Odd woman out
This review contains a major spoiler for Serenity. I cannot figure out how to use spoiler tags so if you haven't seen the movie, avoid paragraph 5.
Apparently I am one of the few people who didn't think Serenity was the best movie ever. I keep reading rapturous reviews of it from nearly everybody and yet, my reaction (and Grant's) was "good, not great". It feels strange to be on the outside.
I can't really write this review effectively without going to see the movie again, which will not happen until the DVD becomes available. Oh yes, I will buy the DVD and I don't doubt that I will enjoy it. I may even enjoy it more the second time around, but I won't be going out to the theatre to see it.
Why didn't I love love love Serenity? Mainly because I don't think Joss Whedon is all that good at telling his stories in a limited amount of time. He is a master at the extended arc, developing characters and plotlines with depth and nuance. This skill doesn't translate to a two-hour movie. At least, not for me.
I wanted to see this story play out over a season's worth of television. Yeah, sour grapes, but that's just how I feel. I felt cheated by the shorthand of this movie. The characters that I know and love, with the exception of River, Mal and possibly Simon, were just sidenotes to this story. And I think it hurt it.
MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD
For example: How can Wash's death be anything but a clever shock for the non-Firefly fan? How can they possibly understand the depth of Zoe's loss and her willingness to die in the defense against the Reavers because she simply doesn't care if she dies? Movie-goers hardly knew them.
END SPOILER
There's lots to like about this movie. The dialogue is witty and wise. Nathan Fillion is brilliant. Summer Glau rocks my world and the plot is a good one. I just think we needed more from Joss than he gave us.
This is not a well-written review, I know. Sorry.
Apparently I am one of the few people who didn't think Serenity was the best movie ever. I keep reading rapturous reviews of it from nearly everybody and yet, my reaction (and Grant's) was "good, not great". It feels strange to be on the outside.
I can't really write this review effectively without going to see the movie again, which will not happen until the DVD becomes available. Oh yes, I will buy the DVD and I don't doubt that I will enjoy it. I may even enjoy it more the second time around, but I won't be going out to the theatre to see it.
Why didn't I love love love Serenity? Mainly because I don't think Joss Whedon is all that good at telling his stories in a limited amount of time. He is a master at the extended arc, developing characters and plotlines with depth and nuance. This skill doesn't translate to a two-hour movie. At least, not for me.
I wanted to see this story play out over a season's worth of television. Yeah, sour grapes, but that's just how I feel. I felt cheated by the shorthand of this movie. The characters that I know and love, with the exception of River, Mal and possibly Simon, were just sidenotes to this story. And I think it hurt it.
MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD
For example: How can Wash's death be anything but a clever shock for the non-Firefly fan? How can they possibly understand the depth of Zoe's loss and her willingness to die in the defense against the Reavers because she simply doesn't care if she dies? Movie-goers hardly knew them.
END SPOILER
There's lots to like about this movie. The dialogue is witty and wise. Nathan Fillion is brilliant. Summer Glau rocks my world and the plot is a good one. I just think we needed more from Joss than he gave us.
This is not a well-written review, I know. Sorry.
posted by allison | 11:06 AM
4 Comments:
I am also in the not great camp. I enjoyed it, but beyond that I'm not sure it was very well-done. Like you, I will buy the DVD. Beyond that, we shall see. I've always said Joss is a crap director - I'm afraid I might have been right.
For what it's worth, I loved the movie and still had pretty much the same complaints. I too would rather have seen this play out over a series, with more emphasis on the other characters. But, you know what? It was still one of the better movies I've seen in a while. It was still hugely gratifying to get some closure to the River storyline. It still put me through the emotional wringer.
It seems like sour grapes to complain that the miraculous resurrection of this franchise wasn't good enough. And I;m not saying that I'd have been happy with any old tripe, but that I thought this was far from being tripe and that most of the problems were caused by trying to cram too much into too little time. Would I have preferred Firefly to last another 4 seasons and do this stuff properly? Duh. Am I glad that the crew and cast were given the chance to do a solid continuation, despite that it may not have been perfect? Duh.
In sum, I think that most of the problems you have with the film are a product of comparing it to an imagined second season, rather than any innate defects with the film as a film.
What Jess said.
Yeah, I had some trouble with it too. There were a number of issues - from the beginning dialogue to some of the stretches for the plot and the contained timeframe to Wash's death. I felt so horrid when that happened, and strangely confused at having that emotion while in public. And then wondering how my dad could figure out what that meant - and he didn't. I mean, he couldn't quite get my sister and my reaction.
And there were parts that I found very NOT well done. Just as me watching a movie.
But then, for what it's worth, I did find the movie about ninety-billion times better than that last star wars thing.
*bah*
So, um, I still might go see Serenity again in the theatres ;)
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