex scenes. But the steamy sex scenes don’t even look like they’ve been reheated in the microwave. There’s just no chemistry. It’s hard to read actors’ minds, but it seemed to me inescapable not to think that some of these talented people were thinking, “Am I going to be embarrassed by this?”

The director always says, “Don’t worry, we’re going to fix this in editing.” They didn’t. There surely must be a better way to spend time this weekend.

Options trader Marty Handler works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Aug. 27, ...

Associated Press

Investors prosper and consumers pay as the Iran war exacts an uneven economic toll 6 months in

NEW YORK (AP) — As the U.S. and Israel relentlessly bombed Iran in the opening days of war, the most dramatic predictions of the conflict’s toll were unsparing: surging oil prices, worldwide recession and economic catastrophe. But six months into the conflict, the direst predictions haven’t come true even if no corner of the world’s […]

4 hours ago

This photo released by Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue, shows a rescuer with the man who was ...

Associated Press

Volunteers rescue climber stranded on small ledge in California’s Sierra Nevada

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (AP) — Volunteers carried out a more than 15-hour operation to rescue a man who got off route in the Sierra Nevada and was stranded on a small ledge, the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team said. A four-person team carried out the rescue last weekend near Mammoth Lakes, California, in […]

5 hours ago

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sails past Singapore as seen from Batam, Indones...

Associated Press

USS Abraham Lincoln sails past Singapore on its way home from Middle East

BATAM, Indonesia (AP) — The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sailed past Singapore early on Sunday as it headed home after a grueling deployment in the Middle East. It’s expected to stop in Thailand for a port visit. Associated Press journalists on the Indonesian island of Batam, across the Singapore Strait, spotted the massive […]

6 hours ago

Associated Press

Nepal warns of more possible floods as communities grapple with devastation

DHADING, Nepal (AP) — Authorities in Nepal are warning of possible fresh flooding on Sunday and urged residents in flood-affected districts to remain on high alert after water levels rose in the Bhotekoshi River. Flood warning notices were sent to people’s phones throughout Sunday morning, as rescue crews worked to clear a major highway connecting […]

7 hours ago

Fairgoers pass the Tilt-A-Whirl, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Hei...

Associated Press

Spinning and dipping, Minnesota fairgoers delight in the classic Tilt-A-Whirl ride as it turns 100

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — With screams and giggles, whipping ponytails and white-knuckle grips, Minnesota fairgoers are taking delight in the magic of the Tilt-A-Whirl ride as it turns 100 years old. The iconic ride and its brightly colored cars debuted at the Minnesota State Fair in 1926, and it has been a mainstay at […]

7 hours ago

FILE - Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England on June 29, 2025. (...

Associated Press

Olivia Rodrigo’s festival is uniting women and girls behind nonprofits promoting their well-being

Evoking the same do-it-yourself pop-rock feminism of her ’90s musical influences, Olivia Rodrigo raised $20 million for women’s well-being with a benefit show that activated her young audience. Daisy Chain Fields united a women-led lineup boasting queer pop star Chappell Roan, breakout rapper Doechii and riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill behind issues of women’s health, […]

7 hours ago

‘Serenity’ is a disaster, but there are some nice tropical locations