nemein

Now that it's out and the other thread is getting kind of long it might be time for a new one... I'll leave that up to the Mods though

Overall I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed, I still enjoyed it but just not as much as I thought I would. I was trying not to read too much about it or build up too much hype but I guess I did. In many ways it felt like it fell short of the series and the potential of the actors/people involved in general. I guess that's a product/problem of the format though. It would have made an interesting story arc over a season but packed into 2 hours everything just felt a bit rushed. There wasn't the time to really develop the characters or have the interaction you got between them in the series. Some of the banter was there and it was fun but I guess I was hoping for more (not to mention the lack of the intermixed Chinese and the whole dialect seemed more contemporary instead of the western twang from the series). Completely under using Ron Glass and killing Book was bad enough, but killing Walsh seemed a bit excessive. Again though having a movie w/ 9 main characters is a bit tough to do. Especially if there's any truth to the rumors there are going to be more, I guess they have to do something to trim things down a bit otherwise there's just too many people and too much going on. Another thing was the "operative" character who seemed too much like they were attempting to rehash Early from "Objects in Space". That's one of my favorite eps but if they wanted Early they should have brought him back. Finally, and I know this is a trivial point, but it certainly seemed missing to me... they didn't have the theme song

It certainly wasn't all bad though. The action was good, and effects were great/done in the same style from the show just bigger

Patman

Spoilers below - you have been warned (plus this is to be a spoiler-filled thread, so stop here if you have seen the film yet).

Tonight was my 3rd viewing (saw 2 previous preview screenings in the summer), and it was the first film where I noticed so many attendees sit up in their seats and leaning forward, watching in earnest, soaking every frame, every syllable. It was great to see the film in a theater full of people who love Firefly and left Serenity with nary a disappointment, even with the demise of beloved characters, and bursting into applause as Serenity moved out from under the rain clouds to take its place in space, to keep on flying amongst the stars.

Though it was my 3rd viewing, Wash's sudden death gave me those shivers internally for a good while, even though I knew it was coming, and I thought I was braced for it. I could tell most of the audience had no idea it was coming because they roared with Wash's "I'm a leaf on the wind..." line and a split second later, they were in shock, uttering "oh no...no" in unison like no other on-screen death I've witnessed. That feeling of loss inside of me just would not go away easily for those long minutes as all hell was breaking loose until Jayne provided just enough comic relief to get me back on track for the remainder of tale.

While not a perfect film, all the humanity and familial ties of Firefly remain, even on a bigger scale given the risk and hardship, knowing that mission success might mean death to the entire crew. The mid-section of the film sags a little as the pieces come together for the crew, but it's not as fluid as it could be, but still, it does more than an adequate job to keep both fans and new fans hooked into the bigger story. Some of the action sequences suffer from inadequate spatial relationships being displayed, so it was a little confusing at times.

The 3rd act does a good job of exposing the whole crew to dangerous situations and ramping up the potential cost for each character after all was said and done. I liked Mal's words to Zoe, knowing that he had to make sure she was okay in spite of her loss, he framed his words in terms of the ship's condition, all the while reaching her emotionally wounded heart and providing comfort to Zoe. All of this in the span of 4-5 short lines of interplay.

As the film came to a close, all I wanted was more...more Serenity, more Firefly, more time spent with this special crew on board the spunky ship that could.

Seantn

How big was the audience in your theater?

Patman

For me, I saw it in one of the 2 main large theaters at the Hollywood 24 Regal, and it was packed! Their smaller theater for the preview screening seated around 192 people, so I guess their large theaters seat about 350 people. Maybe a few seat up close that were filled up, but otherwise, the theater was pretty full, and the audience was excellent in terms of reacting to the comedic bits, and the dramatic bits.

nemein

I went to the 7:40 show (it was showing on another screen as well) and it was about 1/2 full (taking a guess about 200 people).

Flynn

There were about seventy people in the auditorium I saw it in tonight at 730pm.

This is probably my favorite film of the year so far. What anticipation leading up to the film. I had read somewhere (some a-hole who didn't use spoiler tags) about the 'end' of Wash, but I thought my favorite character was in the clear until it happened - and WHAT a way to go... just like the poster above said the audience was roaring with laughter, and then when it happened a split-second later you could hear a freakin' pin drop in the theatre... I was just stunned for minutes on end.

I think the film is so good that even people who weren't fanatics of Firefly will really enjoy it. Even with the hurried parts of each character, the amazing chemistry the cast has always had shone through and really translated well into the final product.

It was neat to see how Simon rescued River in the beginning. I didn't think the operative character was anything like Early from "Objects in Space" - Early was a cat all to himself man - just wicked. I liked this new character a lot - Whedon really knows how to write a good cerebral psychopath.

Also, HOORAY for Nathan Fillion - can we PLEASE make this guy a STAR now?

Loved the film. Loved it.

das Monkey

I've seen it a few times now, and it really holds up well to repeat viewings. Plain and simple, the movie's just fun and should appeal to a sizeable audience completely unfamiliar with the show. I really hope it reaches them too, because as a straight film, it's better than just about everything I've seen in a theater so far this year.

das

P.S. The Operative's nothing like Early.

Dr. DVD

Saw it. Liked it a lot. FWIW, the place where I saw it only had it on one screen, but darned if they didn't give it the biggest auditorium available! The theater was a little over half full and those that were there were fans. Everyone did applaud at the end and Wash's death stunned everyone, especially me since I had stayed spoiler free. I also think that while Inara had more screentime than Shephard Book, they did a whole lot more with Book in the short time they had than with Inara. His death was the one I expected, since he seemed like the least developed character of the cast. Wash on the other hand was my second favorite character after Mal. Killing him is almost the equivalent of killing Xander on Buffy, if that had ever occurred.
I will say I only got into the Firefly crowd about two weeks ago, so I didn't have to wait as long to see the characters again as those who followed the show from the start. However, if I had and after the show was cancelled I got told that in three years I would be watching them in a big-screen adventure, I would have thought someone was too delusional. Hit or flop, the fact that this got made as a major studio picture shows just how much power a small base of fans can have, and that's where the true value of this movie lies IMO.

RaraFemina

I just got back from seeing Serenity, and I loved it! I was at the late showing, so the theater wasn't packed, but it was pretty full. The lady selling tickets said the earlier showings were big sellers, so that made me happy.
I had read a spoiler before that Wash died, but I was not prepared for it like I thought I would be. Like everyone else that has mentioned it, we were all laughing at the "Leaf in the wind" comment, then we all gasped, then just silence. The Reavers were great...just what I had pictured in my mind, and I loved how Mal used them to fight The Operative. The explaination of how the Reavers came about was good, too. The people trying to make a better place ended up making things worse for everyone. I also liked how River said she was "okay" after being on Miranda. Seems like she gets to be a (somewhat) normal girl now. The scene with her and Mal on the bridge was touching, like a father/daughter moment.
I can't wait to see it again, then buy the DVD.

Bluebomber

Went to the 10:20 showing . I loved the movie, really have no complaints, I stayed away from message boards for this one so I went in just like the old days and damn I couldn't believe Walsh bought it. Like the rest of you the people in the theater (packed almost sold out theater) were busy laughing at his line then BAM, I hear a " noo!" and then total silence. Finding out how the Reavers came about was a nice touch, I thought for sure that wasn't going to be touched upon for some reason, glad I was wrong.

spainlinx0

Spoiler free here as well, and very glad that I was able to do that. I know Joss couldn't keep everyone alive, and I expected Book but not Wash. After Wash I wasn't sure any of them were going to survive. I thought the beginning was a little slow as I was getting reacquainted with the dialogue and the characters, but it hit its stride and didn't let up. After leaving I thought of how well this would have played out over 2 seasons or so. This could have been a really excellent arc when interspersed with stand-alone episodes. Then I also thought that it wouldn't have had the look of the movie, and definitely not the fight choreography, and in the end I think it balanced out pretty well.

I was actually at the 12:40 showing in the biggest theater, and it was pretty empty. There was 20 people tops in there. However the audience did seem to enjoy the movie. Definitely would love to see the franchise continue, but how do you top that? I loved the Reaver explanation, and I liked the big hurting they put on the Alliance, but that's probably the biggest single blow they could have dealt. Still, I want more. I hope the box office numbers are good, but I just don't have the highest of expectations.

Jackskeleton

We really need to get a Browncoats subforum considering how many threads this topic has spawned..

spainlinx0

I also have to say that I can't believe this movie received only a PG-13. I thought there was quite a bit of gore, but since we saw no tits flashed or fucks dropped it's all OK with the MPAA.

NitroJMS

I saw it tonight and was only somewhat familiar with Firefly going in. I have the boxset and have watched the first disc, but have dragged my feet about finishing it, but I must admit that all the discs will be getting a spin this weekend. As a huge Buffy/Angel fan, I have to say that Joss came out swinging and hit a homerun with this one. What a great, fun, action/scifi movie that pulls no punches. Some of the comparisons are right and this just may be the "Star Wars of the 21st century." The audience I saw this with (an 11:10 pm showing) absolutely ate this movie up and I was personally never bored with it.

Gizmo

Saw it again and loved it even more! The audience was actually...amazing. They laughed at the right moments, and were gasping when they should. Cheers, Claps everything when River takes out all the Reavers at the end. When the movie was over, the theater clapped again. I don't think I have ever seen an audience act like this at a movie.

Hopefully we will be getting some sequels.

Also, I had somewhat hoped that the ending had been slightly changed to where The Operative maybe 'joined' the crew. He was a great character, and seemed like a good fit along the ship.

Terrell

That's a bit out there. I know that's what Browncoats want. But I don't think any film nowadays can achieve that kind of iconic, insanely popular, world-reaching status at the level that Star Wars did in 1977. It was just otherworldly. But if I was going to label a series of films the Star Wars of the 21st Century, I'd have to give it to LOTR.

I think putting that kind of insane pressure on Serenity is asking too much. You never know, but I think just wanting it to be successful is plenty right now. I get my chance tomorrow, and now that Star Wars is over and done with forever, I need a new sci-fi fix. Might as well be this.

kahuna415

Loved it and was deeply saddened to see Wash and Book buy it. A fantastic film and worth the year to wait for it. If you don't own the DVD set, then now is the time to go out and get it. Highly recommended and with the movie being better than expected, its just icing on the cake.

animalmystic

Book weakest character on the show, the only remotely interesting thing about him was his secret past with the Alliance, other than that, boring. Won't miss him.

Wash on the other hand one of the best, if not the best characters on the show (besides the lovely River ) I was pissed to see him bite it and I still call bullshit on that. (Joss you are a shit wig) I would have almost wanted Inara to bite it instead, but she is hot so she needs to stay

Going to see it again tomorrow, I want a damn sequel.

Terrell

Which character does Ron Glass play?

nemein

Book

nemein

They are distinct characters but I wouldn't say "nothing like" (and I'm not just talking about the race ). Both were "believers" (to borrow the term/meaning from the movie) cut from almost the same mold. Both were fully cognizant they weren't "nice" people, but they were good at their jobs and knew the job was something that needed to done w/o questioning why/if it should be done. Both were very methodical in their planning in achieving their goals. Finally both accepted their ultimate fate w/ calm reserve. One just worked directly for the Alliance and the other was freelance. Also Early 'philosophized' a little more but they could have easily done that w/ the Operative as well.

I agree w/ GizmoDVD I almost expected him to join the crew, but I think the whole point of what they did was to trim down the crew because there are already too many main characters.

Gizmo

Maybe this is a weird observation...I don't know. Early, Operative, and Book have all been black. Is it possible Book was the first 'Operative' to try and capture River, but changed his mind? It may be a coincidence that all three characters are black, but Joss never really had too many black characters on his shows (Kendra, Jassmine, Mr. Trick).

lisadoris

Saw this yesterday afternoon and really enjoyed it. I'm glad I was able to avoid spoilers so Book & Wash's deaths came as a complete shock (and I can't say that I'm pleased about either but I understand nothing comes for free). I'll see this again tonight after checking out Flightplan and History of Violence.

Seantn

So Serenity made 3.9 million on Friday. Flightplan made 4.5.

Would Serenity be #1 if they added on the money from those previous screenings that they did in May, June, Juley, etc...?

animalmystic

Early>The Operative