Whedonesque : Comments on 9001 : Not many nitpicks for "Serenity."

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December 18 2005

Not many nitpicks for "Serenity." This site has voluminous nitpicks for hundreds of movies. So far though only two nitpicks for the BDM, and pretty minor ones at that.

Compare that to the 21 nitpicks for Firefly and the 379 nitpicks for BtVS.

All nitpicks can be commented on, but only movie nitpicks can be voted to be "refuted".

ironclad | Firefly&Serenity | 07:28 CET | 24 comments total | tags:

My favorite goof is still Inara's bow that turns into a nail-gun. What's funnier is that Joss says they noticed the bow in long shots and took out the color to make it less noticeable. It didn't work.

The Dark Shape | December 18, 07:47 CET

The situation with Inara's weapon is less a goof than an attempt to replace the weapon they filmed her using, an attempt that they didn't quite follow through all the way with.

Goofs are things like the much-spotted "now you see, now you don't" blood on Mal's face.

The One True b!X | December 18, 08:03 CET

The Firefly link points to the BtVS page.

The moving-sun nitpick explains why I found that scene so confusing! Wait, which way are they going...? Only two goofs is pretty good, but I wish they'd changed Inara's bow to the "automatic crossbow" in every scene.

zencat | December 18, 08:17 CET

I wish they had just left it the long bow in every scene.

TamaraC | December 18, 08:31 CET

When the Operative was checking up on Mal's military record, the name on the screen says Malcom Reynolds and then Malcolm the next. I only noticed the third time I saw it.

Mr Universe | December 18, 11:49 CET

fixed the link .. somehow managed to chop a "0" off the end.

ironclad | December 18, 12:29 CET

No need to use a spoiler tag anymore so I've taken it off.

IMDB has some Serenity goofs.

Simon | December 18, 13:21 CET

Well, Joss did say something about "Plot Holes" in the second pre-screening video.

Numfar PTB | December 18, 15:12 CET

As Jayne is running down the stairs in the vault shouting "Mal! Reavers!", if you look at the left hand side of the screen you can see off the set into the stage. The set only had 3 walls, the one on the left of that shot was used for the cameras etc.

Towards the end, during the funeral scene I think it is, you can see a camera randomly in frame.

(By the way, credits to Joss for pointing out those.. I wouldn't have!)

[ edited by gossi on 2005-12-18 13:41 ]

gossi | December 18, 15:40 CET

I did notice the error in the bar when we are shown the video feed of Mal and Jayne sitting down with Fanty and Mingo, then straight afterwards we are shown Mal actually meeting them and sitting down, and then the same video feed shot being used again.

Razor | December 18, 15:49 CET

I noticed some of the goofs IMDB lists the first time I saw the film -- particularly the switch panel coming unstuck and the blood on Mal's face that was not there and then was. I didn't catch some of the other goofs until subsequent viewings.

I cannot wait to get my DVD this week to listen to Joss's commentary. And I'm certain that with the DVD we'll all catch a number of other little things.

palehorse | December 18, 17:50 CET

Yes, Joss mentions goofs in the DVD commentary. Which is very humble of him.

gossi | December 18, 18:24 CET

I've always thought that you simply can't see the blood on Mal's face because it is in the sun. You can see it on his ear which is shaded.
One that I caught early in my viewing was that as Simon is cleaning up River there is a bit of blood left from a nose bleed in one shot that is never seen again.
I saw the movie 17 times and never saw some of the ones mentioned here. To quote Mal "Huh."

Lioness | December 18, 18:39 CET

I never noticed Inara's bow until Joss pointed it out, now it's way obvious. I rewound the bit in the vault where you can see into the studio but I couldn't see it. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?

zz9 | December 18, 22:27 CET

My biggest nitpick is Book's hair. How come he could cut his hair all of a sudden. In "Jaynestown" we learn that the rules of his order prohibit it.

[wcip]Angel | December 18, 22:51 CET

Angel, I think the words motion picture explain it ;)

gossi | December 18, 22:54 CET

Book's hair is cornrows of a sort. It is all still there. It is just in hiding. :)

TamaraC | December 18, 23:34 CET

Goofs are things like the much-spotted "now you see, now you don't" blood on Mal's face

A bow and arrow that's there in some shots but not in others is the very definition of a goof, my friend.

The Dark Shape | December 19, 00:34 CET

A bow and arrow that's there in some shots but not in others is the very definition of a goof, my friend.

I wouldn't say so - that was intentionally changed.

gossi | December 19, 00:51 CET

It was darkened so you wouldn't notice it (the original bow was red). Her weapon flat-out changes depending on what shot you're looking at. That's a continuity goof.

The Dark Shape | December 19, 05:43 CET

I submitted this to IMDB but they didn't take it... when the Operative brings up Mal's record, it lists his rank in the Independents as Captain instead of a Sergeant. I guess it could be argued that they changed his backstory for the movie, but to me it registers as a goof. He was just a sergeant, but he took responsibility for the survivors of Serenity Valley, and that says so much about his natural leadership ability.

gingeriffic | December 19, 18:57 CET

Right you are, gingeriffic. In fact, doesn't Badger make a big deal over Mal being a sergeant in The Train Job?

In Book's final scene, there is a little white piece of something on his left cheek (like a little styrofoam bead) that is obvious one moment and gone the next. (I know, 'tis very nitpicky, but for some reason, since I first saw Serenity and noticed it, I was compelled to watch for it every time.)

Now YOU will too, bwaahahahaa!

m'cookies actual | December 19, 19:43 CET

m'cookies, I noticed that white piece every time and found it a bit distracting for a moment, then it was the on-again, off-again blood on Mal's face. But once Mal came back out of the ship, I was totally immersed in the movie and not even Inara's bow and arrow bothered me after that.

samatwitch | December 20, 01:42 CET

My biggest nitpick is Book's hair. How come he could cut his hair all of a sudden. In "Jaynestown" we learn that the rules of his order prohibit it.

[wcip]Angel | December 18, 20:51 CET

and

Book's hair is cornrows of a sort. It is all still there. It is just in hiding. :)

TamaraC | December 18, 21:34 CET

Maybe he was scaring all the kids and someone at Haven with a brain knew how to do a decent braid.

;->

ShelaghC | December 20, 17:22 CET

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