Serenity

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Tannhauser

Venerable Relic of the Wastes
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A whole weekend and no topic about the movie?

I saw it on Friday, but I've been away from the internet all weekend; spending some quality time wrestling Annie (a red-nosed pit bull, to forestall questions).

I really enjoyed it, I'm thinking about going to see it again. It is not a great movie, it falls far short of a cinematic masterpiece, but I enjoyed it greatly. That is a rarity for me, I don't like very many movies, and even fewer do I enjoy to a great extent. In addition, it is the best science fiction movie in a long time. This is the type of movie is what Hollywood should be making, instead of the drivel they have been putting out for a while now. The writing was clever, the characters interesting, and the situation satisfyingly complex. Not to mention a villain that isn't pure evil, I can't remember the last movie that did not resort to that.

However, it only made ten million during the opening weekend. I really hope that word of mouth and the mostly positive reviews will help it do better. I really want to see more seasons of Firefly, certainly it would be among the best show on television (not that there is much competition, only a few good shows around).

As for what annoyed me, it's a spoiler, though a minor one. The opening of the film was a bit much, first it's a review of situation, but no, it's young River being taught, but no, it's River being brainwashed into a killing machine and being rescued, but no, it's the Operative reviewing the escape. It was a bit tired by the fourth time.
 
I really really liked it. Kotario is absolutely right in saying it is no cinematic masterpiece, but it is a billion times more original than the crap Hollywood has been putting out recently. It was so much more entertaining than any other sci-fi movie I have seen in recent times.

If you call yourself a sci-fi fan you have to see this. Hell, if you just want to see an good action movie that just happens to be set in space you should go see it. Even if you roll your eyes at sci-fi stuff...they never beat you over the head with the fact that this is 500 years in the future. I really thought this movie would have done better than it did for that reason, but meh.

So, basically, go see it if you haven't already.
 
Well I never watched this Firefly show...mainly, because I hardly watch TV anymore though a close friend tells me that Stargate SG-1 is as good as Star Trek: The Next Generation so I should probably give TV a try...once I finish my many books and some games...

Kotario said:
...The writing was clever, the characters interesting, and the situation satisfyingly complex. Not to mention a villain that isn't pure evil, I can't remember the last movie that did not resort to that.
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Well...wow! Just a movie thats above average and science-fiction is enough for me to watch it. However even if it was average I would dare to see it just for this supposedly "not pure evil" villain. Could it be that some people understand that stereotyped characters are boring or that multi-dimensional characters are more interesting?

I'm excited.

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
 
i also saw it friday. i loved how they did the space scenes, there is only one part i remember having sound.

overall, i give it a 9.5 out of 10. kung-fu, swordfights, gunfights, chase scenes, huge battles, comedy, and developed characters.... what else could you ask for?
 
I saw it on saturday. Excellent movie. I enjoyed the television series, and found the movie all the more entertaining.

Solid action, comedic elements that never cheapened a moment for a laugh, and solid acting. Also the villian thats not necessarily evil, but willing to become a monster in the name of (what he thinks is) the greater good is just fantastic. Joining the ranks of everyone else in this thread: Go see Serenity now. Seriously. Get off the computer and go see it now.
 
Ya, it doesn't look too horrible. I'm excited about Domino, which I think opens next weekend. Then, the week after that, DOOM. Every 13-30 year old's dream...
 
It was originally on network TV. I never saw it myself, but heard hear (on TO iirc) that is was slated on Ffriday nights, and therefore was cancelled due to bone-headed network stupidity after one season. If it would've been given Buffy's timeslot methinks tings would've been different.

That being said, I enjoy the show. Perhaps SciFi is thinking of picking it up to replace SG:1 if and when that show calls it a day? Who knows?
 
It is based off the television series Firefly, which ran on Fox. It won several awards, and was nominated for numerous others.

Of course, due the amazing capacity of Fox executives to have less intelligence than the parasites in my intestine (do you really think I'm being facetious?), they completely bungled the series. Airing episodes out of order, refusing to air the pilot (as it didn't have enough 'action'), given a poor timeslot, and generally ruining one of the best series of recent television. Lucky, the DVD release was handled well, and is the best way to view the series; which comes highly recommended.
 
I went out and bought the DVDs fr 40 bucks yesterday after watching Serenity for the 3rd time. I feel.....complete.
 
Ebert seemed to like it, but I think he's getting soft in his old age.

I think I wait for it to come to the cheap theatre or DVD.

Serenity


BY ROGER EBERT / September 30, 2005

Cast & CreditsCapt. "Mal" Reynolds: Nathan Fillion
Zoe Warren: Gina Torres
Hoban "Wash" Washburn: Alan Tudyk
Jayne: Adam Baldwin
Kaylee: Jewel Staite
Simon: Sean Maher
River: Summer Glau
Shepherd Book: Ron Glass
The Operative: Chiwetel Ejiofor

Universal presents a film written and directed by Joss Whedon. Running time: 119 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for sequences of intense violence and action, and some sexual references).

The thrill of a fistfight in a movie was altered for me forever the day I visited a set and watched the sound men beating the hell out of a Naugahyde sofa with Ping-Pong paddles. There is a moment in "Serenity" when I remembered that moment -- no, not during a fistfight, but during a battle in interplanetary space. There are so many spacecraft, so large, so close together, it looks as if collision is a greater danger than enemy fire. Imagine spaceships in a demo derby.

As the battle continued and the heroes were hurled about inside their own spaceship, which at times looked curiously like the interior of a loading dock, I made a note: "More banging than in your average space movie." Then something shifted inside my ears and I somehow knew I was hearing sound men, pounding the hell out of garbage-can lids, sheets of steel and big piles of pots and pans.

I say this not with disapproval, but with affection. "Serenity" is an old-fashioned space opera, and differs from a horse opera mostly in that it involves space, not horses. It takes place in a solar system of a dozen terraformed planets and "hundreds of moons," and there is a war going on between the Alliance, which runs things and wants everybody to be happy, and a group of rebels who begin to make disturbing discoveries. As the film opens, a psychic named River Tam (Summer Glau) is rescued from Alliance mind-washers by her brother Simon (Sean Maher), and then we learn that River was unwisely exhibited to a roomful of important Alliance parliamentarians. Because she can read minds, she knows their secrets.

River and Simon are soon enough allied with a team of free-lance smugglers on a banged-up old ship named Serenity. Malcolm (Nathan Fillion) is the captain, and his crew includes the pilot Wash (Alan Tudyk), his wife, Zoe (Gina Torres), the engineer Kaylee (Jewel Staite) and the tough guy Jayne (Adam Baldwin). On their trail is the most competent and feared of the Alliance's agents, The Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

Science fiction fans will recognize the plot line and most of the characters from a short-lived Fox series named "Firefly," which (I learn in a letter from Stephen McNeil of Sydney, Nova Scotia), was canceled in mid-season, but not before the episodes were carelessly shown out of proper order. What a crock, especially considering that Joss Whedon, the TV series author (and writer-director of "Serenity") earlier created "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer," and so deserved the benefit of the doubt.

"Serenity" is made of dubious but energetic special effects, breathless velocity, much imagination, some sly verbal wit and a little political satire. Turns out the Alliance was simply trying to bring contentment to its crowded planetary system, by distracting them from their problems and making them feel like they had a life. River is in possession of a secret about this process that the Alliance would do anything to suppress. Like Brave New World and 1984, the movie plays like a critique of contemporary society, with the Alliance as Big Brother, enemy of discontent. But as River observes, "Some people don't like to be meddled with."

Some of the dialogue sounds futuristic, some sounds 19th-century, and some sounds deliberately kooky. (Captain Mal: "Do you want to run this ship?" Discontented crew member: "Yes." Mal: "Well, you can't"). There are also unanticipated scenes of real impact, including a planet where -- but see for yourself. I'm not sure the movie would have much appeal for non-sci-fi fans, but it has the rough edges and brawny energy of a good yarn, and it was made by and for people who can't get enough of this stuff. You know who you are.
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I never listen to critics. I only listen to general feelings towards the movie. If a majority of people I talk to like the movie then I'll consider going.
 
Ya i think the movie was pretty awesome. I mean ...the humor was completely necessary and was...well... funny? But you have to say, when a show gets canceled it says something about it...and when it was canceled by fox ..it says even more.
 
I saw it last week, it was fantastic. I especially enjoyed the fight scenes between the captain and the villian. Very well done, in my opinion.
 
Liquid_Awesome said:
But you have to say, when a show gets canceled it says something about it...and when it was canceled by fox ..it says even more.
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Yes. It says that you didn't bother to read the whole thread, or else you surely would have noticed a post by Kotario detailing the exact circumstances behind Firefly's cancellation.

By the way, I thought Serenity was quite good- it did an admirable job of washing away the bad taste left behind by "The Island". I'm going to see it again this weekend.
 
Wow wow..I think firefly is great..you just assumed I was flaming it. Look at family guy..it got canceled by fox and it rocks. I understand how you could make that mistake though. Hell, allot great shows have been canceled ..which are made of pure awesome (an actual element :P).
 
welsh said:
I think I wait for it to come to the cheap theatre or DVD.
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Instead of getting some well needed sleep, I went to see Serenity last night. It is definitely worth seeing as it is a great film, not just very good (and I do not give complements easily). Although it was predictable, everything was well done and it was very well put together. Slick pacing, intelligent writing, tense action, good acting and interesting characters and story makes Serenity a fine piece of cinema. For an instant, it can even be compared to such classics as the original Star Wars and Alien films. I like the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously and has a more traditional feel, but I wonder if it could have done better with slightly more originality and a bigger budget.

Nathan Fillion reminded me a bit of Sean Bean but with less skill and charisma. It annoyed me slightly when some of his lines were not clear (I'm assuming the other character was meant to have an "accent"/speech impediment). The Operative also reminded me of Lawrence Fishburne a bit.

It is indeed a shame that they don't make more films like this. I am all the more impressed if this is close to a TV series. Now I want to see Firefly.
 
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