Reports on the first look at Serenity - Firefly&Serenity

I have one spoilerish question about the movie, and that will be spoilers enough for me till it's released.

And that question is.... do we learn what happened in Book's past?

rabid | December 15, 11:05 CET

Nope!

Oddjob | December 15, 11:38 CET

Okay, I have two minor spoilers, and I'll cover a major spoiler but in a veiled sort of manner:

- I went ahead and used my stopwatch, and from the start of the Universal logo to the end of the film when the credits were briefly shown then cut off, I'd say the film was about two hours and five minutes long.

- I was really impressed by the long take at the start of the film (watch the opening of The Player and you'll see what I mean). The opening scene took place as one continuous camera shot, starting with Mal and Wash from the cockpit of Serenity, and following Mal as he talks to Zoe, Jayne, Kaylee, and Simon(?) throughout the bowels of the ship, ending with River in the cargo bay. So you were introduced to several of Serenity's crew in a take that lasted a good three to five minutes? I wonder how many times that scene was filmed?

- The biggest issue I had with the screening tonight is that I *really* hope that the film stays as-is, the way Joss envisioned it in his script... Pure Unadulterated Joss(tm). Because judging by the reactions of many of the fans who were in the audience, I have a bad feeling that their input is going to wreck the key reason why a certain plot point happened in the film... it was written to prove that this is not your typical sci-fi genre film, and that anything is possible... and if it's taken away, it's not going to give that sort of unpredictability to it.

[ edited by Oddjob on 2004-12-15 10:24 ]

Oddjob | December 15, 12:20 CET

BTW, I've gone back to reading this script review that was posted on AICN back in June, and it seems pretty accurate in terms of describing what's in the film.

But I'd argue that it's actually *better* for people to check out the DVDs *before* watching the film so you get all of the backstory on the characters though in the film!

Oddjob | December 15, 12:43 CET

I have to say that I was also really impressed by the fight choreography in the film... in particular, River's fight scenes and Mal's fight scenes. There was a really nice flow and logic to them that you don't always see in film and TV.

For example, Buffy and Faith's fight in Faith's loft in "Graduation" was awesome because you could follow the action and it told a story. Ditto for the chateau fight in The Matrix Reloaded. As for bad fight scenes, watch the mansion raid in Tomb Raider.

Oddjob | December 15, 13:09 CET

Oddjob we know from the plot synposis on the Serenity site that Reavers are in the film. So my question is are they as scary on screen in the movie as they were off screen in the TV show?

Simon | December 15, 13:13 CET

You do see the Reavers on-screen and the makeup job is done really well. I wouldn't say that you get any lingering shots of them though, as usually they're only seen in quick cuts and "jolty" moments. But the effect is the same, yeah.

Oddjob | December 15, 13:24 CET

Oddjob, although i very much regret not seeing Book's story, please, please, please, can you tell me if we get Inara's backstory and why she left the Companion Training McThingy?

Apocalypse | December 15, 14:21 CET

Nope, you don't get Inara's backstory either. Sorry!

Oddjob | December 15, 14:25 CET

One of my friends just called me up from LA having seen it, to say he's gushing about it is an understatement. Said it got plenty dark a few times, and talked a bit about a praticular scene involving Mal that was praticularly shocking.

Anywho I can't wait, hearing such great stuff. Hearing that Summer Glau deserves huge credit for her physical work, a lot about some new characters (praticularly huge props to our new villain.)

Sounds exciting.

[ edited by rabid on 2004-12-15 12:33 ]

rabid | December 15, 14:32 CET

Does Simon die? Because I don't know if I could take that.

Melisande | December 15, 14:49 CET

I hate to say this, but I probably have to be guarded in my answer:

"Best not to post major spoilers about what happens in the film i.e. a character dies or blow by blow summary/plot details."

I will neither confirm nor deny Simon's possible death. How's that? I should become a politician!

Oddjob | December 15, 15:07 CET

Bah I didn't even read that.

Damnit major spoilers are the only ones I care about!

Melisande | December 15, 15:11 CET

If Simon does die it would explain to me Joss's comment of him looking at the movie as a one shot rather than a trilogy.

If it is him i would be dissapointed, but thank god it wasnt Inara or Kaylee. But what would River do now. She will be totally lost without him. On her own!

Oddjob, i am so tempted to ask you to email me, but i dont want to. Im gonna hit myself repeatadly and struggle with this for many months, so if you do get a request on one of my weaker days, please refuse and tell me to go away. The same for anybody else whose seen the movie out there and im warning you all i'm a desperate, desperate guy!

Apocalypse | December 15, 15:15 CET

Sorry!

Oddjob | December 15, 15:16 CET

haha I already tried emailing him, you're going to get nothing. :)

Seriously deep-down I appreciate not knowing. Although it will be very very hard.

rabid | December 15, 15:17 CET

I think I know the scene Oddjob was talking about. It's been discussed since the very first days of filming. From what I can tell from what I heard (and not having actually seen the movie, dammit), it's brutal, but ultimately necessary because it's very telling about the kind of world(s) they are all living in.

I hope they keep it in. To tell the story properly, I think the "extreme" stuff needs to be shown.

If not, oh well. I bet it'll be on the DVD!

lalaa | December 15, 15:18 CET

Rabid and Apocalypse: I suppose if you keep pressing me for details, even after repeated warnings, I may budge, but seriously... it's much better if you *don't* know! Which I realize defeats the purpose of this thread in a way, but there are other less spoilery questions that I can answer I suppose. But the really major ones probably can't be posted here, right?

Lalaa: Oh yes, the scene in question is shocking, but I was actually referring to another more shocking moment that I hope doesn't get changed or removed from the film entirely, because as I've said before, it shows that anything is possible in the Serenityverse.

[ edited by Oddjob on 2004-12-15 13:30 ]

Oddjob | December 15, 15:27 CET

Lol I've dropped the questions Oddjob :) I'm good.

rabid | December 15, 15:29 CET

Someone was talking about the film being aimed at PG-13 audiences, and yes, one of the mandates at the screening was that the audience members had to be 15-34 years old. And while I can see that some people felt that it deserved an R rating, I don't know if that will happen. Yeah, there are a lot of suspenseful, intense, and violent moments in the film, but a lot of that violence is inferred or heard and not directly visible on-screen. Many times visualizing something is much worse than actually seeing it.

Still, one friend tonight said she wouldn't take her daughter to see it, so there you go.

Oddjob | December 15, 15:35 CET

How much swearing was there? Because I can do with some good swearing.

Melisande | December 15, 15:39 CET

There was some swearing, but more of the Chinese than anything else. I think I remember hearing a "Shit," but since they're aiming for a PG-13 audience, I can't even recall hearing a single "Fuck?" Doesn't a film have to have more than three uses of the word "Fuck" before it becomes an R rated film?

(On that note, it's 3:45 AM on the West Coast, and I'm exhausted. I'm sure other people who went last night will be able to answer questions.)

[ edited by Oddjob on 2004-12-15 13:43 ]

Oddjob | December 15, 15:41 CET

Maybe they had to trade in some f-bombs in order to get more violence? ;)

lalaa | December 15, 15:44 CET

Okay, one more thing... echoing the AICN reports, there is definitely no hitting of the reset button a la Star Trek after the adventure is over and done with. There are big things that happen in this film that will forever change the Serenityverse. That was one thing I found really refreshing, and I made sure to mention that in my questionaire.

And there were also some interesting comments that were brought up at the panel afterwards that I wanted to mention, but it touches on the major spoilery stuff... so I don't know how to proceed on that front.

[ edited by Oddjob on 2004-12-15 13:59 ]

Oddjob | December 15, 15:56 CET

Voyager has made me loathe the reset button, so glad to know that we won't be seeing that.

Then again we're talking Joss Whedon, the man never uses a reset button.

Anyone here remember Buffy's death :).

rabid | December 15, 15:58 CET

The really really really big spoiler that happens right at the end of the movie?

Well according to what I've read:

Kaylee: "What now Captain?"

Before Mal can open his mouth, a blinding white light appears in Sereniy's cockpit and we hear a voice saying "Let's go to work."

Four people run out of the light

Jayne: "Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng"

Spike: Oh bloody hell.

Fin

Simon | December 15, 16:34 CET

Simon that was wonderful

Angel- Caleb? Jasmine? Ballerina Lady? What the?

[ edited by rabid on 2004-12-15 15:01 ]

rabid | December 15, 16:58 CET

Sorry about the double post, I accidently reposted rather than edited :(

So does anyone know what exactly are the rules about restarting Firefly if the movie does extremely well. :)

[ edited by rabid on 2004-12-15 15:04 ]

rabid | December 15, 17:00 CET

The spoilerjunkie's point of view

As much as I like Whedonesque and its well moderated environment I sure hope there will be other sites that doesn't shy away from posting the 'real stuff', the 'spoilers' posted here so far have only whetted my appetite and my curiosity are going to kill me long before the movie is released, if I dont find out more.

While I really admire those that try and actually succeed to remain unspoiled and appreciate the comments made on how much better the experience will be if the film is watched unspoiled, thats not for me, once I know that the information is out there I really need to find out as much as possible, after all if I was not the curious type from the start hunting for all possible information on Joss's series I wouldn't have found spoilerslayer and by way of that site have found whedonesque.

I miss spoilerslayer.

jpr | December 15, 17:54 CET

I just find that truly great films and television stand up to spoiling. If something's impact depends solely upon surprise, then maybe it wasn't well done.

I was spoiled for most of the best and most heartbreaking moments on both Buffy and Angel, and I still felt them with every fiber of my being.

Melisande | December 15, 17:56 CET

another perspective: I've really appreciated how the spoiler thread here was done. Jpr, I'm sure there are many sites on the internet where you can fine the "real stuff," but for those of us (like me) who want to be teased but not *really* spoiled, this thread was great. I was nervous when i clicked on here that I'd regret it, and I'd learn too much, but then I figured this was whedonesque, and people would be careful, and it was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Oddjob, great job of letting us know minor, general details without giving away anything that would really spoil the viewing experience. It's nice to know a bit, but now I think i can easily stay away from finding out anything else. Still, it'll be a long 10 months!

acp | December 15, 18:03 CET

Hear Hear, Melisande and jpr. I want more.

Willowy | December 15, 18:10 CET

Oddjob..........just to let you know.............we decided we will discuss it with her on whether the kid can handle it. because i think she would hate us forever if we did not let her see it.

Oddjob wonderful spoilers.......i saw it but reading your stuff was just the amount of spoilers i would have liked.

[ edited by SillyD on 2004-12-15 17:33 ]

SillyD | December 15, 19:10 CET

Let me do some serious thinking on whether major spoilers should be posted.

Simon | December 15, 19:16 CET

How about links to major spoilers? I would settle for links :-)

edited to clarify: (In this thread, I mean. Not taking up the entire front page.)

[ edited by wren on 2004-12-15 17:49 ]

wren | December 15, 19:44 CET

I don't think that major spoilers should be posted. I saw the test screening last night, and there's some gorram big ones that I really don't think Joss wants to get out.

Regarding Book's past: After the show, Veggiebelle, Bria Ferguson and I were lamenting that we didn't find out about Book's past, when Bria (I believe) pointed out certain parallels between Book and another major character in the movie. That, along with some of Book's comments, leads us to believe that maybe we did learn about Book's past, just not directly.

Oddjob, can you tell us anything about the panel afterwards? None of us were chosen for it.

Airawyn | December 15, 19:53 CET

Airawyn, some of us would like major spoilers. This was just a first screener, it may or may not be close to the finished product. Joss knows the nature of these things, once its out there, kinda hard to close the box. Especially if Herc was there.

Willowy | December 15, 19:56 CET

Simon...I would strongly suggest not posting any major spoilers here. First of all the movie is amazing and will be so much more enjoyable if it is watched without prior knowledge of the major plot points. I am so happy I got to see it this way and I used to be a huge spoiler whore.

Second...I think Joss would be upset if we discussed this here so publicly. I like that he visits this site occasionally and posts. He might feel less friendly if the major stuff was revealed. I would love to know what he thought about the crowd last night and hope that he joins us here today.

The spoilers that might come out on this are HUGE. There is no other way to say it.
Big, exciting, juicy, and heartbreaking.

kdavid323 | December 15, 20:10 CET

Airawyn, I was there for the panel. And the lady pretty much just read the questions from that paper and asked people to answer them. It was kind of people shouting answers. I wanted to kick a few people, or as least throw something heavy at them. I do not want to say too much of what was said, because it would be too spoilery. But I can say this, the guy sitting in front of me had never watched the show (something like 20 of the 26 were fans) but he said he was now going to buy the DVD's and I thought that was great. So I thanked him.

Most people thought it was excellent or very good. I think overall it went well. Minus me wanting to hurt a few people.

SillyD | December 15, 20:12 CET

I actually wrote a 600 word piece on the spoiler issue but then scrapped it.

Anyroad, I've been lurking all over the place (LJs, boards, forums, watercoolers) to see what people who went to the screening thought about it.

It's one of those rare days when everyone agrees that "the spoilers are huge and my lips are sealed as it would spoil the enjoyment of the movie for everyone". And this is like coming from serious spoiler whores.

So for the moment, no mention of the major spoilers.

Anyway, how about that Stargate SG-1 season 9 casting? Anyone else see that one coming?

Simon | December 15, 20:20 CET

Appreciate the response Simon, even though I dont like your conclusion.
Would have liked to see your piece on spoiler policy though.

jpr | December 15, 21:28 CET

Ok Simon. Respect your decision. Hate it, but gotta deal.

TENSAI!!!

Willowy | December 15, 21:34 CET

irawyn: True, some friends and I during my birthday dinner also made that parallel between Book and that other character.

Oddjob | December 16, 00:16 CET

I thought of a question that doesn't needed a really detailed spoilery answer. Yes or no would work...

Herc called The Operative amusingly philosophical and a self-described monster. That pretty much sums up Jubal Early too. So, my question is: Is The Operative a character that is in the same vein as Jubal, or is he definitely a completely different character?

lalaa | December 16, 00:33 CET

Lalaa: Many people drew the same parallels between The Operative and Jubal Early, at least initially, and it's not just because they were both (brilliantly) played by African-American actors either.

I'd say that The Operative is a more menacing character because he's a "Believer," so he'll do *anything* for what he sees as the greater good. Granted, it's been awhile since I've seen Firefly so I can't remember if Early at least had a code of honor that he adhered to (i.e. you don't shoot someone in the back), but The Operative certainly didn't!

On an unrelated note, Zoe's line during the heist to the guy about heroes definitely had some foreshadowing to it.

Oddjob | December 16, 00:47 CET

this posting has nothing to do with Serenity, so i better say something........uh i loved loved loved(okay getting creepy) it......Oddjob, you are posting, why are you not online, visiting me???grrrrr

SillyD | December 16, 00:57 CET

December 15 2004