Wash did, indeed, get screwed. And in a nasty, over-too-quickly, no time for grieving way. Great way to kill him off, but I'll miss him, he was probably my favourite character, and woefully underused except in War Stories.
I have only one change I'd make to the film, but I'll post that on my own journal tonight.
Fillion told us that Joss has said he finds it hard to imagine another film without Wash or Book. The panted one added that Joss is "a clever bastard", so we shouldn't discount the possibility.
On the film vs. tv front, thinning the cast helps him out a bit, though. I really do wonder how much the film will be comprehensible to people who haven't seen Firefly.
One thing I loved: the number of scenes where there were three or four different things going on at once. Example: when Inara calls Mal. We have the awkwardness of the Inara/Mal thing; the amusement of the rest of the crew watching; and the uneasy knowledge that Inara basically has a gun to her head. Very nicely done.
Do we think they changed the River/Simon escape story too much? Or if they didn't change it, Simon knew a lot more than he was letting on ...
There were a number of trademark Joss scenes - Jayne and oe continuing the conversation about the grenades whilst Mal moved on, for example - that really set the film up as intelligent and multi-layered. This may or may not appeal to the mainstream. On the surface, it's a typical sci-fi romp. Now, people may be all Fox-like when it turns out to be different, or be thankful that here, finally, is a film with intelligence. I'm not sure which it's going to be yet. A lot will depend, I think, on the initial reviews in October (which is why this slow building up of expectation and credibility has been so very clever a marketing strategy). I'm not as convinced as Fillion seemed to be that the film is a slam-dunk. I think it could be, even though it's not perfect; I think it could just as easily sink without trace
( ... )
And the insane tracking shot tour of Serenity at the start. :)
I can't imagine it getting bad reviews. I also can't imagine it reaching a mass audience, sadly. But then, I really find it impossible to imagine watching it without already knowing the history.
I think the opening was extremely clever. Start in River's brain, switch to a recording, switch to the real world. For a story about seeking belief, it's a neat trick to open by making you really believe in the story.
it was in character for him
Hmm. As Su was saying, the previous impression was that he'd paid people money and received a girl inabox in exchange. He didn't seem that action-man to me at the start of the series.
I was mighty impressed with it. But also by the ending, which was less stylistically clever but had just beautiful beautiful words and images. The whole film was clever in one way or another, with the possible exception of the silly race-from-the-Reavers bit, and the pretty standard meeting-with-the-Baddy at Inara's.
the previous impression was that he'd paid people money and received a girl inabox in exchange.
This was not contradicted. We are simply told here that Simon held some stuff back, and that's what I was saying was in character for him. We saw in 'Safe' that for River he'd go to ends he wouldn't necessarily go to for anyone or anything else.
It's an absolutely pathetic piece of reviewing but, yes, you could write it with not too much effort if you were asked to write the sort of review a film like this is perhaps likely to get.
Indeed you could write most of it without even having to bother watching the film.
Failed TV show blah blah Star Wars blah blah Trek (Eh? Oh, it has spaceships and terraforming, two concepts we all know were pioneered by Gene Roddenberry) blah blah Buffy blah blah Matrix (Eh? Of course, The Operative is clearly Agent Smith. HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO BLIND?) blah blah failure to adapt from small to big screen.
There are valid comparisons and criticisms you could make about the movie. Very few of them are in this review.
Agreed. I have my reservations about the film - principally concerning its setpieces and parts of its plot - but to be honest it hangs together so well that it seems unfair to mention them whilst we're squeeing.
Still, negative reviews of this film are possible, both unthinking ones like above and more considered ones.
I have only one change I'd make to the film, but I'll post that on my own journal tonight.
Reply
Fillion told us that Joss has said he finds it hard to imagine another film without Wash or Book. The panted one added that Joss is "a clever bastard", so we shouldn't discount the possibility.
Hmm.
Reply
One thing I loved: the number of scenes where there were three or four different things going on at once. Example: when Inara calls Mal. We have the awkwardness of the Inara/Mal thing; the amusement of the rest of the crew watching; and the uneasy knowledge that Inara basically has a gun to her head. Very nicely done.
Do we think they changed the River/Simon escape story too much? Or if they didn't change it, Simon knew a lot more than he was letting on ...
Reply
Reply
And the insane tracking shot tour of Serenity at the start. :)
I can't imagine it getting bad reviews. I also can't imagine it reaching a mass audience, sadly. But then, I really find it impossible to imagine watching it without already knowing the history.
I think the opening was extremely clever. Start in River's brain, switch to a recording, switch to the real world. For a story about seeking belief, it's a neat trick to open by making you really believe in the story.
it was in character for him
Hmm. As Su was saying, the previous impression was that he'd paid people money and received a girl inabox in exchange. He didn't seem that action-man to me at the start of the series.
Reply
Imagine.
I think the opening was extremely clever.
I was mighty impressed with it. But also by the ending, which was less stylistically clever but had just beautiful beautiful words and images. The whole film was clever in one way or another, with the possible exception of the silly race-from-the-Reavers bit, and the pretty standard meeting-with-the-Baddy at Inara's.
the previous impression was that he'd paid people money and received a girl inabox in exchange.
This was not contradicted. We are simply told here that Simon held some stuff back, and that's what I was saying was in character for him. We saw in 'Safe' that for River he'd go to ends he wouldn't necessarily go to for anyone or anything else.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Failed TV show blah blah Star Wars blah blah Trek (Eh? Oh, it has spaceships and terraforming, two concepts we all know were pioneered by Gene Roddenberry) blah blah Buffy blah blah Matrix (Eh? Of course, The Operative is clearly Agent Smith. HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO BLIND?) blah blah failure to adapt from small to big screen.
There are valid comparisons and criticisms you could make about the movie. Very few of them are in this review.
Reply
Still, negative reviews of this film are possible, both unthinking ones like above and more considered ones.
Reply
Audience member: nathan's a practical joker; did you play any jokes on him?
Joss: Did you see that speech about love??
Reply
Such a card, that Whedon.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment