NO spoilers here!!
Wow. I just got out of the first showing in the local Carmike. Wow. I was expecting a pretty good movie, but this was far, far beyond my expectations. Wow. (Did I remember to say "wow"?)
There were fewer than 30 people in the theater, which makes me fear for the box office results. But, it was a 1:30 matinee, so maybe things will pick up starting this evening.
Many of the reviews -- even the positive ones -- have mentioned a lack of character development. To some extent this was true. The flick was action packed, and would have to be three times as long to give such a large crew enough screen time to really develop. In fact, a couple of the characters were all but left out, and most of the others got pretty short shrift. Knowing them from the series was a plus, but I think the film would still work well for someone who hadn't seen Firefly. You CAN care about these characters if you're not totally heartless.
Ultimately, I think there was plenty of character development where it really counted. This was a powerful, powerful story about belief, pitting Mal, the man who claimed to be drifting before the wind, against the nameless Operative, who devoted his life to a belief in something he saw as bigger than himself. Yet, in the end, Mal discovered his belief, and it made him more than he was before, while the Operative lost his, and found that nothing was left. And that's only the surface of the perspectives offered about belief in this film, with nearly all the characters contributing something. Wow. (Did I say that already?)
Another common complaint in the reviews regarded the quality of the special effects, which are generally regarded as less than state-of-the-art. I guess I'm not enough of a connoisseur to figure out what they mean. Despite being such a low-budget movie, the effects were more than good enough not to interfere with my suspension of disbelief. (Of course, I'm fairly forgiving. Good writing easily makes up for flaws in animation or special effects for me. Good writing can cover for bad effects, but no quality of effects can make up for bad writing. Ask George Lucas.) And the design of the interior sets is awesome -- packed with intriguing and revealing detail. I want to see this film a few more times just to study all these little touches. I'm sure there are some easter eggs in there, too.
To sum it all up, I guess all I can say is, well, wow.
Wow. I just got out of the first showing in the local Carmike. Wow. I was expecting a pretty good movie, but this was far, far beyond my expectations. Wow. (Did I remember to say "wow"?)
There were fewer than 30 people in the theater, which makes me fear for the box office results. But, it was a 1:30 matinee, so maybe things will pick up starting this evening.
Many of the reviews -- even the positive ones -- have mentioned a lack of character development. To some extent this was true. The flick was action packed, and would have to be three times as long to give such a large crew enough screen time to really develop. In fact, a couple of the characters were all but left out, and most of the others got pretty short shrift. Knowing them from the series was a plus, but I think the film would still work well for someone who hadn't seen Firefly. You CAN care about these characters if you're not totally heartless.
Ultimately, I think there was plenty of character development where it really counted. This was a powerful, powerful story about belief, pitting Mal, the man who claimed to be drifting before the wind, against the nameless Operative, who devoted his life to a belief in something he saw as bigger than himself. Yet, in the end, Mal discovered his belief, and it made him more than he was before, while the Operative lost his, and found that nothing was left. And that's only the surface of the perspectives offered about belief in this film, with nearly all the characters contributing something. Wow. (Did I say that already?)
Another common complaint in the reviews regarded the quality of the special effects, which are generally regarded as less than state-of-the-art. I guess I'm not enough of a connoisseur to figure out what they mean. Despite being such a low-budget movie, the effects were more than good enough not to interfere with my suspension of disbelief. (Of course, I'm fairly forgiving. Good writing easily makes up for flaws in animation or special effects for me. Good writing can cover for bad effects, but no quality of effects can make up for bad writing. Ask George Lucas.) And the design of the interior sets is awesome -- packed with intriguing and revealing detail. I want to see this film a few more times just to study all these little touches. I'm sure there are some easter eggs in there, too.
To sum it all up, I guess all I can say is, well, wow.
*SLMW 1.0* No animals were harmed in the production of this message.
I finally got to see "Serenity." LOVED IT!
Great review, Brett, I agree with everything you've written. The special effects were just fine. I love those characters, love their story and want to see more of them. I will go back to the series just to see them all again.
Is there any talk of a sequel?
Great review, Brett, I agree with everything you've written. The special effects were just fine. I love those characters, love their story and want to see more of them. I will go back to the series just to see them all again.
Is there any talk of a sequel?
Reading is freedom.
The mind soars, no earthly cares,
no limitations.
A Maggers Haiku, 2005
Years ago my mother used to say to me... "In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
Well, for years I was smart.
I recommend pleasant.
You may quote me.
Elwood P. Dowd
I haven't seen Serenity yet!
I wanted to see Serenity in a theater, but....hopeless. I think Japanese distributor is cruel to Joss Weadon. Even Firefly's release is undecided.
I wanted to see Serenity in a theater, but....hopeless. I think Japanese distributor is cruel to Joss Weadon. Even Firefly's release is undecided.
Maggers Wrote:Is there any talk of a sequel?Unlikely at the moment. Serenity allowed some closure for Whedon, so he isn't pushing for a sequel and has moved on to other projects.
But never say never, the sort of thing getting sequels these days, it could come back in one form or another.
Dave
Sequel? It seems unlikely, given that the first movie seems to have been a financial failure. (If the box office figures on Rottentomatoes are trustworthy, the film fell about $75 million short of paying for itself, IIRC, despite its low production budget.) I don't know if the DVD release will sell enough to make up for the box office loss.
However, check out http://www.fireflyseason2.com/. It appears to be set up by a bunch of Browncoats looking for non-traditional ways to get a second season going. I don't know if it will fly, but I wish them luck!
Brett
However, check out http://www.fireflyseason2.com/. It appears to be set up by a bunch of Browncoats looking for non-traditional ways to get a second season going. I don't know if it will fly, but I wish them luck!
Brett
*SLMW 1.0* No animals were harmed in the production of this message.
At last! This evening I saw Serenity on DVD!!!
WOW! This is too exciting! I don't understand why Japanese distributor didn't buy this film. I really wanted to see this in a theatre's huge screen!
But I haven't seen Firefly yet, so I couldn't get some of scenes. Should I see Firefly before Serenity? I wish I could, but Firefly's DVDs are not available in Japan.
WOW! This is too exciting! I don't understand why Japanese distributor didn't buy this film. I really wanted to see this in a theatre's huge screen!
But I haven't seen Firefly yet, so I couldn't get some of scenes. Should I see Firefly before Serenity? I wish I could, but Firefly's DVDs are not available in Japan.
Kenji Wrote:At last! This evening I saw Serenity on DVD!!!You really should see the series first for the movie to have the full impact.
WOW! This is too exciting! I don't understand why Japanese distributor didn't buy this film. I really wanted to see this in a theatre's huge screen!
But I haven't seen Firefly yet, so I couldn't get some of scenes. Should I see Firefly before Serenity? I wish I could, but Firefly's DVDs are not available in Japan.
http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B0000...&s=gateway
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. ... The piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
~ Howard Phillips Lovecraft
jimbow8 Wrote:You really should see the series first for the movie to have the full impact.
http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B0000...&s=gateway
I can't see this DVD set because of region code......
Kenji Wrote:I can't see this DVD set because of region code......Ah, I see. Have you considered buying an alternate DVD player which plays multiple regions (would you need a new TV, also)? I have considered it, but I have fortunately not had a need to yet.....
Does anyone know if there is computer software for playing multiple-region DVDs?
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. ... The piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
~ Howard Phillips Lovecraft
jimbow8 Wrote:Does anyone know if there is computer software for playing multiple-region DVDs?If you run Linux, there's mplayer. Use of certain codecs in some countries can be in violation of local statute. Well, they know where I live.
Ward Griffiths
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest". -- Denis Diderot