Just saw ‘Serenity’ with the kids. Too gory for my eight year-old, but otherwise a good old-fashioned adventure movie. Part Star Trek, part Indiana Jones, part Matrix and lots of Buffy. Witty, great special effects, and even a plot, though the “secret” is a bit of a letdown. Still, to see Summer Glau in the Buffy role, whirling and slicing in her two fight scenes, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the polite but deadly assassin is a lot of fun.
I agree with Mauer. Actually, I am really looking forward to this flick. Kris loves Buffy, but try as I might I always found it dull dull dull. By contrast, “Firefly” was a kick–not always great, but with enough strange generic melding and sideways wit to make me wish it had gotten a fair shake as a series. (Who’d have thunk that Barney Miller’s Detective Harris would be so cool as a quasi-mystic future fighting monk? And I really, really liked the performances of Adam Baldwin and the lead, Nathan Fillion.) Kris loved it too.
Oh, I just looked up ‘Firefly.’ I didn’t realize the movie was based on the series. Now I’ll have to rent the series. By ‘lots of Buffy’ I only really mean a strong female lead with decent dialogue for the female characters. I watched lots of ‘Buffy’ but only in a vain effort to understand my undergraduates.
We enjoyed the hell out of the movie. Most impressive was how it could play to an audience–like Chris–with no awareness of the show, yet didn’t seem like rehashing of old storylines or dull exposition to others–like Kris, and me–who knew the show. In fact, the opening 15 minutes is a model of exposition that George Lucas should be forced to watch, pinned to a chair with eyes forced open. And no lubricant drops. Let his eyes dry up.
Easily the second best fun film of the year, falling in behind Kung Fu Hustle.
I recently watched the first three episodes of Firefly (out of order cause the Netflix sleeve and the disc aren’t very clear about such details) and I’m not quite sure I get it (Indiana Jones meets Star Trek meets Han Solo meets Wagon Train). Strangely, watching the show out of order didn’t really seem to matter. It certainly has a nice zip to it as well as a wry sense of humor in moments but . . . well, I don’t know. I guess Reynolds’ comments above are on target but why do I not want to continue watching? Will something interesting happen if I keep plugging away, or should I toss the show out of my queue?
I read that Fox insisted on changing the order of the ‘Firefly’ episodes, and starting with the train robbery episode rather than the two hour pilot. Hence Jeff’s confusion about the order.
If you don’t enjoy it, obviously don’t keep watching. What I would say, after watching all 14 episodes in rapid succession, is that there is significant character development. You come to genuinely like and understand the characters, and some really interesting relationships develop. I must say that I liked it more and more as I watched.
I miss Mike. Has he found a better blog? Awhile back he said he was swamped, but I’m department chair and running a search, and I can still find time to watch 15 hours of a space adventure in my spare time, so what kind of excuse is it to say that you are swamped? Give me a break.
You’re right Chris.
You should fire Mike.
Would that it were in my power.
if mike still has the “problem” he had in grad school then he might mean “swamped” literally. i’m not saying any more except i know kris sleeps in scuba gear.
now, i must put “firefly” in my netflix queue.
Arnab, I only had the problem with you. And it was just that once.
Chris, I managed to smoke a cigar and drink with McMillin this last weekend. We only made fun of you a little bit. Tell Scott that I said his paper sucked.
Mike — Did Scott at least give you the first tape I made of ‘Extras’ and asked him to pass on to you?
Recently Scott has been looking like the inspiration for “Grizzly Man.” I bet he loved Minnesota.
No–Scott had that tape? The bastard. I thought he looked a little like my Aunt Nellie. And we were in Milwaukee, but… well, what’s the difference.
do you people not have phones? or each other’s email addresses?
“do you people not have phones? or each other’s email addresses?”
Blog fascist!
just got done with the first dvd of “firefly”. thanks to the discussion upstream i began with the 2 hour premiere. though why jeff was confused i don’t know–“serenity” is the first episode in the dvd’s own menu.
i’m quite taken with its low-key, low-tech charms, and the fact that it doesn’t (not yet anyway) let its characters slip into catch-phrasey shtick. i’m really intrigued to see where this will go.
i enjoyed the show all the way through the end (did i not post about it when i got done with the dvd’s?) and i really enjoyed serenity, which i just finished watching. don’t really have a lot to add to chris and mike’s comments above–i was disappointed not to see the blue-hand guys and also to not have shepherd book’s past clarified. but perhaps whedon was saving that for another instalment, which may not be likely given the box-office.
The film was terrific. What a great script. I can’t help but feel that Serenity would have made a lot of money (and jump started a lucrative franchise) if Whedon (sp?) had comprimised his integrity and hired a few name actors. I was not pulled in to the television series, but the film was high grade, B-movie excellence.