Serenity thoughts
Sep. 30th, 2005 08:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alixtiiThe theatre had 6 people in it. Of course I had to travel the half-hour to Oneida, largest town in Madison County (population 10,000), just to see the movie, and I caught an afternoon matinee. So I'm thinking six people in the theatre is probably a pretty decent sign. Still, it was the first time I've ever seen a movie on opening weekend, yet alone opening day, and it was one of the smallest (although probably not the smallest) crowds I've ever seen in a movie theatre.
As to my thoughts:
Serenity is no Star Trek: The Motion Picture, a very long television episode put up on the big screen. Instead, it was a very different beast than Firefly while continuing with the same darkish existential themes, just like Joss promised. Which I suppose is a good thing; Whedon is using the tools of the new (or at least different) medium. The real Star Trek movie analogue would be First Contact, which I've long considered the best one of the Trek franchise. Certainly this was engaging, making my heart race and pulling at more heart and other heart-related metaphors in a way Firefly didn't. But I loved Firefly for what it was, the way it--if I may continue the heart metaphors--warmed my heart. The movie didn't do that to me, mainly because of the way it sideline character issues to focus on the plot, just as First Contact did now that I think of it.
So I loved the movie for what it was, it was absolutely perfect, but I want my TV show too, damn it. I want to see the character reactions to the Big Damn Plot of the movie and I want to see the interaction and I want Firefly back, damn it. I don't begrudge Serenity for one minute for not being Firefly--it isn't and it shouldn't be. But I still want more Firefly. Maybe fic will fill in the gap--I hope a lot of us begin writing a lot of post-Serenity fics keeping in mind the dynamics from the show. I'd put my money where my mouth is but, unfortunately, I have 3 papers to write this weekend and I'm not very good at writing more than one paper in a night.
What else can I say about the movie? Much of my thought about it now that I've settled down comes from viewing it as part of the TV show, another installment in a continuing canon. Thus the character death that bothers me most is Book, the character whom I must admit I liked least. But he had his secret and his depths and now it is likely that all that will never be revealed to the world. It seems like such a loss when I can think of all that Joss could have done with the character given time.
Wash's death, on the other hand, was the one I felt the most. It was a very Jossian moment, because it quite clearly was a death by random happensatance. It reminds me a little of that episode from TNG (yeah, I'm all with the Star Trek comparisons tonight, aren't I?) where Tasha Yar dies--the point is that sometimes death is pointless, and just come from the simple fact that our heroes' lives are dangerous.
Wash's death doesn't bother me the way Book's does, though, because as much as I liked the character, I never saw all that much room for him to go to that many interesting places. Zoe's desired baby will now never be concieved (right?), but now she gets to mourn his death. Which makes her character more interesting, and so Wash's death pays itself off in a way that Book's doesn't. (Although Book's makes more sense in terms of the plot.)
The movie ends with the fall (sorta) of the Alliance, which![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wisdomeagle aptly calls "really damned convenient and unjossily hopeful." The Browncoat war in effect breaks out all over again, pulling the entire system into war and no doubt causing countless deaths. (Okay, that sounds less hopeful and more like Joss there. Maybe one day we'll get to see this war?) So now I suppose we're at a The Truce at Bakura moment and the building of the New Republic is about to begin. Or something. Stay tuned for the adventures of Mal and Inara's Jedi twins as they are trained by River on Yavin IV.
Seriously, I have to wonder what Mal is going to do in this situation--it's hard to see Seargent Reynolds continue to be a space pirate in this situation, especially if it is true that all his contacts are dead. (Digression: Where did all those screens come from? They certainly made quite a few upgrades in the intervening six months since "Objects in Space." I hardly recognized the ship from the inside. It was like they had recasted one of the main characters--because, in truth, that's exactly what they did. The new ship just didn't have the lived-in feel that came from the series' lower budget. I missed that a lot, in some ways more than the character interactions. But that's neither here nor there.)
Okay, that was a long parenthetical digression. Where was I? Oh right: Seriously, I have to wonder what Mal is going to do in this situation--it's hard to see Seargent Reynolds continue to be a space pirate in this situation, especially if it is true that all his contacts are dead. (Is Badger dead? I don't remember seeing Persephone on those screens, although I definitely caught Whitefall. Saffron I'm sure still lives.) On the other hand, he has a family now, a crew, and protecting them has to be his first priority.
But all of this assumes there will be more canon. If not--well, then, I guess these dynamics are still important, because I want post-movie fanfic, damn it. Someone post it to my flist for when I wake up tomorrow?
'Ship status -- Simon/Kaylee: Yay! I don't agree withwisdomeagle that Simon's interest seems to come out of nowhere, since they did have that almost kiss in I forget which late episode. Unless she means solely within the context of the movie, in which case she's probably right. But I'm a sucker for romance, and will be drawn in by even the most contrived boy-gets-girl plots, so I didn't really mind. Not to mention the groundwork had been laid in my mind, and what do I care about everyone else? Of course, I 'ship Mal/Kaylee, but I don't particularly want that to get on the screen anyway (especially not knowing what Joss would do with it), but I also love Simon/Kaylee because I identify with Simon a lot. My only worry: They seem awfully happy there at the end. Do I have to worry about them dying soon? (Again, assuming new canon.)
Mal/Inara: Eh. They closed on a characteristically ambiguous note, which aesthetically I approve of because it fits with the way they interact. I'm perfectly happy with them continuing to interact that way, preferably while Mal ends up with somebody else like Kaylee or River or Saffron. I'm not a very big fan of Mal/Inara.
Last thought: I didn't pay attention when the feds busted in. I'm assuming they weren't still wearing the Starship Troopers uniforms from "The Train Job," but does anyone know for sure? It'd be cool if they were.
As to my thoughts:
Serenity is no Star Trek: The Motion Picture, a very long television episode put up on the big screen. Instead, it was a very different beast than Firefly while continuing with the same darkish existential themes, just like Joss promised. Which I suppose is a good thing; Whedon is using the tools of the new (or at least different) medium. The real Star Trek movie analogue would be First Contact, which I've long considered the best one of the Trek franchise. Certainly this was engaging, making my heart race and pulling at more heart and other heart-related metaphors in a way Firefly didn't. But I loved Firefly for what it was, the way it--if I may continue the heart metaphors--warmed my heart. The movie didn't do that to me, mainly because of the way it sideline character issues to focus on the plot, just as First Contact did now that I think of it.
So I loved the movie for what it was, it was absolutely perfect, but I want my TV show too, damn it. I want to see the character reactions to the Big Damn Plot of the movie and I want to see the interaction and I want Firefly back, damn it. I don't begrudge Serenity for one minute for not being Firefly--it isn't and it shouldn't be. But I still want more Firefly. Maybe fic will fill in the gap--I hope a lot of us begin writing a lot of post-Serenity fics keeping in mind the dynamics from the show. I'd put my money where my mouth is but, unfortunately, I have 3 papers to write this weekend and I'm not very good at writing more than one paper in a night.
What else can I say about the movie? Much of my thought about it now that I've settled down comes from viewing it as part of the TV show, another installment in a continuing canon. Thus the character death that bothers me most is Book, the character whom I must admit I liked least. But he had his secret and his depths and now it is likely that all that will never be revealed to the world. It seems like such a loss when I can think of all that Joss could have done with the character given time.
Wash's death, on the other hand, was the one I felt the most. It was a very Jossian moment, because it quite clearly was a death by random happensatance. It reminds me a little of that episode from TNG (yeah, I'm all with the Star Trek comparisons tonight, aren't I?) where Tasha Yar dies--the point is that sometimes death is pointless, and just come from the simple fact that our heroes' lives are dangerous.
Wash's death doesn't bother me the way Book's does, though, because as much as I liked the character, I never saw all that much room for him to go to that many interesting places. Zoe's desired baby will now never be concieved (right?), but now she gets to mourn his death. Which makes her character more interesting, and so Wash's death pays itself off in a way that Book's doesn't. (Although Book's makes more sense in terms of the plot.)
The movie ends with the fall (sorta) of the Alliance, which
wisdomeagle aptly calls "really damned convenient and unjossily hopeful." The Browncoat war in effect breaks out all over again, pulling the entire system into war and no doubt causing countless deaths. (Okay, that sounds less hopeful and more like Joss there. Maybe one day we'll get to see this war?) So now I suppose we're at a The Truce at Bakura moment and the building of the New Republic is about to begin. Or something. Stay tuned for the adventures of Mal and Inara's Jedi twins as they are trained by River on Yavin IV.Seriously, I have to wonder what Mal is going to do in this situation--it's hard to see Seargent Reynolds continue to be a space pirate in this situation, especially if it is true that all his contacts are dead. (Digression: Where did all those screens come from? They certainly made quite a few upgrades in the intervening six months since "Objects in Space." I hardly recognized the ship from the inside. It was like they had recasted one of the main characters--because, in truth, that's exactly what they did. The new ship just didn't have the lived-in feel that came from the series' lower budget. I missed that a lot, in some ways more than the character interactions. But that's neither here nor there.)
Okay, that was a long parenthetical digression. Where was I? Oh right: Seriously, I have to wonder what Mal is going to do in this situation--it's hard to see Seargent Reynolds continue to be a space pirate in this situation, especially if it is true that all his contacts are dead. (Is Badger dead? I don't remember seeing Persephone on those screens, although I definitely caught Whitefall. Saffron I'm sure still lives.) On the other hand, he has a family now, a crew, and protecting them has to be his first priority.
But all of this assumes there will be more canon. If not--well, then, I guess these dynamics are still important, because I want post-movie fanfic, damn it. Someone post it to my flist for when I wake up tomorrow?
'Ship status -- Simon/Kaylee: Yay! I don't agree with
wisdomeagle that Simon's interest seems to come out of nowhere, since they did have that almost kiss in I forget which late episode. Unless she means solely within the context of the movie, in which case she's probably right. But I'm a sucker for romance, and will be drawn in by even the most contrived boy-gets-girl plots, so I didn't really mind. Not to mention the groundwork had been laid in my mind, and what do I care about everyone else? Of course, I 'ship Mal/Kaylee, but I don't particularly want that to get on the screen anyway (especially not knowing what Joss would do with it), but I also love Simon/Kaylee because I identify with Simon a lot. My only worry: They seem awfully happy there at the end. Do I have to worry about them dying soon? (Again, assuming new canon.)Mal/Inara: Eh. They closed on a characteristically ambiguous note, which aesthetically I approve of because it fits with the way they interact. I'm perfectly happy with them continuing to interact that way, preferably while Mal ends up with somebody else like Kaylee or River or Saffron. I'm not a very big fan of Mal/Inara.
Last thought: I didn't pay attention when the feds busted in. I'm assuming they weren't still wearing the Starship Troopers uniforms from "The Train Job," but does anyone know for sure? It'd be cool if they were.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-01 01:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-01 11:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-01 02:44 pm (UTC)Anyway.
I think my favorite line came from Mal/Inara, though: "Did you see us fight?"
"No..."
"Trap."
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-01 05:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-01 10:08 pm (UTC)(It's weird; watching WW, I think Sam Seaborn reminds me a lot of Simon, but I love Sam -- I think a lot of this has to do with his context, where he's among lots of other whip-smart people, while Simon's among people whose intelligence is a lot more... well, it's ground into their muscles and their hands and their hearts and a lot less in their heads, and I think Simon sees himself as better because of that, which makes me go "grrr."
Those, btw, are all FF-thoughts -- and as you say, Serenity is a whole 'nother ballgame. Which I am working on understanding.
And in reference to your second post on this...
wisdomeagle is brilliant and her thoughts should be broadcast to the world.
Thank you! *touched*
More later, I'm sure. <3
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-02 12:20 am (UTC)No, I can totally see that. The way I see it, one can go either way on the subject of whether Simon actually likes (or, I guess, liked rather) Kaylee. But either way, it was clear to me that Simon was at least considering a relationship with Kaylee if for no other reason than that he had no other options. Thus the almost kiss late in the series. So I can see him deciding that sure, he actually did like Kaylee after all.
Also, I identify with Simon in a lot of ways, so I really don't mind him getting the girl. I'm a sucker for romantic subplots, even if they're only mildly actually romantic.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-03 07:20 pm (UTC)That I agree with completely, but then we already know who I think is best for Kaylee. Simon/Kaylee makes for an interesting story to watch, though, so I can get invested in it on that level--which I suppose is similar to the way some people manage to get invested into Mal./Inara.
Honestly? I would have liked these ships to work, and then not work, and then have the characters move on and swap partners and have an orgy all in the process of the the series. That's the only way we'd ever get Mal/Kaylee, after all. But that's not in the cards, so I'll settle for another movie.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-06 09:27 pm (UTC)Yes! Exactly!
Simon will be with Kaylee for a little while and it'll be fun and awkward and... not at all long-term. Even without the Jossian "no relationship can be happy" thing hanging over them, they just don't go together - the gap is too wide. And even without getting into CSI (though I do, oh yes) Simon can never put Kaylee before River, and as much as Kaylee might understand that with her head, her heart isn't going to be happy about it.
Of course, I also feel that way about Mal/Inara - hot in the short-term, unworkable for any length of time.
But I'm also a Mal/Kaylee shipper, so... *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-06 09:31 pm (UTC)But I do ship Mal/Kaylee and Simon/River more.
*tries to summon plot bunny for Ma/Kaylee/Simon/River*
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-14 03:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-14 04:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-17 10:39 am (UTC)Um, yeah. Weird brain.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-17 11:54 am (UTC)Thanks.
River facing Yoda would be fun to watch/read. Who could be more cryptic?