I never got much of an opportunity to watch "FireFly" when it was on television. I think I saw two episodes, but what I saw, I loved. To speak plainly, I wasn't a bit disappointed by Serenity, the big screen, whittled down version of the television show.
To begin, the dialogue is incredible. Example: "Violence will ensue" versus "I'm gonna kick your a**." You have to think about what they are saying, because they have different idioms and grammar. It's a bit like listening to a folk tale. I'm sure there's some discussion somewheres out there on the Internet about this. You have to marvel at the ingenuity of it because, if you think about it, who would talk like we do 500 years into the future? Did they talk 500 years ago as we do now? I thinketh not!
What else is there to like about this movie...it has a good mix of humor, drama and action. There are a fair number of sight gags in the movie that break up the seriousness. I laughed when the Operative pulls out a big sword and Mal pulls out a screw driver or some other implement with a short shaft. Freudians, start your blogging! Oh, and those Reavers are pretty darned spooky. I liked the fact that you never really got a clear look at them. Let's your imagination wander a bit.
Some stylistic elements of note…the scene that introduces Serenity’s crew is all one long moving camera shot. Mal moves through the ship and we get to see him interact with the crew. Probably not an easy shot to make since everyone has to hit their mark. I also like the fact that all of River's dream sequences or hallucinations have the same washed out look. Even when she is having the most horrible visions, it stylistically stayed the same. That happy place with the beautiful soft light was really a nightmare.
Connor, my son, went along with me to see this film. He's eleven and you can tell he is my son. During the scene in which Mal talks to the crew about getting the word out about Miranda, he stands before the crew and is bathed in a golden light. Connor turns to me during the scene and says, "He's standing in golden light." He noticed the lighting! I'm training my little grasshopper well. I'm not sure if he understood that the light was emphasizing the fact that Mal was about to wax heroic, but he did notice the lighting. He's taking baby steps to becoming a film geek like me. Oh, and the Reavers really freaked him out. Just FYI for all you kiddies out there.
at September 30, 2005 10:47 PM