Joss Whedon's Serenity 2.0
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I believe there was a passing reference to Book being former Alliance. For as little as he was in the movie, it wouldn't make much sense to go into his whole history, but I believe
and it's a little nugget for fans to pick up on. It doesn't have direct relation on the story (in fact, for non-fans it just would have been one more complicated layer), but I believe that is what Book's deal was and though there is nothing explicit to confirm it, it does make sense.
L8r
Spoiler:
L8r
#527
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You just proved my argument: something fans wanted? How is the casual viewer going to take it? The casual viewer is going to make this movie a hit, not the fans. We never saw why Miranda was such a big deal or how it affected things outside the Serenity crew. We're just told something real quick about it and that's supposed to make all the sacrifices they made seem worth it. Sorry, but it didn't resonate and much like the ending to Star Trek: Insurrection it's going to seem likemuch ado about nothing.
#528
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Originally Posted by Jackskeleton
I think that it made it clear what reavers were in the beginning of the film.
The Reivers
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Originally Posted by Jackskeleton
I think that it made it clear what reavers were in the beginning of the film. So the whole "How" of them isn't all that out of the question for folks just walking in. So the mystery still needed to be solved. It was good for both new fans and something old fans really wanted to know.
We get a little quickie conversation about it at the very end and then the movie is over. We don't see, we don't feel, we don't experience the changes for ourselves. Miranda had galactic ramifications, but you'd never know it to watch this movie. We're always on the crew and the crew didn't even seem phased by the ordeal. They just pick up and move on.
All I'm saying is that I think it would make things a bit more palatable if we see a News Wave or something discussing the events from an outside point of view. That way we get that something changed, that the various solar systems and the Alliance were affected. Hell, it'd even be nice to see a member of the Parliament or someone associated with them have a quick discussion about what happened so we get how pissed off they'd be. Or some Alliance faithful starting to have doubts about the dogma the Alliance has been feeding them all these years. Something to drive it home that what the Serenity crew did and what they sacrificed meant something, affected some change somewhere. It all wrapped up too quickly and the ending seemed a bit hollow as a consequence.
Everything after the Alliance troops let the crew go just seemed rushed. The group gathering was too short to be effective, we didn't see any fallout from the events we just witnessed, everything just sort of stops. It's not a TV show; Whedon isn't bound by a running time (at least, not as restrictively). I think an extra 3 minutes to lend some weight to the last act of the film will work wonders for people. Else, all the action just seems sort of arbitrary because there's always a big action scene at the end of a movie. Joss is better than that.
L8r
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They just pick up and move on.
I figure if there were potential sequels, that would be the basis of that. For all intent and purpose, we didn't see what sort of drastic reaction the systems changed. Besides that, I think letting out the whole secret was part of the mission, but a lot of it was trying to see what or why they hid it. I see the troops giving in because their captain told them to lay down their arms. simple as that.
Will this effect box office? I'm not sure really. But the film has gone through a lot of polishes to get to where it's at now and test screenings did tell him something. So you are seeing the outcome of those test screenings for better or worse.
#532
At the screening I attended, a staff member from Universal introduced the film and asked how many in the audience had seen it already. By my quick count, about 30-40 people raised their hands.
#533
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Originally Posted by Patman
Anyone else notice the same people showing up for these preview showings? I think I recognized at least 10-15 people from the last showing I attended.
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From Drewprops.com:
This week I attended a special screening of the film 'Serenity', the third such pre-release audience test screening to visit Atlanta in the last eight weeks. Based on the failed FOX network series 'Firefly', this movie represents a Very Big Thing to the world of science fiction fandom; one of the very few times that a cancelled television show is moved up to the silver screen with creator, cast and crew intact (think: Star Trek). Before the movie began there was a brief, pre-recorded introduction by the show's creator/director, Joss Whedon (aka Joyce Wilber, aka Jox Wheaty, aka Jake Wheelbarrow and any other other intentional mispronunciation I could think of to elicit wails of frustration from the man's fans).
In his introduction Jazz Wheedle artfully describes how utterly unlikely it was that this film could have ever gotten made. It is obvious that he loves his creation and that he is moved by the groundswell of fans who have supported a show that was dead before it even had a chance to live. Likening the show's fanbase to the brown coat wearing revolutionaries of the 'Firefly' universe, he issues a call-to-arms for all his faithful to help get the word out to the rest of the world, to the people who know nothing of the show. It's a modern sci-fi version of Jesus' "Great Commission" (Mark 16:15-16: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel unto every person. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned."). It's a great introduction to the film and a direct tribute to the fans.
And damned I'd be by those fans if I dared give this film a bad review. Fortunately (for me), I can't give this film ANY review because it's technically not yet finished. What I can do is to tell you that this movie has more heart than the last three Star Wars movies lashed together and dipped in hearty sauce.
The film, like the series, is based on the adventures of the crew of the small starship 'Serenity'. Captained by a veteran of a galactic civil war, the ship and its crew flit around the edges of the galaxy taking on petty jobs to survive - driven to this state by an all-powerful galactic government. Couched more in the style of 'Wagon Train' than Star Trek ever was, Whedon and his art department do a fine job of painting the outskirts of the galaxy like Indian Territory circa 1850 without dropping into lazy stereotypes or directly applied metaphors from the American West.
The speech patterns of the captain and some of his crew does smack of something akin to Amish-lite: the kind of way you speak when you're being proper, good and true. Contrasted against the citified lingo of the film's government officials it is endearing without being cloying or sounding like Yoda-speak. I did, however, at some point expect to see someone to pull out a banjo and sing a song about Tom Sawyer and the Exposition of 1880. I suspect the Jeb Weevil went aboard The Great American Freedom Train and exited the 1970's with that strange bicentennial fervor injected into the water system at the time.
I was very impressed with the look of the film, from cinematography to production design. The first five (probably more) minutes of the movie is one continuous steadicam move designed to simultaneously cover exposition and to provide us some geography and sense of scale for the size of the ship 'Serenity'. I've worked days where we set up for long steadicam shots and they're incredibly adventurous endeavors for every department, from the steadicam operator and his guardian grip to the boom operator sneaking along trying to keep the mouse out of shot. Fortunately this was shot on stage, so I expect that the electricians had more control on their pre-rig.
If Jars Whizzle shot this scene once he shot it twenty times.
As with Star Trek, the 'Firefly' universe is of course best appreciated by fans of the television series but not being one of those fans I am happy to say that the movie is emminently accessible by non-fans. The witty dialogue, the unexpected, non-formulaic actions by the characters and the pre-existing relationships by all involved work together to create something that the trainwreck called 'Andromeda' never accomplished, regardless of its (questionable) lineage from Gene Roddenberry's hand.
Will you leave this movie on September 30th (the release date) as a fan of 'Firefly'? You just might.
You'll certainly leave it with respect for Jaxx Windham's love for his baby and for his fans.
You might even leave it as a Brown Coat.
Source
In his introduction Jazz Wheedle artfully describes how utterly unlikely it was that this film could have ever gotten made. It is obvious that he loves his creation and that he is moved by the groundswell of fans who have supported a show that was dead before it even had a chance to live. Likening the show's fanbase to the brown coat wearing revolutionaries of the 'Firefly' universe, he issues a call-to-arms for all his faithful to help get the word out to the rest of the world, to the people who know nothing of the show. It's a modern sci-fi version of Jesus' "Great Commission" (Mark 16:15-16: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel unto every person. He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned."). It's a great introduction to the film and a direct tribute to the fans.
And damned I'd be by those fans if I dared give this film a bad review. Fortunately (for me), I can't give this film ANY review because it's technically not yet finished. What I can do is to tell you that this movie has more heart than the last three Star Wars movies lashed together and dipped in hearty sauce.
The film, like the series, is based on the adventures of the crew of the small starship 'Serenity'. Captained by a veteran of a galactic civil war, the ship and its crew flit around the edges of the galaxy taking on petty jobs to survive - driven to this state by an all-powerful galactic government. Couched more in the style of 'Wagon Train' than Star Trek ever was, Whedon and his art department do a fine job of painting the outskirts of the galaxy like Indian Territory circa 1850 without dropping into lazy stereotypes or directly applied metaphors from the American West.
The speech patterns of the captain and some of his crew does smack of something akin to Amish-lite: the kind of way you speak when you're being proper, good and true. Contrasted against the citified lingo of the film's government officials it is endearing without being cloying or sounding like Yoda-speak. I did, however, at some point expect to see someone to pull out a banjo and sing a song about Tom Sawyer and the Exposition of 1880. I suspect the Jeb Weevil went aboard The Great American Freedom Train and exited the 1970's with that strange bicentennial fervor injected into the water system at the time.
I was very impressed with the look of the film, from cinematography to production design. The first five (probably more) minutes of the movie is one continuous steadicam move designed to simultaneously cover exposition and to provide us some geography and sense of scale for the size of the ship 'Serenity'. I've worked days where we set up for long steadicam shots and they're incredibly adventurous endeavors for every department, from the steadicam operator and his guardian grip to the boom operator sneaking along trying to keep the mouse out of shot. Fortunately this was shot on stage, so I expect that the electricians had more control on their pre-rig.
If Jars Whizzle shot this scene once he shot it twenty times.
As with Star Trek, the 'Firefly' universe is of course best appreciated by fans of the television series but not being one of those fans I am happy to say that the movie is emminently accessible by non-fans. The witty dialogue, the unexpected, non-formulaic actions by the characters and the pre-existing relationships by all involved work together to create something that the trainwreck called 'Andromeda' never accomplished, regardless of its (questionable) lineage from Gene Roddenberry's hand.
Will you leave this movie on September 30th (the release date) as a fan of 'Firefly'? You just might.
You'll certainly leave it with respect for Jaxx Windham's love for his baby and for his fans.
You might even leave it as a Brown Coat.
Source
#536
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I had never been interested in the TV show before.But when i saw the trailer for the movie at the theater i immediately sought out the TV series on DVD and will be watching that to pass the time until the movie comes out because it looks really good.
#537
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It's official. Serenity was given the PG-13 rating.
Now what I want to know is if the film passed "uncut" (e.g. the version "we" saw at the screening last Thursday) or if Universal had to trim down some of the film's more "violent" content (e.g. sound effects).
Rated PG-13 for Intense Violence and Action, and Some Sexual References.
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Does anybody know what tie ins they will have with this movie? Happy Meals, Burger King stuff, Coke/Pepsi stuff like that?? Just curious.
Also are they going to make action figures for this movie or what??
Thanks
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Also are they going to make action figures for this movie or what??
Thanks
Animal Mystic likes you
#539
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Originally Posted by animalmystic
Does anybody know what tie ins they will have with this movie? Happy Meals, Burger King stuff, Coke/Pepsi stuff like that?? Just curious.
Also are they going to make action figures for this movie or what??
Thanks
Animal Mystic likes you
Also are they going to make action figures for this movie or what??
Thanks
Animal Mystic likes you
As of now, the only "tie-ins" that will occur are the three comic books that'll be released starting in July.
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Originally Posted by Matthew Chmiel
Unless you're Spielberg (The Lost World) or Lucas (Episode III) or Disney (Armageddon) or an already established franchise character (Batman), you can't make a PG-13 film with huge tie-ins.
As of now, the only "tie-ins" that will occur are the three comic books that'll be released starting in July.
As of now, the only "tie-ins" that will occur are the three comic books that'll be released starting in July.
Not to turn this into a Batman thing, but I don't believe Batman had in tie ins this time around. (Did it?)
#541
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Originally Posted by animalmystic
True true, I just thought they might push for something, maybe something not as big time as Coke/Pepsi or Happy Meals, but more low key..... like the comic is a good start, I was hoping for some action figures or something though, if not oh well, just let the 1-sheet be cool looking.
Not to turn this into a Batman thing, but I don't believe Batman had in tie ins this time around. (Did it?)
Not to turn this into a Batman thing, but I don't believe Batman had in tie ins this time around. (Did it?)
#543
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The major tie ins will not be mainstream, they will be comic related, as mentioned and other nerd style stuff. From pushes on sci fi to convention heavy pressence in the traveling convention shows.
Not surprised by the PG-13, that's a decent sign it will atleast be open for a large enough window of potential ticket buyers.
Not surprised by the PG-13, that's a decent sign it will atleast be open for a large enough window of potential ticket buyers.
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Originally Posted by reverie
There are also toys, but if they'll be the same as I saw a month ago, they really, really suck.
#547
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I saw the trailer a week or so ago when I saw Batman. While I'm not a fan of the show (stopped watching it about 3 episodes in), I will probably go see this simply because it looked decent.
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Originally Posted by Deftones
While I'm not a fan of the show (stopped watching it about 3 episodes in)
Last edited by Barry Woodward; 06-28-05 at 04:00 PM.
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Originally Posted by Barry Woodward
If your first three episodes were what originally aired on Fox, I suggest you give the series another shot. The two hour pilot that setup the characters and verse was the last episode to air and the episodes were shown out of order.
*sigh*
The DVDs are in the correct order, so rent or borrow Disc I and if you still don't like the series, fine, but the few people I've shown it to wanted to see Disc 2 and before we knew it, they viewed the entire series and counted themselves as fans. Then they all ask the inevitable question: "How come it all ends so suddenly?" And I have to tell the tale of the evil Alliance that did their best to make life for this little ship difficult and then finally succeeded in killing it.
Until one day . . .
L8r
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Does anybody have a link to the new "grittier" international trailer that was released, well, internationally recently? (it may not be out yet, not sure) I would like to see the "grittier" version they made. Me likey