S E R E N I T Y

[clayj]

Well, I'm gonna come right out and say this: Serenity/Firefly has some BAD science, particularly with respect to terraforming and how many habitable planets/moons one solar system can contain.

For any given star, there is a "life zone" consisting of a specific range of distances from the star, where a planet within that zone could maintain an Earthlike atmosphere... too hot, and the atmosphere boils off... too cold, and it freezes out. In our solar system, the life zone would extend as far inward as Venus (which has its own problems with too much CO2 in the atmosphere) and as far outward as Mars (which is COLD, but not so cold that an Earthlike atmosphere isn't possible). There is also the possibility of some narrow life zones around gas giants.

The problem with Serenity is that it seems like EVERY planet and moon in the system is not only within the life zone (a practical impossibility), but also has Earthlike gravity... which would imply that the worlds are all roughly the same size, including the Earthlike moons of gas giants.

Whedon should have made sure from the get-go that the limit on terraformable worlds per system is a maximum of about 3... there SHOULD be interstellar/FTL travel in Serenity. Even the Firefly series itself was very hazy on this in the opening narrations (e.g., "a whole galaxy of Earths [implies many systems]", "found a new system [singular]", etc.).

 

[iPoster]

Well, I'm gonna come right out and say this: Serenity/Firefly has some BAD science, particularly with respect to terraforming and how many habitable planets/moons one solar system can contain.

Thank you Mr. Obvious!

<Points to the fact that it's a MOVIE!>

 

[clayj]

Thank you Mr. Obvious!

<Points to the fact that it's a MOVIE!>

I don't think it's obvious at all... for example, the whole mid-series confusion about whether it was ONE system or a whole galaxy of systems.

 

[nagromme]

I just saw this clip full screen on my 20" APPLE ACD, It was perfect. The book is the same - word for word.

I'm told the book also has scenes in it that were removed from the movie (with Inara mainly). But they should show up on the DVD.

(Reminder: spoiler discussion thread here.)

I agree about the occupied planets confusion... even in the movie they talk about the galaxy, not the system. And I think humans DO have FTL or they couldn't have gotten TO the new system anyway. My interpretation: humans found a new solar system, yes... and then they found some more

Although I do kind of like the idea of all humanity being "close together" (relatively) all in one system. Some kind of big collision or something leaving LOTS of planets and moons all in about the same orbit. A freak event, but one that might make humans choose that system.

In any case, the world of Firefly/Serenity is in some ways a drama that happens to be set in space... not hard-core sci-fi as such.

Given them some credit for science, though: at least in the TV series, they used NO SOUND IN THE VACUUM OF SPACE Refreshing.

PS, I consider energy shields, death rays, and FTL drives to be "bad science" most of the time. Time for me to plug my other favorite sci-fi, the new Battlestar Galactica. Armor plating, bullets, and... well, FTL drives. But 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

 

[0098386]

i didn't like this at all. just sorta turned off and walked away. should have listened to the newspapers. bad reviews all round. same for Domino. but i've made my mistake and will learn from it

really not my kind of film though.

 

[nagromme]

Bad reviews all around? Most definitely not. They're the exception--glowing reviews are more the norm. (Now, Domino... )

No movie please 100% of people, for sure. Nothing wrong with that. Hard for me to imagine turning away from this movie once it's started, but I guess My Big Fat Greek Wedding proved that people have different tastes And I do think the first 9 minutes (the free online part) of Serenity are too "traditional" for my tastes. Fairly ordinary sci-fi (with an interesting villain thrown in)... and then you realize that's merely prologue, not the style of the whole film.

To clarify for people who haven't yet treated themselves to this movie: negative reviews of Serenity are by far the exception Starting with Ebert and Roeper's two thumbs up, and many critics saying they wish the last 2 Star Wars movies had been this good.

And audience surveys show this to be a crowd-pleaser, not just a critic-pleaser, when people take the chance to see a less-big-name action film. There's good reason this opened at #1 in the UK and #2 in the US--impressive for a sci-fi movie lacking big-name stars. (And I wouldn't want stars: the cast is perfect.)

My friends have all loved it, even the ones who don't care about sci-fi and who normally hate action movies! (Make no mistake--this is action sci-fi, not philosophical sci-fi... although it offers some things to think about. I like both kinds of sci-fi... yes, even Solaris ) This movie has been well-received by people who never heard of Joss Whedon or Firefly, and even by people who avoid sci-fi.

Do give Serenity a shot before it's gone. This one's a sleeper hit that may disappear from some theaters (to make room for Doom ) but won't be forgotten.

Critical acclaim:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/10/05/film_2005_serenity_2005_article.shtml

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/654/654755p1.html

http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/051003.html

http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/mmx-050930-movies-review-serenity,0,6977065.story

http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/filmforum/051006.html

http://www.theforce.net/latestnews/story/Serenity_Movie_95140.asp

http://www.videosewer.com/Reviews/Serenity.htm

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/pc_article.php?id=7051

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/7915/1/290

http://www.hatrack.com/osc/reviews/everything/2005-09-30-extra.shtml

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/29/AR2005092902146.html

http://whedonesque.com/comments/8226

 

[solvs]

I finally saw it, and thought it was pretty good. I was a latecomer to the series, but have been catching what I missed on the Sci-Fi channel. I am a fan of Joss and Mutant Enemy, loved early Buffy and Angel, so I'm used to the style. Everything seemed to fit pretty well, with just the right amount of laughs and melodrama. I have some complaints, but they're pretty minor, and overall I liked it.

Not for everyone, but it was fun for me. I'm sure it will kill when it goes to DVD.

 

[nagromme]

I hated--and I do mean HATED--the very IDEA of Buffy/Angel. First of all I thought they were sitcoms. (Hardly!) And vampires? Nothing could bore me more. Snoooooorrrrre. Plus the Buffy movie was the worst movie I have ever seen. THE worst. (Now I know that they butchered Whedon's concept.)

The only thing that might bore me more than vampires is a sci-fi Western. I had already finally watched a few Buffy's and learned to appreciate that show, but when Firefly came out I had ZERO interest. I was later persuaded to borrow the DVDs, though, and learned what I was missing!

The cool thing is that Firefly and Serenity appeal to people who do NOT like Whedon's other TV work. It's certainly his most polished work. And Serenity appeals to people who never heard of Firefly.

Then again, Buffy, Angel, AND Firefly have always been known for having an unusually wide demographic. They are watched by everyone from kids to grandparents. Just look at the products they advertise during the Buffy reruns and you'll see everything from acne treatments to life insurance

 

[takao]

The cool thing is that Firefly and Serenity appeal to people who do NOT like Whedon's other TV work. It's certainly his most polished work. And Serenity appeals to people who never heard of Firefly.

well but they are sill advertising with him ... you know what the reaction was to the trailer of Serenity running while we were sitting in the cinema waiting for Nochnoi Dozor to begin ? people left and right to me were laughing in tears when the phrase "from the creator of Buffy and Angel" fell in the trailer and from there on , the movie was considered rubbish

and since the series never run on TV either the movie gonna flop hard ... real hard ... over here

 

[nagromme]

I agree. Mentioning Buffy and Angel was weird marketing--it conceals the mainstream appeal of the movie. How about "From the writer of "Toy Story?" They never mentioned that.

It would work for Pixar fans anyway

 

[nagromme]

Had to share: enter the world of Serenity on your Mac

A NeverWinter Nights mod that re-makes the game with Serenity characters, ships, even music:

http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=8&t=22584

 

[maya]

I have the neuron desktop picture on my 20" iMac G5.

Still waiting for the day when Apple allows an animated GIF, or an mpeg, etc..to be used as an animated desktop wallpaper. Static wallpaper is so 1990's.


And yes, I also know that it would be an added task for the cpu and gpu. However I want that feature, since it would feel like a "living" desktop. Interactive elements would just be the next level.

I can wish.

 

[nagromme]

Neuron desktop pic? What's that?

BTW, two tips for a dynamic desktop:

1. Make a folder of images that will fade nicely into one other. In System Preferences, set desktop to cycle every 5 seconds (and if they have a set sequence, turn off Random).

OR

2. Look at versiontracker.com for a cool app called Backlight (I think) that lets you run any screensaver module AS your desktop. (Could be cool with an RSS saver!)

 

[Eric5h5]

should have listened to the newspapers. bad reviews all round.

I haven't seen any bad reviews for Serenity *anywhere*, which is kind of unusual. With such a universally liked movie, both on-line and in real life (around here), I'm a little surprised it didn't do better (not that it did badly).

--Eric

 

[nagromme]

You're right--I've looked up a LOT of reviews and seen mainly glowing ones, a few merely favorable, and a very few mixed... but NO bad reviews. They must be out there--somebody will hate anything--but they're certainly unusual to say the least. The interesting thing is the RANGE of audiences that like it. Christian movie reviews have been glowing. Liberal movie reviews have been glowing. Firefly fan movie reviews have been glowing. Joss Whedon-hating reviews have been glowing. Younger viewers. Older viewers. Star Wars fans. People who hate sci-fi. Something makes this movie fun for them all.

It's a case of "nearly everyone who tries it likes it, but people don't want to try it." ( Half as many theaters have it now. Glass half full or half empty? )

By audience polls, it should be a blockbuster. It's getting people INTO the audience that was the problem. Different marketing? Hindsight is 20/20. It's still done better than some big-name movies, and quite well for a sci-fi movie of that budget.

The years-old Firefly DVDs have risen to the top 20 best-selling DVDs recently! Presumably because of Serenity. That suggests big DVD sales for the movie later. And other movies that made LESS in theaters than Serenity has DID get sequels. DVD profits are very important--and won't be known for some time.

Anyway, I'd rather have a fun, original, well-crafted movie than a top-selling movie. We all know the kinds of crap that can sell a lot of tickets. Now, being both would have been fun But unlikely. Instead, a movie that should never have existed was made, HAS done well, is actually GOOD, and appeals to a broad audience (if they try it), drawing new fans to the Firefly world. Can't ask for more success than that, unless if you're Universal. And even THEY have said they're in no rush to decide either way about a sequel. Sequels ARE still possible.

 

[Badradio]

Anyone downloading The Signal podcast from iTunes? Only just found it and stuck the first five editions on my iPod for during work tomorrow.... Not had chance to listen to much yet, but the first couple of minutes seemed very professional. I'll post an opinion once I've heard a few.

On another note, their website stated the current global box office for Serenity at $30 million +. If the wind-down can make that extra $10 million (it's still showing in plenty of places here, so the worlwide, non-US figures could do it) then it will have broken even just on the cinema take. That's not bad at all, especially considering the high expectations for the dvd sales.

 

[nagromme]

Yes--movies that didn't do as well as Serenity have gotten sequels before Guess we won't know for quite a while.

Meanwhile, there are novels and comic books that tell new Serenity/Firefly stories, and apparently even an RPG with optional extra books of its own. (Not my thing, but the map of Serenity would be interesting to see.)

The Signal is one of the most popular podcasts--and there are quite a few hours of it! I've only just begun to check it out.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73802212

Click there and you'll also find another Serenity/Firefly podcast--one which DOES contain spoiler discussion: Firefly Talk. (The Signal helped promote them by listing their first installment, but The Signal and Firefly Talk are not really connected.)

Also, Slice of SciFi looks to have a fair amount of Serenity material:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73331296

PS, maybe it's just me, but I never liked the name Firefly. Serenity is a better name! (Although ironic, in a movie with never a dull moment.)

 

[Skareb]

Serenity was an execellent fiml, especially if you had, had the privlige to watch the preceeding series.

Here's to more movies, and possibly a renewal of the TV show.

Jordan

P.S: Removed

 

[ravenvii]

Serenity was an execellent fiml, especially if you had, had the privlige to watch the preceeding series.

Here's to more movies, and possibly a renewal of the TV show.

Jordan

*SPOILER*

Whoa, careful with the spoiler there!

 

[Skareb]

Most who would care have seen it by now. so It's not really a spoiler, but more of a post viewing comment

 

[atszyman]

Most who would care have seen it by now. so It's not really a spoiler, but more of a post viewing comment

We've had long discussions about it here. Which is where we've managed to keep all of the spoilers just in case someone hasn't had the time to see the film.

 

[nagromme]

Yes, there's much discussion of those events in that spoiler thread--and I'm with you, it was a bit of a shock. Some accepted it more than others.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/152189/

Thanks for editing out the spoiler

 

[Badradio]

Well, listened to the first few episodes of The Signal podcast today. It's varied in quality: they have iinterviews with the cast and some great features, but the two hosts (Kari and Les, although they pronounce it "Less") don't have much charisma - at least, not on the air. It all sounds a bit too scripted, and the Adam Baldwin interview ended up with him doing most of the work keeping it going. Definitely worth a listen though. Seems that they're handing the torch over too FireFly talk and calling it a day for a while though, so I'm going to check that one out.

 

[Piarco]

First up: an apology... I haven't read a single post in this thread as I haven;t seen the film.
Yet.
I going tonight - thanks to the opening 9 min that was posted on the Serenity webpage a couple of weeks ago!
I was interested beforehand after seeing the trailers (and I do like my sci-fi) despite never seeing Firefly, but the 9 min sold it for me, and more bizarrely my housemate - she prefers comedies/chick flicks. But after seeing the opening she is really eager to see it. I think I'm slowly changing her film tastes... she now is a big fan of Batman Begins (and Constantine, which we watched at the weekend -really liked it!).

Looking forward to seeing it tonight, and actually getting to read this thread!

 

[atszyman]

First up: an apology... I haven't read a single post in this thread as I haven;t seen the film.
Yet.
I going tonight - thanks to the opening 9 min that was posted on the Serenity webpage a couple of weeks ago!
I was interested beforehand after seeing the trailers (and I do like my sci-fi) despite never seeing Firefly, but the 9 min sold it for me, and more bizarrely my housemate - she prefers comedies/chick flicks. But after seeing the opening she is really eager to see it. I think I'm slowly changing her film tastes... she now is a big fan of Batman Begins (and Constantine, which we watched at the weekend -really liked it!).

Looking forward to seeing it tonight, and actually getting to read this thread!

This thread is fine to read, it is nearly completely spoiler free. I can only think of one spoiler in it and it's not a huge one. This thread is the one you want to avoid until tonight.