Official Serenity Review

Gonzoie - Luclin · Post by **Gonzoie - Luclin** » September 30, 2005, 5:33 pm

well, ill start out by saying this movie was like watching a 2 hour long episode. Everything was done just like in the actual show.

They also touch base on the system they live in, and what caused them to live there. something many people who watched the show were in debates about.. whether or not it was FTL travel, or an actual solar system.

This movie does take place after the season, and it answers everything you want to know. They didn't just randomly make up shit and say here, lets go with that, everything was well thought up.

This movie was incredible beyond a doubt. I am just excited about seeing this movie as i was FF7 AC.

Serenity plays with your emotions throughout the entire movie and makes you just want more, and more, and more.

DO NOT READ THIS TAG UNLESS YOU WANT THE MOVIE RUINED.

[Show]: i damn near cried when book and wash died

You do get a slight deeper look into the Blue Corp. but thats not the main subject of this movie..

Bottom Line, this movie was amazing, lived up to and surpassed all its reviews.

10/10

would really like to see a follow-up, or a re-instatement of a new season.

go see it, my top recommendation.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » September 30, 2005, 7:44 pm

Seconded. The movie was absolutely fantastic. I've seen a lot of comparisons being made about it, how it's a defining movie of the sci-fi genre on the level of Star Wars and Bladerunner, and I can only agree. I heartily recommend to anyone with a pulse to go out and see it. But...

[Show]: I'm extremely angry over Wash. I knew characters would die, this is Joss Whedon after all, but still. Book's death I knew was coming (not from spoilers, just had a hunch), and it was a death that furthered the story. Wash's was pointless. It wasn't needed, it didn't move the story further along. It was just there to shock you. And shock it did. Not very often a movie makes me feel like I've been kicked. Damn you, Joss, damn you.

noel · Post by **noel** » September 30, 2005, 8:53 pm

Fantastic movie. I went with two people who'd never seen or heard of the series and they both loved it. The humor between the characters was as good as ever, and I think if I'd asked my friends, Jayne would have been their favorite character.

Personally, Mal will always be my favorite because I think he personifies determination and never giving up.

Dregor, I was going to touch on the subject matter of your spoiler, but I couldn't have said it any better than you did.

Sartori · Post by **Sartori** » September 30, 2005, 9:56 pm

Couldn't have said it any better than what has been said above (especially Dreg's comment) honestly. This movie was absolutely top notch in my book. Can't wait for the DVD with special features and such. I have a feeling I won't be able to keep myself from going again some time soon. I honestly like all the characters, but Jayne and Mal are definitely up there.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 1, 2005, 5:16 am

You know it's good when the movie gets a enthusiastic round of applause as the credits start rolling. Joss Whedon came through. The movie stood on it's own but didn't forget its Firefly fans.

I laughed several times throughout the movie. That's a rare thing these days in movies that aren't dedicated comedies. Whedon's wit and unpredictability continues to impress.

[Show]: The hell with this! I want to live!

As for Dregor's comments:

[Show]: If I was forced to make a kill list for the crew of Firefly that I thought would least impact future stories if they were dead, I would have used the same order Whedon did in the movie. That's not to say I would have killed Wash though...but...I think it was an important part in making the movie as great as it was because in the next scene after Wash's death, you had no clue what would happen next or if someone else would die (the doctor, for example...would Whedon actually kill him off too...didn't know after Wash so it made that part of the movie even more intense imo)

I think Whedon enjoys the unexpected and pretty much everyone was laughing as Wash died...genius IMO to capture the audience and instantly twist their emotions to prepare them for the final scene.

I'm giving this movie 9/10 but that's not to say I don't think it's one of the greatest Sci-Fi movies ever made. (remember, most think Empire Strikes Back was better than Star Wars although I think the first two were equally the best of the SW movies) It ranks up there in the realm of the original Star Wars movies for sure but I do think Whedon can polish it up even more in the next one. This is purely nitpicking:

[Show]: The part from Book's death, passing the Reavers on the way to the dead planet, time spent on the dead planet, and passing back through, seemed a little rushed. Jayne holding his gun, and the tense music for a minute or two and then they're through was just odd...I'd have to think a bit on how that could have been better handled but again, just a feeling it could be improved upon. Whedon had a lot to deal with in this movie though to keep it flowing and have the non Firefly viewers know what was going on.

I'd be shocked if Serenity doesn't do enough at the box office to get the ball rolling on at least two more movies to complete a trilogy. Serenity may not have huge numbers the first weekend but will stick around theaters longer than most movies as word gets out that it's a good movie.

[Show]: Anyone think for a second at the end that Mal was going to tell the assassin he could join the crew?

Go see the movie. You'll be entertained unless you hate Sci Fi movies no matter what. Then, go watch the Firefly episodes if you haven't.

Momopi · Post by **Momopi** » October 1, 2005, 12:27 pm

I haven't seen this yet but what about this movie compares to star wars? I'm finding that very hard to believe, but i'll go see it next weekend to see what people are talking about. I'll just say when it comes to sci-fi, there is nothing really that can compare with the star wars saga. Much like there are the top notch players of history then you take it up a notch and there is Michael Jordan. Its basically the same thing with star wars.

Trias · Post by **Trias** » October 1, 2005, 12:56 pm

sup dood

Animale · Post by **Animale** » October 1, 2005, 1:14 pm

Winnow:

[Show]: Yeah, I thought that as well, figured they'd have to replace the pilot somehow, then they did it with River. Hehe.

I enjoyed the movie immensely. Was a fun ride, and no part had the "contrived twist" to it that so many movies have these days. Its often hard to suspend disbelief when you have multiple major plot twists to a movie "but your brother is ACTUALLY your sister, who you THOUGHT was your wife earlier in the movie!!!!" Thank goodness this avoided that, although it could have happened at many points.

Animale

noel · Post by **noel** » October 1, 2005, 1:25 pm

I think the comparison to Star Wars is based on the appeal that the people drawing that comparison think that Serenity will have. The only real similarity to Star Wars is the fact that it's sci-fi. The reality is that Lucas has never written a character or dialogue as good as what's in Serenity.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 1, 2005, 1:37 pm

Momopi wrote:I haven't seen this yet but what about this movie compares to star wars? I'm finding that very hard to believe, but i'll go see it next weekend to see what people are talking about. I'll just say when it comes to sci-fi, there is nothing really that can compare with the star wars saga. Much like there are the top notch players of history then you take it up a notch and there is Michael Jordan. Its basically the same thing with star wars.

Serenity compares to Star Wars for a few reasons:

-entire cast is made up of pretty much unknown actors
-characters that you can identify with and care about as opposed to all special effects. (talking about original SW trilogy, the recent 1-3 sucked ass and aren't even close)

Serenity surpasses Star Wars in the acting and dialog. (Whedon > Lucas) Star Wars gets the edge in the lore behind the movie. The Force > Can't Stop the Signal. Serenity attempts to deal with the main characters struggle to do the right thing while Star Wars is a monster epic of empires. Someone had a good comment that the Mal and his crew would be comparable to a movie made about the early adventures of Han Solo if he had a larger crew in the Millenium Falcon.

It's not a direct comparison as Star Wars is a space opera, while Serenity is more like a one ship Star Trek crew.

When I think about the quality of a movie, one factor is how often I would rewatch it. The first two Star Wars movies I can watch whenever and enjoy them...Return of the Jedi is a step below those two and the more recent trilogy is a waste of time to watch more than once.

Another way I evaluate is if I'd pop in the DVD if a friend was over and had never seen it. Star Wars, Empire, Serenity...no doubt about it...recent Star Wars trilogy? No fucking way.

I've given copies of the Firefly TV series to several friends to watch.

I took the time to re-encode a copy of The Making of Firefly and link it on this board because it clearly shows the thought and commitment of Whedon and actors to the project.

If you haven't seen the TV series, you may want to watch this 30 minute documentary to get a better idea of what the world of Firefly and Serenity is all about. It won't spoil the series or movie. I'd watch it for sure if you've seen the movie and not the TV series as you can only cram so much into 2 hours and theres a lot more to this.

The Making of Firefly ~135mb

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » October 1, 2005, 3:43 pm

ditto what dregor and winnow said. this movie rocked my face off.

[Show]: after wash died, i thought 'well hell, they're just going to kill everyone off and end it here.'

joss whedon, i salute you.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » October 1, 2005, 4:07 pm

[Show]: See, I knew killing them all off wasn't an option. Even the majority dying wasn't an option. Anyone should have reasonably thought that, because that removes any hopes of a franchise. I knew at least 1 person would die, figured 3 tops, but was banking on two. I think killing River would have been a better choice. It would have fit the story more, it probably would have meant more... but Joss loves Summer Glau, so I guess it was silly to even entertain the thought.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 1, 2005, 4:15 pm

reserved

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » October 1, 2005, 6:22 pm

Probably the most kick ass movie I have seen in a long long time. Fox really screwed the pooch letting this series go.

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » October 1, 2005, 6:26 pm

Great, great movie.

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » October 1, 2005, 7:16 pm

[Show]: Wash and Book's deaths were certianly bummers. I like all the crew so it was sad seeing any of the go. Like Winnow said though I think Wash's death did end up making the last part of the movie more intense (in part because of its very pointlessness, happening after they just get past the big danger and as basically an act of happenstance). I disagree with Dregor that River would have been a better choice. River was the one I thought less likely to die than any other (although its close between her and Mal). If it had been a standalone movie, maybe. But given they have already said they would like to make a trilogy, River's character just drives too much of the conflict between the crew and the Alliance (even with the whole Miranda thing resolved) to get rid of her in the first movie. She also drives a lot of the tension within the crew, even though that will probably be to less of a degree now that she is supposedly more stable.

Lisandre · Post by **Lisandre** » October 1, 2005, 8:19 pm

I followed the series (Firefly) cause I liked Joss Whedon's work. The whole cowboy-in-space thing kinda threw me off a bit in the beginning, but it was a good series. Serenity, I loved.

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » October 1, 2005, 8:53 pm

Serenity was a phenomenal movie. The humor, the chemistry between cast members, the tense situations etc etc..

I truly hope the movie does well so that they can make a sequel and keep flyin.

The main thing for me walking out of the theather was that the film brought a sense of closure. The series cancellation had left a sort of wound that hadn't really properly healed till today.

Joss is da man indeed.

[Show]: I was especting 1 character to die since I had read that fact on the net somewhere in a review from someone who wasn't familiar with the series. When Wash bit it, my jaw just about hit the floor. Should've expected something like this given what he had done to Anya in the Buffy series finale but still....

Can't stop the signal!

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » October 1, 2005, 8:55 pm

[Show]: I guess the Anya thing didn't surprise me because I knew she sort of hated being on the show, and I think wanted to be killed off so she wouldn't be in any future stuff. Think it was problems with Gellar. But yeah, I can see it being shocking her dying if you hadn't known that.

Bojangels · Post by **Bojangels** » October 2, 2005, 12:25 am

Loved it. After feeling like they left us hanging after the season ended this was awesome closure. Great movie, but I'd have enjoyed it a lot less if I hadn't watched the show. Kinda makes it feel like they did it for the fans instead of just 'making a movie'.

[Show]: When they were passing through the reaver cloud on the way back to Mr. Universe and Mal started shooting at reavers the first thing I thought was 'TRRAAAIIIINNNNN!!!!!!!!!'

Lisandre · Post by **Lisandre** » October 2, 2005, 12:34 am

Bojangels wrote:Loved it. After feeling like they left us hanging after the season ended this was awesome closure. Great movie, but I'd have enjoyed it a lot less if I hadn't watched the show. Kinda makes it feel like they did it for the fans instead of just 'making a movie'.

I saw the movie with a cousin of mine who hadn't watched the series. I think he might've liked the movie even more than I did.

[Show]
When they were passing through the reaver cloud on the way back to Mr. Universe and Mal started shooting at reavers the first thing I thought was 'TRRAAAIIIINNNNN!!!!!!!!!'

Hehe.

miir · Post by **miir** » October 2, 2005, 2:06 am

I went to see this tonight really hoping to like it.

Instead I was subjected to 2 hours of pathetically one dimensional streotypes spewing non-stop one-liners and sci-fi/western cliches with the all the subtlety and nuace of a sledgehammer.

I admit I laughed a few times but the dialogue was more cringe inducing than Star Wars Episodes 1-3 combined.

Drinsic Darkwood · Post by **Drinsic Darkwood** » October 2, 2005, 2:40 am

miir wrote:I went to see this tonight really hoping to like it.

Instead I was subjected to 2 hours of pathetically one dimensional streotypes spewing non-stop one-liners and sci-fi/western cliches with the all the subtlety and nuace of a sledgehammer.

I admit I laughed a few times but the dialogue was more cringe inducing than Star Wars Episodes 1-3 combined.

I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. I will agree that the characters were extremely stereotypical, it didn't really bother me. Aside from one or two lines though, I don't see how you can even REMOTELY compare the dialogue in Episodes 1-3 to Serenity. I'm sorry, but there is very little that can even comes close to the auditory pain wraught from 1-3.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 2, 2005, 3:24 am

miir wrote:I went to see this tonight really hoping to like it.

Instead I was subjected to 2 hours of pathetically one dimensional streotypes spewing non-stop one-liners and sci-fi/western cliches with the all the subtlety and nuace of a sledgehammer.

I admit I laughed a few times but the dialogue was more cringe inducing than Star Wars Episodes 1-3 combined.

One dimensional characters? Just how many dimensions from 9+ characters are you looking for in a 2 hour movie? If you didn't see at least two from the main character (Mal), I'm not sure how to help you out on that one. Please tell me the many dimensions the original Star Wars characters had in the first movie and I will happily counter your response. Also offer up your action/sci fi movie that has better dialog. (Aliens doesn't count)

Guess you should have seen Into The Blue instead this weekend. I just got done watching a hacked copy of it and I think you'd like the cookie cutter dialog and Alba swimming around in a bikini.

For anyone other than miir that did see Into the Black instead of Serenity this weekend: big mistake. horrible dialog, horrible acting, horrible camerawork underwater, and somehow these snorkeling treasure hunters could all hold their breath for like 10 minutes a pop.

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » October 2, 2005, 3:39 am

miir wrote:I went to see this tonight really hoping to like it.

Instead I was subjected to 2 hours of pathetically one dimensional streotypes spewing non-stop one-liners and sci-fi/western cliches with the all the subtlety and nuace of a sledgehammer.

I admit I laughed a few times but the dialogue was more cringe inducing than Star Wars Episodes 1-3 combined.

You're entitled to your opinion... it just happens to be the one that finally makes me think you're nuts. To each their own.

noel · Post by **noel** » October 2, 2005, 4:28 am

miir wrote:I went to see this tonight really hoping to like it.

Instead I was subjected to 2 hours of pathetically one dimensional streotypes spewing non-stop one-liners and sci-fi/western cliches with the all the subtlety and nuace of a sledgehammer.

I admit I laughed a few times but the dialogue was more cringe inducing than Star Wars Episodes 1-3 combined.

I have to admit, you had me going. I was all ready to flame you... up until the point where you attempted to draw a comparison between Ep 1-3 and Serenity. Nice try at trolling, but that line gave you away.

Sartori · Post by **Sartori** » October 2, 2005, 1:42 pm

LOL

Episode 1-3's dialogue was so amateurish I wouldn't have been surprised if it were written by a freshman in high school. Fuck man, the characters in Ep. 1-3 were more like 1/4 dimensional than anything else! "Pales in comparison to this movie" isn't even close to good enough to describe the differences in quality. Not saying that you are one of them (but wouldn't be surprised if you were), but WHY so many people enjoy those epically proportioned wastes of CGI/Celluloid is beyond me. I feel sorry for all the silicon and whatever else that was wasted on manufacturing DVD's of those movies to sell to Star Wars fanboys & people that have no idea what a good movie is. Hell, I grew up watching Star Wars and loved it like any other person, but when I saw the special edition release of Ep. 4 in theaters in the mid-90's I cringed at some of the dialogue in that too. Still enjoy the movie though

I walked out of the theater after Serenity wanting to go back and see it again. I rarely feel that way about any movie, and I have been (almost rabidly) telling my friends they need to go see this movie. Period.

Niffoni · Post by **Niffoni** » October 2, 2005, 1:52 pm

Saw the movie with Biffin and Miliean last night. It held up, but I don't get the fanboy splooging over it. Was still worth the price of admission.

But damn, guys. "The dialogue is better than Episodes 1-3"? Is that really something to brag about? That's like saying you beat a retarded kid at basketball.

The movie was pretty forgettable, but did a good job not leaving people like me who've never seen the show in the dark.

miir · Post by **miir** » October 2, 2005, 3:40 pm

Nice try at trolling, but that line gave you away.

It's called a difference of opinion, jackass.
I wasted 2 hours of my time and $10 on a crap movie.

I liked the nouveau-western flavour in the dialogue but overall it was terrible.
Character development was puddle deep.

[Show]: When the pilot dude got impaled towards the end I was like... who cares... he could have been a red shirt for all the character development he had

. River's brother was painfully sterotypical.
The only character with any depth was the assassin (can't remember his name). He was cold and calculating but mysterious and unpredictable.

The CGI ran the gamut from breathtaking to ameteur.
The reaver fleet barreling out of the cloud was totally awesome but Serenity crash landing on the planet where Mr Universe was looked like a styrofoam and plastic model.

The fight scenes were painful to watch. The scene after River jumped through the blast door, threw to bag back to her brother and closed the doors was especially painful to watch. Her spinning around and the Reaver 'extras' telegraphing their jumps and falls while she was spinning around with the 'kinetic' camera shots would have been more at home in a made-for-tv B Movie.

Which brings me to the camera work. Frankly, I'm sick to fucking death of the speed zoom and speed pans that are rampant in low budget action movies. You can't disguise badly choreographed fight scenes by hiring epileptic cameramen.
He totally overused shaky 'handycam' shots.

[Show]: The backstory of how Miranda 'died' was comical.

My fiancee took more issue with that than I did... but it was still pretty stupid... It was almost like they had to come up with way to tie up every ludicrous aspect of the story with one excuse...

I got up and walked out near the end when River said something about the storm getting pretty bad to which Mal replied something like yeah but we'll make it through. It was the epitome of the sledgehammer-subtle foreshadowing that ran rampant throughout the entire movie.

--mod edit (Drolgin): added spoiler tags. Idon't care if you hate the movie but please respect that others may not want major plot features spoiled.

Gonzoie - Luclin · Post by **Gonzoie - Luclin** » October 2, 2005, 4:34 pm

miir wrote:
Nice try at trolling, but that line gave you away.
It's called a difference of opinion, jackass.
I wasted 2 hours of my time and $10 on a crap movie.

I liked the nouveau-western flavour in the dialogue but overall it was terrible.
[Show]
Character development was puddle deep. When the pilot dude got impaled towards the end I was like... who cares... he could have been a red shirt for all the character development he had.
River's brother was painfully sterotypical.
The only character with any depth was the assassin (can't remember his name). He was cold and calculating but mysterious and unpredictable.

The CGI ran the gamut from breathtaking to ameteur.
The reaver fleet barreling out of the cloud was totally awesome but Serenity crash landing on the planet where Mr Universe was looked like a styrofoam and plastic model.

The fight scenes were painful to watch. The scene after River jumped through the blast door, threw to bag back to her brother and closed the doors was especially painful to watch. Her spinning around and the Reaver 'extras' telegraphing their jumps and falls while she was spinning around with the 'kinetic' camera shots would have been more at home in a made-for-tv B Movie.

Which brings me to the camera work. Frankly, I'm sick to fucking death of the speed zoom and speed pans that are rampant in low budget action movies. You can't disguise badly choreographed fight scenes by hiring epileptic cameramen.
He totally overused shaky 'handycam' shots.

[Show]
The backstory of how Miranda 'died' was comical.
My fiancee took more issue with that than I did... but it was still pretty stupid... It was almost like they had to come up with way to tie up every ludicrous aspect of the story with one excuse...

I got up and walked out near the end when River said something about the storm getting pretty bad to which Mal replied something like yeah but we'll make it through. It was the epitome of the sledgehammer-subtle foreshadowing that ran rampant throughout the entire movie.

your're the reason retards work at the theater, not attend.

also, those characters had plenty of development in the series, and this movie was aimed towards the already fans. you get to see so many sides of all the characters during the show, including the caring, and accidental stupidity of Jayne in the Jayne's Song episode. You also get to know Washbourne during the series.. each character has developed in the series. Who cares if this movie didn't take the time to develop everyone again. Joss had too much information to put in this movie to let you get to know each character.

Joss did a remarkable job in this movie and show combined.

and individually each did well, except no ending to the series really. This is all the series watchers had to go on as an ending, and it didn't even cover everything, meaning there will be more!

miir · Post by **miir** » October 2, 2005, 5:03 pm

ROFL, fucking stupid fanboys.

Label anyone who doesn't like this stupid movie as a retard.
Judging from how empty the theatre was last night, at least this movie will have about as much mainstream appeal as the show.

But so long as the rabid fanboy cult is happy.

Sartori · Post by **Sartori** » October 2, 2005, 6:02 pm

Niffoni wrote:But damn, guys. "The dialogue is better than Episodes 1-3"? Is that really something to brag about? That's like saying you beat a retarded kid at basketball.

It wasn't a brag, it was a retort. Saying something is as bad as that drek is pretty appalling when it clearly isn't. Occasional weak dialogue (such as in Star Wars Ep. 4 *ducks*) does not equate to the mountain of shit that is Ep. 1-3, and a movie better be pretty fucking bad to be compared to that. If you need a better explanation may I instead suggest Special Olympics Basketball? I don't care if someone doesn't like the movie, but I think that particular comparison was about as far from realistic as Miir's ide....well, pretty much anything he says.

miir · Post by **miir** » October 2, 2005, 6:10 pm

Did you not notice the 3-4 people who made the comparison before me?

*shrug*

Sartori · Post by **Sartori** » October 2, 2005, 6:20 pm

I see comparisons. They're all opposite from yours. Was I supposed to see comparisons agreeing with you up there? Or maybe it's on one of the other threads!? Am I on the right message board AAAARGH*pop*

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 2, 2005, 6:30 pm

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but miir chose to ignore my rebuttals and request for examples so I'll assume he's just trying to make a name for himself by trolling a thread that has mostly positive responses.

So far, the quality of your posts belong on Yahoo's movie forum flame board where bored teens try to stir up shit. Over there, people with your same opinions (F, F, F, F, F) managed to drop Serenity's ranking from A to A-.

http://movies.yahoo.com/mvc/drv?mid=1808583132

have fun!

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 2, 2005, 7:12 pm

miir wrote:Did you not notice the 3-4 people who made the comparison before me?

*shrug*

You mean this:

Winnow wrote:-characters that you can identify with and care about as opposed to all special effects. (talking about original SW trilogy, the recent 1-3 sucked ass and aren't even close)

I'm comparing Serenity to the original SW trilogy and state CLEARLY that ep 1-3 are crap.

Maybe you meant this:

Winnow wrote:Another way I evaluate is if I'd pop in the DVD if a friend was over and had never seen it. Star Wars, Empire, Serenity...no doubt about it...recent Star Wars trilogy? No fucking way.

Was there something about the "no fucking way" that wasn't clear?

You're the only person claiming Serenity dialog was worse than ep 1-3

miir wrote:the dialogue was more cringe inducing than Star Wars Episodes 1-3 combined.

Anyone else discussing Star Wars is comparing Serenity to being in the realm of the original Star Wars trilogy. I thought I'd clear that up for you as people tend to get delusional in follow up arguments.

miir · Post by **miir** » October 2, 2005, 7:39 pm

GO GO FANBOYS!

Lynks · Post by **Lynks** » October 2, 2005, 7:50 pm

miir wrote:ROFL, fucking stupid fanboys.

Label anyone who doesn't like this stupid movie as a retard.
Judging from how empty the theatre was last night, at least this movie will have about as much mainstream appeal as the show.

But so long as the rabid fanboy cult is happy.

So anyone that disagrees with you is a stupid fanboy? Captain Hypocrite is here.

miir · Post by **miir** » October 2, 2005, 8:01 pm

Lynks wrote:
miir wrote:ROFL, fucking stupid fanboys.

Label anyone who doesn't like this stupid movie as a retard.
Judging from how empty the theatre was last night, at least this movie will have about as much mainstream appeal as the show.

But so long as the rabid fanboy cult is happy.
So anyone that disagrees with you is a stupid fanboy? Captain Hypocrite is here.

If you haven't noticed, I'm getting reamed for disliking this movie.
People are so fanatical about this movie that anyone who dislikes it get labeled a retard or a troll. It's like they feel they have some sort of emotional investment in a stupid movie that thye feel they must attack anyone who dislikes it.

Sounds like fanboys to me.

Christ folks, it's just a trashy movie that will be forgotten by all in a few years.

Momopi · Post by **Momopi** » October 2, 2005, 10:44 pm

Dregor Thule wrote:I've seen a lot of comparisons being made about it, how it's a defining movie of the sci-fi genre on the level of Star Wars and Bladerunner, and I can only agree.

I just got home from watching this movie and I still don't understand how they can say its defining sci-fi on the level with star wars or bladerunner. It seems to me you should be a fan of the show to really enjoy the movie, because I personally thought it was very boring and at times just horrible to watch. I went into the movie thinking it would be really good but it just didnt work out that way. There were times where even the special effects from a new hope were much better. Like I said, you really do need to be a fan of the series to truly appreciate this movie.

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » October 2, 2005, 10:57 pm

I haven't seen Serenity yet.. But episode 3's dialogue totally ruined the movie for me. I seriously doubt Serentiy is worse than that. I'll get back to you after seeing it!

And I've never seen Firefly so I'm not a 'fanboi' or whatever it is you're spouting.

Ebert gave it three stars. How bad can it be!

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » October 2, 2005, 10:58 pm

My question is the following...

The film was made because of the rabid enthusiasm of the fans for the show.

If you hated the show back in '02 or didn't bother watching it since you didn't care for the subject matter, why the hell did you bother dropping 10$ on the movie in the first place?

BTW - The box set is back up to #3 in Amazon sales rank =) Looks like Joss has gotten new fans.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 3, 2005, 12:39 am

Aslanna wrote: And I've never seen Firefly so I'm not a 'fanboi' or whatever it is you're spouting.

What!? Firefly Now! The movie is great but the series is even better! (allows for 14 hours of character development!)

Hopefully the movie will spark your interest enough to download the first few episodes. Remember to watch Serenity (2-hour pilot) before episode one, The Train Job!

Gonzoie - Luclin · Post by **Gonzoie - Luclin** » October 3, 2005, 1:28 am

Winnow wrote:
Aslanna wrote: And I've never seen Firefly so I'm not a 'fanboi' or whatever it is you're spouting.
What!? Firefly Now! The movie is great but the series is even better! (allows for 14 hours of character development!)

Hopefully the movie will spark your interest enough to download the first few episodes. Remember to watch Serenity (2-hour pilot) before episode one, The Train Job!

and if you stop watching before you get to Jayne's Song.. kill yourself.. because that episode is great!

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » October 3, 2005, 3:36 am

More if you bastards need to go see the movie or we'll be stuck with more movies like Attack of the Clones for as our only Sci Fi option in the future! 10M so far but it only cost 39M to make. The majority of reviews are positive and even Ebert and his pal both gave it thumbs up. With a title that some people thought was a romance, it's going to require that the movie does well over a longer period of time instead of very well initially. Monday morning chatter about the movie at work, except for the unfortunates that work with miir, will get the word out that this movie is worth seeing.

On a positive note, maybe it will do enough for HBO to pick it up as a series. That would be better than a series of movies IMO.

Code: Select all

1. Flightplan - $15,038,000 ($46,145,000)
2. Serenity - $10,141,000 *
3. Corpse Bride - $9,755,000 ($32,910,00)
4. A History of Violence – $8,200,000 ($8,969,000)
5. Into the Blue - $7,000,000 *
6. Just Like Heaven - $6,100,000 ($38,369,000)
7. The Exorcism of Emily Rose - $4,400,000 ($68,522,000)
8. Roll Bounce - $4,025,000 ($12,673,000)
9. The Greatest Game Ever Played - $3,749,000 *
10. The 40 Year-Old Virgin - $3,110,000 ($101,396,000)

* denotes new movie

Glad to see Into the Blue had a bad opening weekend. Shitty movie!

Ogbar · Post by **Ogbar** » October 3, 2005, 10:19 am

Well, I enjoyed the movie. So did my sister and her boyfriend, who both had no prior knowledge of the show/story. I had never heard of the show back in '02, so I never watched it. I did get the DvD set last Xmas, and I absolutely loved it, and very much looked forward to the movie. I guess that makes me a late-blooming fanboy.

I thought they did a good job making this both a good stand-alone movie for those unfamiliar with the characters/plotlines and a good extention to the series: quite a hard line to walk. They didn't retread on any ground already shown in the show. Events from the past were more of amplifications of previously conveyed storytelling, which if very consistant with how the flashback sequences from the show worked. And what they did cover was enough to understand that River and Simon were on the run, and why they might hook up with the crew of Serenity.

[Show]: I was very sad to see Wash die. (I loved his character on the show, but I don't disagree with Miir that perhaps not enough time was invested in the movie for those new to the story to care as much.) I was in shock for a while as the story progressed, and when they were setting up to make their final stand, I did start to wonder how many others were going to get killed off. I kind of figured that Book would die (I, too, had heard rumblings that someone would die), but Wash was definately a shocker. I'm still kind of bumbed that he'll no longer be part of the future story lines.

I hope the movie does well, because I want to see more of them in the future. I had heard at one point that the first weekend would be an important data point for them in the greenlightling process - no idea what box office value they were looking for, though. I do get the feeling that this movie will benefit from some good word of mouth. I hope so, and I hope the studio gives the movie more of a chance than Fox ever did with the show

miir · Post by **miir** » October 3, 2005, 11:38 am

In all fairness, perhaps my expectations were a bit high after hearing you guys rave about this movie and the series.

this movie was amazing, lived up to and surpassed all its reviews

my top recommendation

it's a defining movie of the sci-fi genre on the level of Star Wars and Bladerunner

movie was absolutely top notch in my book....I have a feeling I won't be able to keep myself from going again some time soon

that's not to say I don't think it's one of the greatest Sci-Fi movies ever made...

It ranks up there in the realm of the original Star Wars movies

Probably the most kick ass movie I have seen in a long long time

Serenity was a phenomenal movie

If you go to the theatre to see this movie, and expect to see a fun, action-packed, trashy, throwaway movie where you can turn off your brain for 2 hours, you won't be disappointed.

If you expect to see a revolutionary, earthshattering, genre defining film, you'll be gone from your seat long before the credits roll.

Serenity is decent entertainment but not a great film (to anyone who is not a firefly fanatic).

Animalor · Post by **Animalor** » October 3, 2005, 11:43 am

Most of us that did go see this movie were heavily biased in the first place.

Joss delivered an amazing movie to the fans of the series and as you said, a decent movie to everyone else.

miir · Post by **miir** » October 3, 2005, 11:58 am

your're the reason retards work at the theater, not attend

Oh, that really hits home.
I think you almost hurt my feeling.

those characters had plenty of development in the series, and this movie was aimed towards the already fans

This is a thread for reviewing the movie, not the series. You made the fucking thread... the title reads 'Official Serenity Review' not 'Official Firefly Review'.
There's already a multitude of sites where all you 'Cult of Firefly' weirdos can discuss how much you'd love to suck Joss Whedon's cock.

The lack of character development in the movie shows lackadasical and lazy story telling. The people who fronted the cash for this to be made wouldn't have done it if he was making the movie 'only for the fans'.

You also get to know Washbourne during the series

Who the fuck was he?

Joss had too much information to put in this movie to let you get to know each character.

Do you use that excuse for every movie with pitiful character development? Take a look at the Xmen movies. There was WAY MORE history and backstory to every one of those characters but the movies did a wonderful job of character development.
It's fine if his priority was having the characters toss around 'witty' one liners to amuse the viewers than be concerned with character development... I just don't get why you have to make excuses for it.

Gonzoie - Luclin · Post by **Gonzoie - Luclin** » October 3, 2005, 1:07 pm

i didn't say you weren't entitled to your opinion.

Washbourne.. proof that either.. A) you didn't really see the movie, or B) you weren't paying attention.

which would make you trolling the thread to be an ass.

Joss had too much information to put in this movie to let you get to know each character.

ive never used that before, because ive never watched a canceled series that had a movie come out after it to try and make up for the fox execs assholery.

thats a true statement.. would you have rather had 30 extra mins of character development? putting the movie, that you said you hated in the first place, up to 2 and a half hours? i don't think so..

like so many people here have said...

Incredible movie for the FireFly fans, decent to great movie for the non-fans.

i just don't get it though, everyone ive talked to that hasn't been a fan said he or she liked it.. even a chick that isn't into sci-fi, who just went with her boyfriend to make him happy, loved it.

it just seems as though you are trying to stir up shit for the sake of being a troll.

VeeshanVault

Official Serenity Review

Official Serenity Review

Argh

Episode 1-3 LOL