His dream was creating a violence free life for normal people. Then he got to see that play out on Miranda. I also think his life was paralleling Book's.
@@targetaudience this is the central plot point. Mal is a nonbeliever, the assassin is a belieber. The video broke his belief. And the cause restored mals
Joss said this was the hardest thing he ever had to write because he had to appeal to fans of the show and explain things to people who'd never seen the show before at the same time. I think he did it about as well as possible, given those constrictions.
I was one of the folks who saw the movie and then found out later there was a show that came first, and I'll be the first to rave about how well the movie introduced new viewers to the universe. I never felt that I was lost or that I needed more information than I was given.
@@jeffburnham6611 She couldn't have been talking about both herself and the ship at the same time? Oh gosh golly! Impossible! How could anyone ever think that?
With Summer Glau being a trained dancer they choreographed her fight scenes to incorporate her dance style. A kid in the movie theater when the reavers pulled River through the closing door, "Poor reavers."
I've heard that it was Summer Glau herself who choreographed the scene, in collaboration with the camera man, who was also a dancer. So they choreographed it as a dance for two, Summer and the camera, with occasional Reavers getting in the way and being taken down. Given the way it turned out, all in one long take, I find that *very* believable; I think it's the only way they could have done it.
@@yourfluffyvegancinnamonrol2772 What *I'd* like to know is how they protected the stunt people who were playing reavers. I don't see any way Summer could have been pulling her punches, and the reavers couldn't have been CGI, so all I have left is "movie magic," which is a synonym for "tricks of the trade." I know that stunt people are very much into safety (have to be; it's their job, and *their* lives on the line); I think they must have been directly involved with Summer and the camera man during the choreography.
So now you see why Summer Glau was so good as a terminator in Sarah Connor Chronicles. Apart from being very good in fight scenes, she can be downright creepy when she wants to be.
It occurred to me on umpteenth rewatch, that without Shepherd Book or Inara greasing the wheels on Serenity, the rest of the crew lost some cohesion and became prickly...
Here's my story - I watched Serenity in a movie theatre when I was a teen, without knowing anything about it. And absolutely loved it! I bought the DVD and everything, and only three to four years later did I find out that there's a whole TV seres about them... I was so freaking shocked back then. Firefly is one of my favorite TV series of all time (I also recomment Buffy to you, it's an incredible show) Thank you for your reactions, I enjoyed them immensely!
I knew there was a TV series but never watched it. So, I went into this movie cold and had a blast. I think it works as a standalone product. I even have my own DVD copy.
Noooooooo! You edited out one of my favorite lines! Shepard Book: "Don't order me around boy! I'm not one of your crew!" Mal: "Yes, you are." The greatest show of respect Mal can give is making someone a part of his crew.
"We’re on a year now, I ain’t had nothing ‘twixt my nethers weren’t run on batteries." -Kaylee being awesome, uncomfortable and hilarious all at once...
"Target the reavers... target everything! Somebody FIRE!" 🤣 That's the moment I missed most from the reaction, it's why I refuse to give this one a thumbs up. But yeah, that moment with Book was too awesome to leave out, too... 🥺
Did you notice that Žoe wore a slinky dress for Wash's funeral? Fulfilling one of his earlier wishes. Also, the change in lighting on River as she tells Simon that it's her turn to protect him really showed her final transformation out of the fog she'd been living in. (At least that's my take on it)
What River needed to find out was not the origin of the reavers but that she wasn't hallucinating. The things that she knew, that she shouldn't have known, were real. She wasn't crazy. She's still suffering from a gigantic case of PTSD, and she still needs to learn how to deal with the changes that have been made to her brain, but she now has the key that will allow her to begin to heal.
It's always bitter sweet watching reactions to this. It's awesome that more people are being exposed to the show, but you also know what they are about to go through emotionally.
I discovered the movie "Serenity" while on a work trip. It was in the morning and I was getting ready for work at a hotel and turned on the TV. "Serenity" was on and about half way through. I was immediately captivated and ended up being late for work because I watched until the end. Later, I watched the whole movie and loved it. Some time after that I discovered that it was based on a TV show so I went to a video store and bought the box set for the entire series. I used to re-watch it all once a year or so, but now I like watching reactions when new ones come around.
You still have one thing to look forward to. Watching Firefly for a 2nd time and catching all the stuff you missed the first time. I recommend you get the DVD box set. They have commentaries for most of the episodes. Josh, some of the actors and actresses, and some writers etc give the commentary. It's well worth a watch since you liked the show. P.S. The reason Zoe wore the nice dress is because Walsh kept talking about getting Zoe "in some slinky dress" and her wearing that dress was her final good bye to him.
Joss had the impossible task of making a film that would not only satisfy "Firefly" fans, but could also stand alone for those who didn't see the series. Overall, I think he got it right. I highly recommend that you guys check out the DVD extras (for both Firefly and Serenity), which I believe can all be found on TH-cam. They include outtakes, bloopers, deleted scenes and commentary. Hey, maybe you could do some of them on a future 'reaction' video. Also, there's tons of other Firefly / Serenity related stuff on TH-cam (comic cons, other conventions, interviews, documentaries, promos, etc). In other words, the journey doesn't have to end just because the series did. Fox cancelled one of the best shows ever, but they "Can't Stop The Signal."
In interviews I watched a few years ago, Joss Whedon said the reason he killed off Wash and Preacher was because everyone was hoping for a reboot and those two actors were contractually committed elsewhere for longer than what would work if there was a reboot. My thoughts when I saw the movie (in the theater on opening night) was the feeling that everyone was just so angry at each other. More so than the last episode we saw would have led us to believe. Even 8 months after that last episode, there was so much anger. It gave the feeling of everything breaking apart. As for Zoe, that's one character they never really delved into very deeply the whole season. We see everyone else's back story, but we never did see Zoe any further back than her fighting with Mal in the war. We never learn any more about her and she doesn't change that much the whole season.
Also, Mal says River was “on the ship” for 8 months, as if including the series. And in one of the episodes I swear they reference the events of a past episode as “6 months ago” so it seems this movie would take place almost right after the series, which is odd. I think them adding the “8 months” line at all was a weird choice, would’ve rather it just been ambiguous.
I can just imagine Mal saying, "If I ever ki11 you, you'll be awake, you'll be facing me, and you'll be armed.... Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. I guess I'm just ok." ;-)
Thanks for watching Firefly and Serenity. I have really enjoyed the journey. I know you guys were joking about a series on the comic books, but I would absolutely watch that. Stay shiny and keep flying.
26:14 - when you spotted Sara Paulson, did you catch the logo on the side of her spacecraft: "C57D" is the designation of the space cruiser in the movie Forbidden Planet (1956).
I do recommend "Dr Horribles Sing Along Blog" its a single 40 minute webisode, directed by Joss Whedon and features Nathan Fillion. It also has a musical commentary that's worth a rewatch.
I'm not a fan of musicals but Dr Horrible is excellent! Even the songs are good. I can't find a channel yet that has done a reaction. You could be the first and corner the market! I swear you won't be disappointed.
Thanks for your reaction. In my head canon, I strongly believe Shepherd Book was once an Operative like Ejiofor's character. I suggest re-watching this film because the script and acting choices are layered. I agree, there are missing characters that I would have appreciated to see one more time (especially in context of the Operative hitting all past acquaintances) but then again I like to think Badger is still out there scheming. Re: Inara, I believe her character was originally meant to have a terminal illness. And rewatch that scene between the Operative and Inara. It is cold ass character development. Inara is all smiles and welcoming until she sees the dead serious Operative and her ability to read people reveals she is in deep trouble as her smile freezes and then slowly turns into a frown. Also, if I recall correctly, Ron Glass had late stage cancer at the time this movie was made, so perhaps that was part of the decision to kill off his character.
Mike "her ability to read people reveals she is in deep trouble as her smile freezes and then slowly turns into a frown." YES!!! That's how I read that scene too! She has her standard welcoming demeanor on for a generic customer, doo-de-doo, but her "street sense", her intimate experience seeing the raw reality of people's inner hidden natures, lets her see through his mask and immediately realize how absolutely dangerous this man is. And we the audience see that 'as the smile runs away from her face'.
A couple of my favorite moments: Kaylee saying, "Hell with this! I'm gonna live!" (LOL) ❤ And Mal annihilating the Operative just when you think he's doomed because the Operative hit him in the same nerve spot that he used on the Alliance guy at the very beginning of the film, forcing him to fall on his sword. I laughed so hard when Mal said, "Piece of shrapnel tore up that nerve cluster, my first tour." Brilliant. And I LOVED the expressions on your faces when that happened. Awesome reaction!! (And fantastic reaction all around - especially when Book first appears on screen. You both were so excited, it was beautiful.)
I had the privilege of meeting Ron Glass at Dragon*Con in 2006, I think. Maybe 2007. He was a delightful man and I also remembered him from Barney Miller. The movie was still very fresh.
Also Joss is known for being exceptionally cruel to his audience vis-a-vis characters we fall in love with. Wash was a way making us believe, this is real and is going to cost them something for their beliefs.
I won't lie about my reaction to seeing Serenity for the first time...3 years after the show was canceled...I cried. It was so emotional and joyous to see these characters again, I cried. No ifs ands or buts, I cried...kinda missed a good bit of the movie as a result, but I did not care.✌💯😁
Every time I watch the final fight between Mal and the Operative above the generator, I remember the scene in Galaxy Quest where Sigourney Weaver and Tim Allen cross over a room with 'giant fans that were in every episode.'
But in "Safe" they weren't supposed to be doing nothing but visiting town. That's a far cry from sending River in on a guns-a-blazin bit of thievery. Simon's anger is over-the-top, but the characters are all amplified to some degree (and always have been). That said, his character is the most retconned; in the show he's a bit of a bumbling buffoon at times. In the movie, he's a criminal mastermind that actually performed the River break out and does put out a more confident aggressive front. I disagree on the use of The Operative character. I love me some Jubal Early, but his scatter-brained insanity really doesn't play into establishing the cold demeanor and ruthlessness. Also, Jubal wouldn't have the ability to change when the secret he's sworn to protect is no longer a secret, nor is he powerful enough to control an Alliance fleet. I find the comics to be kinda fan-servicy, but I did enjoy the Shepherd Book history graphic novel. David Krumholtz was pretty well established by this movie. I remember him most from "10 Things I Hate About You".
Now this is something I might like to see the full reaction to. Didn't mind seeing the Operator with Inara sooner because I love how Mal knew it was a trap because they didn't argue. The graphic novel that fills in some of Shepherd's past is great. I believe the early comics were written by Whedon. Whedon said there was an amount the movie needed to make to get a sequel. So, he was hoping to make more Firefly movies. Unfortunately, the movie made about the same amount it took to make it. But this film was one of the reasons he was chosen to direct The Avengers.
As far as Zoe goes - there are subtle hints in the movie about her future that they make canon later in the comics - I caught it my first watch through, but it was years until they actually made it real. Also, Alan Tudyk has said in an interview that there was a chance he woulda died in the 2nd season if there was ever one - Whedon wasn't shy about killing characters - and he was on board with it.
The deaths in his shows always shocked me even though I knew it could happen. Every time he did it I was like, "Dammit Joss, you got me again!" I honestly thought we were going to lose Simon after Book and Wash. Thankfully, River saved the day.
If you play the Firefly boardgame, Zoe gets her own Firefly (a slightly newer model than Serenity) and names it Jetwash, in honor of Wash. don’t know if that is canon or not, since she can also just be a crew member on anyone’s ship, seeing as how it’s just a board game, but I like to think of Mal ever retired, Zoe would do something like that.
Thank you both for doing this - I enjoyed this journey with you. I know I have been critical of some of the things you have said throughout the series, but as a whole I did love this reaction series. You are not wrong about the very beginning - the crew, particularly Simon, being just - different. Everyone was much less settled in their relationships than they were in the show. I think part of my head canon is that with Shepherd and Inara gone, it left a big whole in the relationship net - Mal became more rudderless and less focused - his own personal morality (that was in part supported by both Shepherd and Inara) was being swallowed up with the need to survive at all costs. One of the best parts of this movie was Shepherd telling Mal to believe in something to try to bring him back to being the best version of himself that he can be. So much good stuff in this that it's hard to write about everything. Again, thank you. It was a great ride.
The reaction of Simon to River being taken on the mission is the fact that the ship is in a spiral. Inara left, meaning there was no income from renting the shuttle. The Shepherd had left to Haven which was close to the world with the Heart of Gold brothel. Simon knew that surveillance was everywhere, and he did not want her in a bank heist.
I read an interview with Joss many years ago. He said this was very difficult. He had material for 5 seasons of Firefly. Introducing the characters deeper and more of them. This is my fave sci-fi show after SG-1.
I watched the series as it was broadcast on fox. When it was getting near the end they had ads (can't remember where) that said they would decide whether to make a movie based on DVD sales. So, the hour they were available on amazon I bought a set ( I thought of buying two, but I didn't have a lot of cash). Then I waited. A lot of Browncoats did the same, and we got the movie. ;)
I watched the movie before watching the series. The movie could stand on its own and maybe that’s why it felt a little weird to you at the beginning. For a similar vibe to this show, check out Farscape.
The first change I'd have made to Serenity was to lengthen it to a 60-hour film with 30 intermissions and called back previous characters including Patience, Elder Gommen and Jubal Early for starters. But barring that, I guess Joss did OK with what he had to work with. I did love the fact that the whole crew appeared in the film. Anyway, good review guys.
Before I even watch your reaction I must say it was great watching you both grow to love this show♥ There is a lot of hype when long time fans try to convince reactors to watch this. I think most reactors (and converted friends, family and strangers on the streets) do see what the attraction is and what a few more seasons could have added. Thank you 🙂 Oh, if you haven't heard of it, The River Tam sessions add an interesting take on this. It's only about 7 minutes long and is available on TH-cam etc.
My favorite call back... Out of Gas: Jayne -- "We'd have been back 1st, but there's something wrong with Inara's shuttle. She's done something to it, Mal. It smells funny." Inara -- "I told you. That's incense." Jayne -- "So you say." Serenity (film): Inara -- "And that's not incense." BOOM!!! For your own viewing pleasure from TH-cam channel Cinema Therapy -- Serenity and Finding Your Purpose (28min), Serenity and Coping with Trauma (25min), Firefly: Teamwork and Found Family (30min) ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
I saw the film before I saw the show. The film is great on it's own. However seeing the film again, after seeing the show, makes it so much better. It's a crime that this franchise didn't become more popular.
Mr Universe is David Krumholtz. He later played the lead in the show Numb3rs which lasted for 6 seasons on CBS. He plays a Maths professor who assists his brother - an FBI agent - in solving cases. Ron Glass was best known prior to Firefly for a leading role on Barney Miller - a cop show from the 70’s The Operative is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. This was early in his career just before it took off. Obviously also Sarah Paulson early in her career. She later worked with Chiwetel in 12 Years a Slave which also stared Benedict Cumberbatch. The casting directors did very well.
The movie needed to function entirely as standalone. The problem with fan service is that it rests on the fan base having the backstory because the movie with sold with its ability to bring in people who hadn’t seen a cult, classic TV show, it could not afford characters that didn’t directly relate to the plot.
I think the function of this movie was to finally tell the big secret of the TV show that would’ve taken six seasons to get to. Things like the corporate involvement of blue sun, which is teased throughout this was going to be the driving story of the destruction of Miranda.
I also wish they brought back Jubal Early, the bounty hunter, as the villain for the movie. Anyway great playlist guys. Loved the reacts especially the needles at the awkward Joss moments, and praise for the good ones. Heard Lost name dropped even in the first episode, so too bad we won't see that on the channel (I checked this time ;) but maybe Fringe in the future?
Thanks ! it should be noted that that joss whedon created the space rogues of serenity not for firefly but were in fact support characters for his movie script of alien resurrection 1999 underrated movie and interesting to see the first rendition of crew
Re discussion at the end - the structure of the movie was deliberate so that it gave closure for fans of the TV series as well as introducing it to cinema theatre audiences who had never seen the series, so that's why there was a prologue with the explanation for leaving Earth and colonising a new system, the Browncoat rebellion against the Alliance, and Simon Tam's breaking out River from the covert government institution - all events that take place before the series. Then it jumps a few months over the series to the point after it was cancelled and the rest of the movie basically finished the arc intended for Seaon One. So if it felt a bit rushed, it was several episodes compressed into the two hours of the movie. I was aware Joss Whedon was talking about the future of the franchise going to books and comics, but I haven't heard anything about more movies or a TV series revival, but who knows... Awesome reaction guys, to the whole series and the movie. Unfortunately my favourite line ("Oh good, now we can retire from this life of crime") didn't make the TH-cam cut, but a really nice job for a great series.
Random bit of humor: In the scene where Mal is watching Inara on the video picture, you can see River in the background lean down and sniff Inara’s bed. I’ve enjoyed your reactions to the series/movie. Thanks for posting them. Also, I too recommend Dollhouse.
I am one that watched the movie before seeing the series. The opening segment of the movie explaining what happened on Earth to get humanity to where they are on the show is the exact thing I needed. If that had been in the pilot episode, it would have been much easier for me to get into the show when it originally aired.
Chiwetel Ejiofor (the Operative) role should go down in history as one of the best villains in Hollywood Cinema. Before his role as Mordo I saw him in movies like Red Belt and 12 years A Slave. Man is a damn good actor, who I don't think gets enough recognization.
I saw this in theaters before I'd ever heard of or watched Firefly. I knew it was based on a show but it looked too awesome to wait to see for my friend and I. I'll never forget the title screen pulling back to reveal the ship followed by the immediate reentry alongside that music. Everything about the Serenity's intro in this movie is perfectly on point.
When I sat down in the theater with friends a couple behind us were talking. It was clear they hadn't seen the series. I said to them, "I hope you like it as much as I'm going to."
I saw Serenity first and then went back and watched Firefly. I loved the movie and had no expectations so it was nice to see the back story for each character. Serenity was a stand alone movie so they didn't have much time for developing all the TV characters. Still I have seen Serenity dozens of times and I never get tired of watching it.
Never really noticed it before, but when Mal is 'frozen up' in that nerve pinch, and the Operative goes for the thrust and gets caught... it's very reminiscent of that move Atherton did to Mal. Seeing the series/movie over a dozen times and always find new bits to enjoy.
"I want this to be a celebration, not a funeral..." Yeah, about that... My wife had watched the show, but I never had, so I went into the movie cold. Watching the series was weird because I couldn't figure out why River wasn't River yet. The character deaths are sad, but the saddest part is the loss of the TV show we never got to see.
I watched Serenity with some friends from college the night before we did a long drive for a Kendo tournament. I didn't watch the show for several more years and remembered that I had seen the movie about half way through. Joss and Nathan collaberated again on a web series during a the writer's strikes called "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog." It also stars Neal Patrick Harris and Felicia Day (She was one of the potential Slayers in Buffy and won a streamy for her Web Series, The Guild). The other relatively prominent actor in it is Simon Helberg who went on to play Howard in The Big Bang Theory. I would describe it as a geeky, musical, comedy.
Wonderful reaction! To the series AND the movie! I believe the next step is watching other people watch it all for their first time. Worked for me, at least! Cheers!
I was never a big Whedon fan until post-cancellation of Firefly/ Serenity. I remember watching the 1st broadcast on Fox and I being underwhelmed at the time. Now I'm a browncoat. I do recommend Dollhouse, another short-lived TV series (2 seasons) from Whedon. The quality was uneven but when it was good, it was amazing sci-fi. Full of dystopia and corporate evil. Another tv show you might watch is Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicle (TSCC) w/ Lena Hedley and Summer Glau. It lasted two seasons and the storyline is better than most of the sequels.
Universal bought the Firefly rights from Fox. The deal with Whedan was Serenity with an option for two more movies. Book and Sheppard were killed because both actors had several commitments over the next few years. Whedan decided it was better to kill the two characters rather than replace the actors for sequels. Unfortunately Universal screwed up with the marketing and the movie barely broke even theatres, so the option for two more never happened. Also Whedon wanted a movie of 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours and Universal insisted it come at 2 hours or less. Whedon's concept for the series was 5 seasons with 100 episodes. He took the movie to the series endgame as sequels were guaranteed. Imagine trying to condense the story 106 episodes into a 2 hour movie. Personally I think he gave the series a great swan song. But I've heard Disney has a series reboot in the works. If you're interested there's a video that really lays out the mistakes Fox and Universal made with what could have been a Sci-Fi franchise. th-cam.com/video/YOkCvkbwy5c/w-d-xo.html
I went to see the movie cause it was a cool looking sci-fi show. LOVED IT! On reading more about it, I discovered there was a show. Now I love it, too.
Do like the EMP taking out the ship. The shot with River with the Axes is almost straight out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Anne" and also about a zillion comic books. Conan the Barbarian gets shots like this.
I’m a leaf on the wind…😭😢😢😭. Book and Wash were killed off because Glass and Tudyk couldn’t commit to sequels…. Sequels that never happened. So; they died for no reason. But death is like that sometimes. Sometimes people die and there is no silver lining. It sucks and there’s nothing you can do about it except mourn them.
I'm one of those who saw the movie first. After watching the movie in the theater I then sought out the show and fell in love with it. Welcome to the Firefly frustration club. It is a club made of combined joy and sadness. But there will always be Jaynestown.
My own thought is that the movie compressed down the intended metaplot for the entire series, things that were intended for the next season or two. Certainly, that helps explain River's extremely rapid transformation, and various other things like how both Inara and Book both 'separated' from the group.
I get what you're saying about how the scene where Inara meets the Operative is superfluous, but I love the nuance of Inara's reaction. You can read on her face that she knows she's in trouble, but the change in her expression is subtle. Inara is probably my least favorite crew member (other than River, when she's being annoying, but the main arc rests on her character, so she's more necessary), but she has her moments, and they're pretty much all Morena Baccarin reacting to something (reacting to Mal thinking she kissed Saffron, reacting to learning Jayne is the hero of Canton, etc.).
Mal/Inara and Simon/Kaylee are both the will they/won't they relationships where they bounce in and out of love and only meet up at the very end. It's less annoying in Firefly than some other shows- but still can be annoying.
I loved this movie. And then I found out it was based on a TV show. So, I watched the show and loved it too. And then I found out the show was cancelled and couldn't believe it
24:47 I thought this might answer your question somewhat... *Ron Glass* continued working for another 9 years after _Serenity._ As an aside, he was part of a great ensemble of actors from one of my top ten favorite comedies, *Barney Miller.* Been a fav since I was a kid watching with my parents in the 70's/80's. *Mr. Universe* is played by *David Krumholtz.* He's had an extensive career acting (as well as producing and writing). Among his countless roles, he played *Charlie Eppes* in the CBS crime drama *NUMB3RS.* While I have many shows in my video library, there are few I keep and will watch multiple times. Two of those actually being *NUMB3RS* and the aforementioned *Barney Miller.* I merely mention this to point out that they are standout shows IMO. While the crew has been in danger before, *River* was never _deliberately_ put In harm's way. They were going to basically pull a bank job with his 17 year old sister! A sister which he's been going out of his way to protect. Hell, he didn't even like her touching a post-hole digger. How is he being out of character? It always seemed to me *Mal* was seriously losing that fight with the Operative at the end. 🤷🏼♂️ Your wanting fan servicy side characters is impractical given this was a _theatrical_ release. It had to appeal to non-Firely viewers. From what I recall, at the time it basically did. Just one question. . .So, _who's Bishop..?_ 😜 (39:58 & 40:08)
I saw this on a shelf at FYE at a mall and just decided to pick it up - so I came into this with not seeing the TV show. This movie is why I found the TV show - absolutely loved both. The beginning was a bit confusing not knowing who Simon was.
They were planning to make more movies, but Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass weren't going to be available due to other commitments. It would have been hard to explain Wash's absence, so..... As for Shepherd book, did you notice how frail he was looking in the movie? Ron Glass died not too long afterwards and I suspect he was already ill when the movie was made, so maybe that was why they killed him off.
At this point, you really need to see the commentary and deleted scene tracks on the DVD box set. They add a great deal of depth and understanding to the show. My favorite deleted scene is where Zoe explains to Simon how bad the battle of Serenity Valley was and why they named the ship Serenity. I was a fan of the show from before the beginning. The broadcast promos had me hooked and I was heartbroken when the series was canceled and furious when I found out why.
Wash's death was a brutal and brilliant piece of storytelling. Usually established characters in this kind of movie are wearing bulletproof plot armor, but when Wash dies fast and brutal all bets are off. Anyone could die. It ratchets up the tension in the audience in a way you don't usually see in franchises like this.
I think with Simon, being on Serenity for 8 months had rubbed off on him and he likely picked up some different behaviors off screen in the criminal life.. considering that he was a noobie in the beginning. Anyway.. sad to see the end again. May Serenity continue to fly on! It was a great run seeing your guy’s reactions!
I read that the reason Shepherd (aka Bishop ;) ) and Wash were killed was that if it had had a sequel tv series or movie, they would not have been in it, as they had already lined up other projects and Whedon wouldn't have wanted to come up with a bs situation to get rid of both of them in any sequel.
It occurs to me that there is no way you guys could know this, the way fans who had the DVD sets and a couple of years between the series and the film did, but that question Jayne asked about how many men were left alive at the end of the war was REALLY cutting because he knew the answer. By the end of the Battle of Serenity Valley, so many Independent officers had died that Mal ended up commanding over 2,000 troops. When the end of the war was declared, the soldiers were left there for several days, many of them wounded and/or dying, while the 2 sides hammered out the truce agreement. In the end, of the 2,000 men Mal commanded, only 150 were left alive, and Mal and Zoe were the only two survivors from their original platoon. The reason fans knew that going into the movie is there is a deleted scene in the pilot where Zoe explains that to Simon.
I actually watched this before I even knew there was a tv show. But I always knew I was missing something, but for YEARS I could not find the first movie. Then Netflix was invented. I went looking for the first movie again. That's when I found the documentary about the movie, "Done the Impossible: The Fans' Tale of 'Firefly and Serenity'. It was so good. And made me fall in love with Firefly before I even watched the show. Then I went to watch Firefly. But I'm pretty sure I watched them out of order, like by episode 6 I realized something was wrong and remembered. So I started over in the correct order.
I somehow missed Firefly when it first aired, so I saw Serenity before I had seen any of the series. I enjoyed it a lot. But I was surprised when I found out that Shepard Book was a series regular, and Mr. Universe wasn't. From their roles in the movie, I guessed it was the other way around.
I remember being a huge fan of Firefly, went to see Serenity, worried about getting people who'd never seen the tv show would catch up, & absolutely impressed that by the time we get to the title card, we have not only been introduced o the world, the villain & all the main characters, but also seen Simon rescue River, absolutely incredible. - Also, suggest "The Nevers", you've done Joss Whedon's other shows like Buffy, may as well finish all of them. It was being produced during his fall from grace (it's always a shame when talented people who you are a fan of turn out to be reprehensible in real life).
i was one of those people that went to see the movie in theaters not knowing it was based off a tv show. which is funny given i was a huge fane of joss's other stuff most notibly buffy and angel at the time period. Once I found out of course went back to watch the season and will now push it on other people whenever the opportunity arises but I very much appreciated the approach he took knowing there weren't going to be people who knew what was going on and if there had been to many pop up characters I think the impact would have been lost on me. it almost felt like shepard and inara were the pop ups in a way being off ship to start.
Thanks! That video was a lot of work and didn’t get as many views as normal so we appreciate you saying that. We definitely want to make more stuff like that.
Great reaction my guys. You HAVE to check out "Done The Impossible" a documentary about making the movie hosted by Jayne. It answers a lot of the questions you have. Remember they had to make the movie for people who watched the show AND for people who hadn't. My favorite easter egg in the movie is Wash's funeral. In Shindig Zoe said she would wear a slinky dress and it was all Wash wanted. She gives him his wish as she says goodbye in a slinky dress. Much love and keep on keepin on J.
I love this show and have watched it many times. I also wish more people watched and reacted to The Orville. Totally different but also great. Improves with each season. Gets less silly but gets deeper.
My husband was one of those who was introduced to this universe via the film. He then went to to watch the series. Obviously, he loved both. From what I recall, the actor who portrayed the bounty hunter, Jubal Early, was not available.
I don't think the villain ever knew the secret. He said it himself in the beginning: "Secrets are not my concern. Keeping them is."
Good point!
And now, I think he's on a path that Book once had to do.
His dream was creating a violence free life for normal people. Then he got to see that play out on Miranda. I also think his life was paralleling Book's.
@@targetaudience this is the central plot point. Mal is a nonbeliever, the assassin is a belieber. The video broke his belief. And the cause restored mals
Agreed. I don't believe he knew the secret either.
Indeed he didn't care about the reasons for his tasks.
Joss said this was the hardest thing he ever had to write because he had to appeal to fans of the show and explain things to people who'd never seen the show before at the same time. I think he did it about as well as possible, given those constrictions.
I was one of the folks who saw the movie and then found out later there was a show that came first, and I'll be the first to rave about how well the movie introduced new viewers to the universe. I never felt that I was lost or that I needed more information than I was given.
But he didn't answer the big questions. I demand a sequel.
@@jeremykothe2847 Best you can hope for is a reboot at this point, too much time has passed.
@@koalabrownie a reboot would be great, but only if Joss is envolved.
There’s an old joke, “How does a Reaver clean its spear?”
“They put it through the Wash”
When Zoe says "She's hurt bad but she'll fly true", she wasn't just talking about the ship; she was talking about herself.
I love that Zoe got to finally wear "a dress with some slink" as she mentioned in 'Shindig'.
Sad that it was for her husband's funeral.
Yeah, no !!!
@@jeffburnham6611 Exactly !!!
Indeed, she was definitely also talking about herself.
@@jeffburnham6611 She couldn't have been talking about both herself and the ship at the same time? Oh gosh golly! Impossible! How could anyone ever think that?
With Summer Glau being a trained dancer they choreographed her fight scenes to incorporate her dance style.
A kid in the movie theater when the reavers pulled River through the closing door, "Poor reavers."
that's a smart kid, laughs... I say the exact same thing too... it takes River Tam herself to make one pity even the reavers, laughs :D
I've heard that it was Summer Glau herself who choreographed the scene, in collaboration with the camera man, who was also a dancer. So they choreographed it as a dance for two, Summer and the camera, with occasional Reavers getting in the way and being taken down. Given the way it turned out, all in one long take, I find that *very* believable; I think it's the only way they could have done it.
@@margretrosenberg420 That's amazing! So awesome.
@@redmoonbloodmoon3161 Well, they *did* ask for it, unlike the people in the bar....
@@yourfluffyvegancinnamonrol2772 What *I'd* like to know is how they protected the stunt people who were playing reavers. I don't see any way Summer could have been pulling her punches, and the reavers couldn't have been CGI, so all I have left is "movie magic," which is a synonym for "tricks of the trade." I know that stunt people are very much into safety (have to be; it's their job, and *their* lives on the line); I think they must have been directly involved with Summer and the camera man during the choreography.
So now you see why Summer Glau was so good as a terminator in Sarah Connor Chronicles. Apart from being very good in fight scenes, she can be downright creepy when she wants to be.
It occurred to me on umpteenth rewatch, that without Shepherd Book or Inara greasing the wheels on Serenity, the rest of the crew lost some cohesion and became prickly...
Great point!
Here's my story - I watched Serenity in a movie theatre when I was a teen, without knowing anything about it. And absolutely loved it! I bought the DVD and everything, and only three to four years later did I find out that there's a whole TV seres about them... I was so freaking shocked back then.
Firefly is one of my favorite TV series of all time (I also recomment Buffy to you, it's an incredible show)
Thank you for your reactions, I enjoyed them immensely!
That's what I'm talking about! Can't Stop the SIgnal!
Exact same with me
I knew there was a TV series but never watched it. So, I went into this movie cold and had a blast. I think it works as a standalone product. I even have my own DVD copy.
Noooooooo! You edited out one of my favorite lines! Shepard Book: "Don't order me around boy! I'm not one of your crew!" Mal: "Yes, you are." The greatest show of respect Mal can give is making someone a part of his crew.
Yeah, I would have liked the reaction to Serenity leading Reavers towards the Alliance fleet.
@@richardb6260 That was definitely an epic moment where I cheered out loud!
Ultimately… blame YT.
"We’re on a year now, I ain’t had nothing ‘twixt my nethers weren’t run on batteries." -Kaylee being awesome, uncomfortable and hilarious all at once...
"Target the reavers... target everything! Somebody FIRE!" 🤣
That's the moment I missed most from the reaction, it's why I refuse to give this one a thumbs up. But yeah, that moment with Book was too awesome to leave out, too... 🥺
Did you notice that Žoe wore a slinky dress for Wash's funeral? Fulfilling one of his earlier wishes. Also, the change in lighting on River as she tells Simon that it's her turn to protect him really showed her final transformation out of the fog she'd been living in. (At least that's my take on it)
Her saying goodbye to him that way still makes me tear up. It was a good send off for the series.
I assume she already fulfilled it, considering she was wearing the dress. It was most likely on the Serenity.
@@agresticumbra She might have purchased it for the funeral/memorial.
White is a mourning colour at chinese funerals.
It's her wedding dress. Cononically se wears it twice ever, for her marriage and for wash's funeral.
What River needed to find out was not the origin of the reavers but that she wasn't hallucinating. The things that she knew, that she shouldn't have known, were real. She wasn't crazy.
She's still suffering from a gigantic case of PTSD, and she still needs to learn how to deal with the changes that have been made to her brain, but she now has the key that will allow her to begin to heal.
The guy from The Santa Clause was also in a very good series called Numbers where he played a savant who helped his detective brother solve crimes .
Yeah, that’s how I knew him mostly. And this, of course. Numbers was pretty fun.
It's always bitter sweet watching reactions to this. It's awesome that more people are being exposed to the show, but you also know what they are about to go through emotionally.
I discovered the movie "Serenity" while on a work trip. It was in the morning and I was getting ready for work at a hotel and turned on the TV. "Serenity" was on and about half way through. I was immediately captivated and ended up being late for work because I watched until the end. Later, I watched the whole movie and loved it. Some time after that I discovered that it was based on a TV show so I went to a video store and bought the box set for the entire series. I used to re-watch it all once a year or so, but now I like watching reactions when new ones come around.
You still have one thing to look forward to. Watching Firefly for a 2nd time and catching all the stuff you missed the first time. I recommend you get the DVD box set. They have commentaries for most of the episodes. Josh, some of the actors and actresses, and some writers etc give the commentary. It's well worth a watch since you liked the show.
P.S. The reason Zoe wore the nice dress is because Walsh kept talking about getting Zoe "in some slinky dress" and her wearing that dress was her final good bye to him.
Like in the movie near the beginning, when Jayne is disposing of the Rever and talking to Kaylee, she is playing with a spare catalizer (again).
Joss had the impossible task of making a film that would not only satisfy "Firefly" fans, but could also stand alone for those who didn't see the series. Overall, I think he got it right. I highly recommend that you guys check out the DVD extras (for both Firefly and Serenity), which I believe can all be found on TH-cam. They include outtakes, bloopers, deleted scenes and commentary. Hey, maybe you could do some of them on a future 'reaction' video. Also, there's tons of other Firefly / Serenity related stuff on TH-cam (comic cons, other conventions, interviews, documentaries, promos, etc). In other words, the journey doesn't have to end just because the series did. Fox cancelled one of the best shows ever, but they "Can't Stop The Signal."
I think it’s really cool as I can tell these guys are now lifetime fans of Firefly.. Josh is already picking up books. This is a huge win
@@talynstarburst2l2l2l Our numbers continue to multiply via reaction videos .... SHINY !!!
Due to Wash, this made me gad it was over as I wasn't watching without him.
In interviews I watched a few years ago, Joss Whedon said the reason he killed off Wash and Preacher was because everyone was hoping for a reboot and those two actors were contractually committed elsewhere for longer than what would work if there was a reboot. My thoughts when I saw the movie (in the theater on opening night) was the feeling that everyone was just so angry at each other. More so than the last episode we saw would have led us to believe. Even 8 months after that last episode, there was so much anger. It gave the feeling of everything breaking apart. As for Zoe, that's one character they never really delved into very deeply the whole season. We see everyone else's back story, but we never did see Zoe any further back than her fighting with Mal in the war. We never learn any more about her and she doesn't change that much the whole season.
Also, Mal says River was “on the ship” for 8 months, as if including the series. And in one of the episodes I swear they reference the events of a past episode as “6 months ago” so it seems this movie would take place almost right after the series, which is odd.
I think them adding the “8 months” line at all was a weird choice, would’ve rather it just been ambiguous.
@@targetaudience so looking it up, the movie takes place 2 months after the last Firefly episode
Yes, I always wished we'd gotten enough episodes to learn more about both Zoe and Inara's earlier lives.
that moment when the assassin tells Mal he's unarmed and Mal just immediately draws and shoots him is one of my favorites full stop.
Joss said that was in direct response to the Star Wars SE.
The un-specialized Han Solo would have been proud.
As I always say, Mal is not a good fighter...he's just lightning fast at cheap shots.
I can just imagine Mal saying, "If I ever ki11 you, you'll be awake, you'll be facing me, and you'll be armed.... Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. I guess I'm just ok." ;-)
Thanks for watching Firefly and Serenity. I have really enjoyed the journey. I know you guys were joking about a series on the comic books, but I would absolutely watch that. Stay shiny and keep flying.
26:14 - when you spotted Sara Paulson, did you catch the logo on the side of her spacecraft: "C57D" is the designation of the space cruiser in the movie Forbidden Planet (1956).
I do recommend "Dr Horribles Sing Along Blog" its a single 40 minute webisode, directed by Joss Whedon and features Nathan Fillion. It also has a musical commentary that's worth a rewatch.
It earned its own Academy Award and, created a whole new category. Even took over the Award show!
Campy romp in 3 acts.
I'm not a fan of musicals but Dr Horrible is excellent! Even the songs are good. I can't find a channel yet that has done a reaction. You could be the first and corner the market! I swear you won't be disappointed.
@@babette5918 Others have tried. It gets blocked.
@@itzel1735 That's too bad. :(
Thanks for your reaction. In my head canon, I strongly believe Shepherd Book was once an Operative like Ejiofor's character. I suggest re-watching this film because the script and acting choices are layered. I agree, there are missing characters that I would have appreciated to see one more time (especially in context of the Operative hitting all past acquaintances) but then again I like to think Badger is still out there scheming. Re: Inara, I believe her character was originally meant to have a terminal illness. And rewatch that scene between the Operative and Inara. It is cold ass character development. Inara is all smiles and welcoming until she sees the dead serious Operative and her ability to read people reveals she is in deep trouble as her smile freezes and then slowly turns into a frown. Also, if I recall correctly, Ron Glass had late stage cancer at the time this movie was made, so perhaps that was part of the decision to kill off his character.
There is a comic book about Shepherd Book's Life. It answers a lot of questions. It still feels incomplete, but it is canon.
Mike
"her ability to read people reveals she is in deep trouble as her smile freezes and then slowly turns into a frown."
YES!!! That's how I read that scene too! She has her standard welcoming demeanor on for a generic customer, doo-de-doo, but her "street sense", her intimate experience seeing the raw reality of people's inner hidden natures, lets her see through his mask and immediately realize how absolutely dangerous this man is. And we the audience see that 'as the smile runs away from her face'.
Was Ron ill then? He lived for several years after. He was in Agent’s of shield and made an appearance on Major Crimes. I saw him and was like Book!
0:53 I want to treat this as a celebration of life rather than a funeral.
Everyone who's seen it: Just you wait.
Yeah, that was an unsettling choice of words there, for all who have seen Serenity know exactly what’s coming…
A couple of my favorite moments:
Kaylee saying, "Hell with this! I'm gonna live!" (LOL) ❤
And Mal annihilating the Operative just when you think he's doomed because the Operative hit him in the same nerve spot that he used on the Alliance guy at the very beginning of the film, forcing him to fall on his sword. I laughed so hard when Mal said, "Piece of shrapnel tore up that nerve cluster, my first tour." Brilliant. And I LOVED the expressions on your faces when that happened. Awesome reaction!! (And fantastic reaction all around - especially when Book first appears on screen. You both were so excited, it was beautiful.)
That last scene between Zoe and Mal where she says 'she's pretty torn up but she'll fly true' they're actually talking about Zoe.
Btw the reaver
River punches is NPH
I had the privilege of meeting Ron Glass at Dragon*Con in 2006, I think. Maybe 2007. He was a delightful man and I also remembered him from Barney Miller. The movie was still very fresh.
Also Joss is known for being exceptionally cruel to his audience vis-a-vis characters we fall in love with. Wash was a way making us believe, this is real and is going to cost them something for their beliefs.
I won't lie about my reaction to seeing Serenity for the first time...3 years after the show was canceled...I cried. It was so emotional and joyous to see these characters again, I cried. No ifs ands or buts, I cried...kinda missed a good bit of the movie as a result, but I did not care.✌💯😁
Every time I watch the final fight between Mal and the Operative above the generator, I remember the scene in Galaxy Quest where Sigourney Weaver and Tim Allen cross over a room with 'giant fans that were in every episode.'
Lol, good point!
But in "Safe" they weren't supposed to be doing nothing but visiting town. That's a far cry from sending River in on a guns-a-blazin bit of thievery. Simon's anger is over-the-top, but the characters are all amplified to some degree (and always have been). That said, his character is the most retconned; in the show he's a bit of a bumbling buffoon at times. In the movie, he's a criminal mastermind that actually performed the River break out and does put out a more confident aggressive front.
I disagree on the use of The Operative character. I love me some Jubal Early, but his scatter-brained insanity really doesn't play into establishing the cold demeanor and ruthlessness. Also, Jubal wouldn't have the ability to change when the secret he's sworn to protect is no longer a secret, nor is he powerful enough to control an Alliance fleet.
I find the comics to be kinda fan-servicy, but I did enjoy the Shepherd Book history graphic novel.
David Krumholtz was pretty well established by this movie. I remember him most from "10 Things I Hate About You".
Now this is something I might like to see the full reaction to.
Didn't mind seeing the Operator with Inara sooner because I love how Mal knew it was a trap because they didn't argue.
The graphic novel that fills in some of Shepherd's past is great. I believe the early comics were written by Whedon.
Whedon said there was an amount the movie needed to make to get a sequel. So, he was hoping to make more Firefly movies. Unfortunately, the movie made about the same amount it took to make it. But this film was one of the reasons he was chosen to direct The Avengers.
As far as Zoe goes - there are subtle hints in the movie about her future that they make canon later in the comics - I caught it my first watch through, but it was years until they actually made it real. Also, Alan Tudyk has said in an interview that there was a chance he woulda died in the 2nd season if there was ever one - Whedon wasn't shy about killing characters - and he was on board with it.
The deaths in his shows always shocked me even though I knew it could happen. Every time he did it I was like, "Dammit Joss, you got me again!" I honestly thought we were going to lose Simon after Book and Wash. Thankfully, River saved the day.
If you play the Firefly boardgame, Zoe gets her own Firefly (a slightly newer model than Serenity) and names it Jetwash, in honor of Wash. don’t know if that is canon or not, since she can also just be a crew member on anyone’s ship, seeing as how it’s just a board game, but I like to think of Mal ever retired, Zoe would do something like that.
Thank you both for doing this - I enjoyed this journey with you. I know I have been critical of some of the things you have said throughout the series, but as a whole I did love this reaction series.
You are not wrong about the very beginning - the crew, particularly Simon, being just - different. Everyone was much less settled in their relationships than they were in the show. I think part of my head canon is that with Shepherd and Inara gone, it left a big whole in the relationship net - Mal became more rudderless and less focused - his own personal morality (that was in part supported by both Shepherd and Inara) was being swallowed up with the need to survive at all costs. One of the best parts of this movie was Shepherd telling Mal to believe in something to try to bring him back to being the best version of himself that he can be. So much good stuff in this that it's hard to write about everything.
Again, thank you. It was a great ride.
I saw this in theaters without having seen the show. Loved it and immediately went and bought the DVDs of the show. Been a fan ever since.
The reaction of Simon to River being taken on the mission is the fact that the ship is in a spiral. Inara left, meaning there was no income from renting the shuttle. The Shepherd had left to Haven which was close to the world with the Heart of Gold brothel. Simon knew that surveillance was everywhere, and he did not want her in a bank heist.
"This week on River the Reaver Slayer...."
I read an interview with Joss many years ago. He said this was very difficult. He had material for 5 seasons of Firefly. Introducing the characters deeper and more of them.
This is my fave sci-fi show after SG-1.
I watched the series as it was broadcast on fox. When it was getting near the end they had ads (can't remember where) that said they would decide whether to make a movie based on DVD sales. So, the hour they were available on amazon I bought a set ( I thought of buying two, but I didn't have a lot of cash). Then I waited.
A lot of Browncoats did the same, and we got the movie. ;)
Yes, That is really Summer Glau doing the fighting, She was excellent !!
Farscape, (1999-2003)
Lexx, (1997-2002)
Cowboy Bebop, (1998-1999)
Space: Above and Beyond, (1995-1996)
Raised by Wolves, (2020-2022)
Altered Carbon, (2018-2020)
Planet of the Apes, (1967-1974)
I’ve been rooting for Farscape for a while now! I feel that these guys would love the ride
I watched the movie before watching the series. The movie could stand on its own and maybe that’s why it felt a little weird to you at the beginning.
For a similar vibe to this show, check out Farscape.
The first change I'd have made to Serenity was to lengthen it to a 60-hour film with 30 intermissions and called back previous characters including Patience, Elder Gommen and Jubal Early for starters. But barring that, I guess Joss did OK with what he had to work with. I did love the fact that the whole crew appeared in the film. Anyway, good review guys.
Before I even watch your reaction I must say it was great watching you both grow to love this show♥ There is a lot of hype when long time fans try to convince reactors to watch this. I think most reactors (and converted friends, family and strangers on the streets) do see what the attraction is and what a few more seasons could have added. Thank you 🙂 Oh, if you haven't heard of it, The River Tam sessions add an interesting take on this. It's only about 7 minutes long and is available on TH-cam etc.
My favorite call back...
Out of Gas:
Jayne -- "We'd have been back 1st, but there's something wrong with Inara's shuttle. She's done something to it, Mal. It smells funny."
Inara -- "I told you. That's incense."
Jayne -- "So you say."
Serenity (film):
Inara -- "And that's not incense."
BOOM!!!
For your own viewing pleasure from TH-cam channel Cinema Therapy -- Serenity and Finding Your Purpose (28min), Serenity and Coping with Trauma (25min), Firefly: Teamwork and Found Family (30min)
❤🧡💛💚💙💜
I saw the film before I saw the show. The film is great on it's own. However seeing the film again, after seeing the show, makes it so much better. It's a crime that this franchise didn't become more popular.
Mr Universe is David Krumholtz. He later played the lead in the show Numb3rs which lasted for 6 seasons on CBS. He plays a Maths professor who assists his brother - an FBI agent - in solving cases.
Ron Glass was best known prior to Firefly for a leading role on Barney Miller - a cop show from the 70’s
The Operative is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. This was early in his career just before it took off.
Obviously also Sarah Paulson early in her career. She later worked with Chiwetel in 12 Years a Slave which also stared Benedict Cumberbatch.
The casting directors did very well.
The movie needed to function entirely as standalone. The problem with fan service is that it rests on the fan base having the backstory because the movie with sold with its ability to bring in people who hadn’t seen a cult, classic TV show, it could not afford characters that didn’t directly relate to the plot.
I think the function of this movie was to finally tell the big secret of the TV show that would’ve taken six seasons to get to. Things like the corporate involvement of blue sun, which is teased throughout this was going to be the driving story of the destruction of Miranda.
I also wish they brought back Jubal Early, the bounty hunter, as the villain for the movie. Anyway great playlist guys. Loved the reacts especially the needles at the awkward Joss moments, and praise for the good ones. Heard Lost name dropped even in the first episode, so too bad we won't see that on the channel (I checked this time ;) but maybe Fringe in the future?
Popular theory is Book was an Operative in his early life
There’s a comic that details Book’s past.
Thanks ! it should be noted that that joss whedon created the space rogues of serenity not for firefly but were in fact support characters for his movie script of alien resurrection 1999 underrated movie and interesting to see the first rendition of crew
You guys should really consider watching Dollhouse, Joss's other sleeper. It takes a few episodes to hit its stride, but takes off from there.
Re discussion at the end - the structure of the movie was deliberate so that it gave closure for fans of the TV series as well as introducing it to cinema theatre audiences who had never seen the series, so that's why there was a prologue with the explanation for leaving Earth and colonising a new system, the Browncoat rebellion against the Alliance, and Simon Tam's breaking out River from the covert government institution - all events that take place before the series. Then it jumps a few months over the series to the point after it was cancelled and the rest of the movie basically finished the arc intended for Seaon One.
So if it felt a bit rushed, it was several episodes compressed into the two hours of the movie. I was aware Joss Whedon was talking about the future of the franchise going to books and comics, but I haven't heard anything about more movies or a TV series revival, but who knows...
Awesome reaction guys, to the whole series and the movie. Unfortunately my favourite line ("Oh good, now we can retire from this life of crime") didn't make the TH-cam cut, but a really nice job for a great series.
Random bit of humor: In the scene where Mal is watching Inara on the video picture, you can see River in the background lean down and sniff Inara’s bed.
I’ve enjoyed your reactions to the series/movie. Thanks for posting them.
Also, I too recommend Dollhouse.
I am one that watched the movie before seeing the series. The opening segment of the movie explaining what happened on Earth to get humanity to where they are on the show is the exact thing I needed. If that had been in the pilot episode, it would have been much easier for me to get into the show when it originally aired.
Chiwetel Ejiofor (the Operative) role should go down in history as one of the best villains in Hollywood Cinema. Before his role as Mordo I saw him in movies like Red Belt and 12 years A Slave. Man is a damn good actor, who I don't think gets enough recognization.
It felt so wrong, laughing at Kaylee's line, just after Wash died.
How do Reavers clean their harpoons? They run them through the Wash.
LOL. Always a good one!
I saw this in theatre having never seen Firefly. I loved the movie, so I went and watched Firefly.
I saw this in theaters before I'd ever heard of or watched Firefly. I knew it was based on a show but it looked too awesome to wait to see for my friend and I. I'll never forget the title screen pulling back to reveal the ship followed by the immediate reentry alongside that music. Everything about the Serenity's intro in this movie is perfectly on point.
When I sat down in the theater with friends a couple behind us were talking. It was clear they hadn't seen the series. I said to them, "I hope you like it as much as I'm going to."
Did they?
They did indeed good sirs.
I saw Serenity first and then went back and watched Firefly. I loved the movie and had no expectations so it was nice to see the back story for each character. Serenity was a stand alone movie so they didn't have much time for developing all the TV characters. Still I have seen Serenity dozens of times and I never get tired of watching it.
Never really noticed it before, but when Mal is 'frozen up' in that nerve pinch, and the Operative goes for the thrust and gets caught... it's very reminiscent of that move Atherton did to Mal.
Seeing the series/movie over a dozen times and always find new bits to enjoy.
I love the long shot when we first see Mal in the cockpit.
"I want this to be a celebration, not a funeral..."
Yeah, about that...
My wife had watched the show, but I never had, so I went into the movie cold. Watching the series was weird because I couldn't figure out why River wasn't River yet.
The character deaths are sad, but the saddest part is the loss of the TV show we never got to see.
I watched Serenity with some friends from college the night before we did a long drive for a Kendo tournament. I didn't watch the show for several more years and remembered that I had seen the movie about half way through.
Joss and Nathan collaberated again on a web series during a the writer's strikes called "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog." It also stars Neal Patrick Harris and Felicia Day (She was one of the potential Slayers in Buffy and won a streamy for her Web Series, The Guild). The other relatively prominent actor in it is Simon Helberg who went on to play Howard in The Big Bang Theory. I would describe it as a geeky, musical, comedy.
Wonderful reaction! To the series AND the movie! I believe the next step is watching other people watch it all for their first time. Worked for me, at least! Cheers!
I think the intro sequence was a very very good touch, introducing most of the major characters and providing some basics about them for viewers.
Congratulations! Great job to the TA brown coats!
Awesome movie! I've watched it several times! Every time I start to watch it, I can't not finish it!
I was never a big Whedon fan until post-cancellation of Firefly/ Serenity. I remember watching the 1st broadcast on Fox and I being underwhelmed at the time. Now I'm a browncoat. I do recommend Dollhouse, another short-lived TV series (2 seasons) from Whedon. The quality was uneven but when it was good, it was amazing sci-fi. Full of dystopia and corporate evil.
Another tv show you might watch is Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicle (TSCC) w/ Lena Hedley and Summer Glau. It lasted two seasons and the storyline is better than most of the sequels.
Don't miss the "River Tam Sessions."
Got to see a preview screening of this with Nathan Fillion and some of his family in attendance. Good Times :-)
Universal bought the Firefly rights from Fox. The deal with Whedan was Serenity with an option for two more movies. Book and Sheppard were killed because both actors had several commitments over the next few years. Whedan decided it was better to kill the two characters rather than replace the actors for sequels. Unfortunately Universal screwed up with the marketing and the movie barely broke even theatres, so the option for two more never happened. Also Whedon wanted a movie of 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours and Universal insisted it come at 2 hours or less. Whedon's concept for the series was 5 seasons with 100 episodes. He took the movie to the series endgame as sequels were guaranteed. Imagine trying to condense the story 106 episodes into a 2 hour movie. Personally I think he gave the series a great swan song. But I've heard Disney has a series reboot in the works.
If you're interested there's a video that really lays out the mistakes Fox and Universal made with what could have been a Sci-Fi franchise.
th-cam.com/video/YOkCvkbwy5c/w-d-xo.html
I went to see the movie cause it was a cool looking sci-fi show. LOVED IT! On reading more about it, I discovered there was a show. Now I love it, too.
Do like the EMP taking out the ship.
The shot with River with the Axes is almost straight out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Anne" and also about a zillion comic books. Conan the Barbarian gets shots like this.
The axe River had was the axe Buffy 'rescued' from Nathans preacher character in BTVS.
@@derekclear3913 Cool
Zoe in the slinky dress she said she would prefer to wear in the Shindig episode.
I’m a leaf on the wind…😭😢😢😭. Book and Wash were killed off because Glass and Tudyk couldn’t commit to sequels…. Sequels that never happened. So; they died for no reason. But death is like that sometimes. Sometimes people die and there is no silver lining. It sucks and there’s nothing you can do about it except mourn them.
I'm one of those who saw the movie first. After watching the movie in the theater I then sought out the show and fell in love with it. Welcome to the Firefly frustration club. It is a club made of combined joy and sadness. But there will always be Jaynestown.
My own thought is that the movie compressed down the intended metaplot for the entire series, things that were intended for the next season or two. Certainly, that helps explain River's extremely rapid transformation, and various other things like how both Inara and Book both 'separated' from the group.
I get what you're saying about how the scene where Inara meets the Operative is superfluous, but I love the nuance of Inara's reaction. You can read on her face that she knows she's in trouble, but the change in her expression is subtle. Inara is probably my least favorite crew member (other than River, when she's being annoying, but the main arc rests on her character, so she's more necessary), but she has her moments, and they're pretty much all Morena Baccarin reacting to something (reacting to Mal thinking she kissed Saffron, reacting to learning Jayne is the hero of Canton, etc.).
Mal/Inara and Simon/Kaylee are both the will they/won't they relationships where they bounce in and out of love and only meet up at the very end. It's less annoying in Firefly than some other shows- but still can be annoying.
I loved this movie. And then I found out it was based on a TV show. So, I watched the show and loved it too. And then I found out the show was cancelled and couldn't believe it
24:47 I thought this might answer your question somewhat... *Ron Glass* continued working for another 9 years after _Serenity._
As an aside, he was part of a great ensemble of actors from one of my top ten favorite comedies, *Barney Miller.* Been a fav since I was a kid watching with my parents in the 70's/80's.
*Mr. Universe* is played by *David Krumholtz.* He's had an extensive career acting (as well as producing and writing). Among his countless roles, he played *Charlie Eppes* in the CBS crime drama *NUMB3RS.*
While I have many shows in my video library, there are few I keep and will watch multiple times. Two of those actually being *NUMB3RS* and the aforementioned *Barney Miller.* I merely mention this to point out that they are standout shows IMO.
While the crew has been in danger before, *River* was never _deliberately_ put In harm's way. They were going to basically pull a bank job with his 17 year old sister! A sister which he's been going out of his way to protect. Hell, he didn't even like her touching a post-hole digger. How is he being out of character?
It always seemed to me *Mal* was seriously losing that fight with the Operative at the end. 🤷🏼♂️
Your wanting fan servicy side characters is impractical given this was a _theatrical_ release. It had to appeal to non-Firely viewers. From what I recall, at the time it basically did.
Just one question. . .So, _who's Bishop..?_ 😜 (39:58 & 40:08)
I saw this on a shelf at FYE at a mall and just decided to pick it up - so I came into this with not seeing the TV show. This movie is why I found the TV show - absolutely loved both. The beginning was a bit confusing not knowing who Simon was.
They were planning to make more movies, but Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass weren't going to be available due to other commitments. It would have been hard to explain Wash's absence, so..... As for Shepherd book, did you notice how frail he was looking in the movie? Ron Glass died not too long afterwards and I suspect he was already ill when the movie was made, so maybe that was why they killed him off.
At this point, you really need to see the commentary and deleted scene tracks on the DVD box set. They add a great deal of depth
and understanding to the show.
My favorite deleted scene is where Zoe explains to Simon how bad the battle of Serenity Valley was and why they named the ship
Serenity.
I was a fan of the show from before the beginning. The broadcast promos had me hooked and I was heartbroken when the series
was canceled and furious when I found out why.
Wash's death was a brutal and brilliant piece of storytelling. Usually established characters in this kind of movie are wearing bulletproof plot armor, but when Wash dies fast and brutal all bets are off. Anyone could die. It ratchets up the tension in the audience in a way you don't usually see in franchises like this.
I like Mal's speech at the end.
Watched the show in High school and saw the movie Freshman year of college with my girlfriend. Great memories!
I think with Simon, being on Serenity for 8 months had rubbed off on him and he likely picked up some different behaviors off screen in the criminal life.. considering that he was a noobie in the beginning.
Anyway.. sad to see the end again. May Serenity continue to fly on! It was a great run seeing your guy’s reactions!
I read that the reason Shepherd (aka Bishop ;) ) and Wash were killed was that if it had had a sequel tv series or movie, they would not have been in it, as they had already lined up other projects and Whedon wouldn't have wanted to come up with a bs situation to get rid of both of them in any sequel.
It occurs to me that there is no way you guys could know this, the way fans who had the DVD sets and a couple of years between the series and the film did, but that question Jayne asked about how many men were left alive at the end of the war was REALLY cutting because he knew the answer. By the end of the Battle of Serenity Valley, so many Independent officers had died that Mal ended up commanding over 2,000 troops. When the end of the war was declared, the soldiers were left there for several days, many of them wounded and/or dying, while the 2 sides hammered out the truce agreement. In the end, of the 2,000 men Mal commanded, only 150 were left alive, and Mal and Zoe were the only two survivors from their original platoon.
The reason fans knew that going into the movie is there is a deleted scene in the pilot where Zoe explains that to Simon.
I actually watched this before I even knew there was a tv show. But I always knew I was missing something, but for YEARS I could not find the first movie. Then Netflix was invented. I went looking for the first movie again. That's when I found the documentary about the movie, "Done the Impossible: The Fans' Tale of 'Firefly and Serenity'. It was so good. And made me fall in love with Firefly before I even watched the show. Then I went to watch Firefly. But I'm pretty sure I watched them out of order, like by episode 6 I realized something was wrong and remembered. So I started over in the correct order.
I somehow missed Firefly when it first aired, so I saw Serenity before I had seen any of the series. I enjoyed it a lot. But I was surprised when I found out that Shepard Book was a series regular, and Mr. Universe wasn't. From their roles in the movie, I guessed it was the other way around.
I remember being a huge fan of Firefly, went to see Serenity, worried about getting people who'd never seen the tv show would catch up, & absolutely impressed that by the time we get to the title card, we have not only been introduced o the world, the villain & all the main characters, but also seen Simon rescue River, absolutely incredible. - Also, suggest "The Nevers", you've done Joss Whedon's other shows like Buffy, may as well finish all of them. It was being produced during his fall from grace (it's always a shame when talented people who you are a fan of turn out to be reprehensible in real life).
It didn't blow you away? o_O That blows me away!
i was one of those people that went to see the movie in theaters not knowing it was based off a tv show. which is funny given i was a huge fane of joss's other stuff most notibly buffy and angel at the time period. Once I found out of course went back to watch the season and will now push it on other people whenever the opportunity arises but I very much appreciated the approach he took knowing there weren't going to be people who knew what was going on and if there had been to many pop up characters I think the impact would have been lost on me. it almost felt like shepard and inara were the pop ups in a way being off ship to start.
I'd like to see another highly edited FIM discussion, like you did with Halloween 3. That was great
Thanks! That video was a lot of work and didn’t get as many views as normal so we appreciate you saying that. We definitely want to make more stuff like that.
Great reaction my guys. You HAVE to check out "Done The Impossible" a documentary about making the movie hosted by Jayne. It answers a lot of the questions you have. Remember they had to make the movie for people who watched the show AND for people who hadn't. My favorite easter egg in the movie is Wash's funeral. In Shindig Zoe said she would wear a slinky dress and it was all Wash wanted. She gives him his wish as she says goodbye in a slinky dress. Much love and keep on keepin on J.
Mr. Universe was a resource to explore in later seasons, since there were 5 seasons plotted.
I love this show and have watched it many times. I also wish more people watched and reacted to The Orville. Totally different but also great. Improves with each season. Gets less silly but gets deeper.
My husband was one of those who was introduced to this universe via the film. He then went to to watch the series. Obviously, he loved both.
From what I recall, the actor who portrayed the bounty hunter, Jubal Early, was not available.