First 9 Minutes of Serenity

[Arethusa]

http://video.vividas.com/CDN1/3929_Serenity/web/index.html

If you haven't seen it yet, at least you can see the first 9 minutes for free and get an idea of what all the talk's about. If you have, just try and spread this around so more people will know about Serenity and the big damn sequel'll get greenlit.

 

[yurch]

What if we've sworn oaths to impede it's progress?

 

[Arethusa]

I don't know. Maybe you can post your address and we can discuss this like civilized men.

 

[ravens_hawk]

With a duel? Perhaps swords at dawn? Or was that noon, I always forget the rules.

 

[Arethusa]

Please, I want to resolve this like civilized men. I'm not threatening you. I'm unarmed.

 

[yurch]

Well, someone's gotta dislike this thing... unanimous consent in the inf forums would cause some sort of explosion.

One possibly involving kittens.

(Read: Why should I see this? Sell it to me!!!1)

 

[cracwhore]

Because. If you don't - I'm going to pee in your mouth.

 

[-Snakebite-]

With a duel? Perhaps swords at dawn? Or was that noon, I always forget the rules.

Pistols at dawn.

 

[spm1138]

Well, someone's gotta dislike this thing... unanimous consent in the inf forums would cause some sort of explosion.

One possibly involving kittens.

(Read: Why should I see this? Sell it to me!!!1)

Because it's funny and clever and pretty well written and generally all sorts of things the Star Wars prequels failed to be.

edit
I mean let's face it, Jedi are boring. Han Solo was the cool one, right?

 

[yurch]

Because. If you don't - I'm going to pee in your mouth.

Well, after your glowing review of the third star wars... and after seeing it, I kinda got turned offa scifi for a while.

I'll probably end up seeing it anyway someday.

 

[cracwhore]

George Lucas is a terrible writer - I couldn't agree more.

However - 'Episode III' exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed it quite a bit - especially after the two pieces of shit previous to it.

Besides the terrible love story, stupid 'cute' things (the droids) and plot holes - it was a good movie...

That may sound like a bit of a paradox - but it's still one of my favorite 'Star Wars' movies.

However - the 'Firefly' saga beats the shit out of 'Star Wars' - any day of the week. Hands down - the best sci-fi story ever told.

I'd really suggest that you watch the TV show before going to see 'Serenity' though. You'll get a lot more out of it.

 

[Arethusa]

Basically, it comes down to this: I hate scifi.

Not that I'm particularly fond of any genre; I can't stand the idea of liking or disliking something simply because certain elements in it line up with other films, books, whatever. Suffice it to say that I can't stand scifi conventions (as in genre, but I guess that sort of applies to expensive nerdy get togethers). I don't like bumpy foreheads of the week and I don't like the Weird People With Their Weird Custom of the week. It's mindless drivel, and there's little difference between it and CSI melodramatic Crime of the Week.

Firefly's different. It's well written, well acted, and it's a show about people and what the future does to them. It isn't about diplomats or military leaders or starship captains, and it really stays the hell away from all the other dull and witless fanservice that has defined the genre since Star Trek. In a lot of ways, Firefly and Serenity make up some of the first truly good scifi to come out of America and reach beyond being simple genre pieces.

I do agree with crac, though; while the movie does do a good job of setting up the characters and the world (and a friend of mine who saw it with no knowledge of the series came out pretty much in love), there are jokes you won't get and things you won't quite feel without the context of the series, which is eminantly worthwhile in its own right.

 

[DEFkon]

I truely enjoyed serenity, and i still haven't seen any of the Firefly Series... have to try and find a box set some day.

But so far as Sci-Fi in general.. I'd have to say that there's been a general lack of quality Sci-Fi in movies and TV for quite some time. My definition of what the SF genere is (as opposed to romance, drama, or comedy) is the exploration of the impact of technology on the human expirence.

 

[Keganator]

Lets put it this way.

'Serenity' is to 'Star Wars' what '1984' is to "Star Trek: another terrible book". Serenity is Sci-fi in the fact that it uses space ships it's set in the future, but instead of mindless action, there's something thought provoking behind it.

Serenity is about people, not gadgets.

 

[Philophobos]

Are you suggesting that Star Trek: The Next Deep Enterprise Whatever Voyager Space Nine is the reverse? I ask because I've never really seen it that way. As DEFkon says about Sci-Fi in general, I've always liked Star Trek for its exploration of the impact of technology and other future-y goodnesses on people. The other main reason I've liked it has been that it's usually more about whole societies and their interaction with each other than about "Billy Joe Bob and his rag-tag team o' space pirates take on the universe...watch out, Evil-Corp!"

That said, I've enjoyed the heck out of Serenity and what I have seen of Firefly. Compared to The Star Trek series', it is fairly cowboyish, but it's so well written and entertaining that that fact ceases to matter to me...it's just good television.

Note: I'm refering only to the Star Trek television series' and perhaps some of the movies. There's no doubt in my mind that most of the books based on the Star Trek universe are crap.

Another note: I've been to two Star Trek conventions...with my mother!

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[Arethusa]

You honestly think Star Trek is an intelligent exploration of the impact of technology on society and the human experience?

Because I really do find it, say, laughably difficult to believe that alien contact and faster than light travel will result in utopia and effective communism.

 

[(SDS)benmcl]

My biggest issue with the Star Trek society thing is that pretty well on every planet the entire population has the same culture. The only time you run into different cultures on the same planet if it is needed for the story.

Everyone wears crazy head wraps and worship Bonko Binko, or everyone on the planets lives in fear of the Devil or something.

There is more varity of poeple in a little European country then an entire planet in the Star Trek Universe.

 

[geogob]

Because I really do find it, say, laughably difficult to believe that alien contact and faster than light travel will result in utopia and effective communism.

Don't even mention the uniforms.

 

[zeep]

Stop this Star Trek bashing.