What did you Firefly fans think of Serenity?

I re-watched Firefly very recently, and was wondering just this question. I saw Serenity back in the day, and my reaction was “meh” for two reasons:

First, they had to re-cap everything that had happened in the series (or at least, re-introduce all the characters) so that newcomers would know what the hell was going on. I understand why they did this – probably it was something in between the assumption that a film audience would expect it and the demands of the studio. I don’t care. There’s a weird intimacy between the makers and the fans of Firefly that is betrayed when they do things like that. And we’ve all heard the phrase “in medias res”. It all could have been done more artfully.

Secondly, I recall that it was a lot more graphic than the series was – I assume in the context of the reavers storyline. I’m not crazy about that kind of stylistic leap. As if either the writers felt too constrained while working on the series, and now they’d been set free, or else it was felt that a theatrical release demanded a bigger punch. Anyway, I’m not averse to violence in film or on tv, but I don’t like jarring switches between the universe my characters live in on tv and the one they live in on film. It takes me out of the experience.

So, that’s the reaction that I recall having several years ago. I will be watching it again to find out if it still hits me the same way. Maybe I’ll find that my reaction will be completely different, now that I’ve seen the series a few times over.

I loved it. I came to Firefly rather late, and saw the entire series plus Serenity all at the same time.

Fuck Serenity.

They killed Wash.

@Blondesjon There are no free passes in the Whedonverse.

@glacial . . . they killed wash

@Blondesjon Alan Tudyk was okay with the death.

http://fireflydvd.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1213
http://www.empireonline.com/features/alan-tudyk-career/p7

In answer to the question, I love the movie.

@Rarebear . . . they killed wash

I adore the series and the movie, and am still impressed at the ground swell of support that made the movie possible.

@Blondesjon I know! Wasn’t it a great death?

I liked it a lot as the season finale but not as a movie.

I loved it. I don’t know how they could have done a better job in movie format. Except for the dead Wash thing.

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought . . . right?

@Blondesjon Whedon has broken my heart more times than the girls in HS

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought Exactly.

Discovered Firefly after watching the movie. Can’t say I liked the movie story better than I enjoyed the characters. Though the story wasn’t so bad it’s the characters I followed when I started watching the series. I guess Whedon is good at that. Playing with and playing up his characters secondary only to the plot. Like in Avengers. Where the most interesting scenes were the ones in between the action sequences.

@mazingerz88 I’m looking forward to his new S.H.I.E.L.D. series!

I liked the movie as much as the series, and I am sorry about Wash and the Shepard (no one cares about him???). I wish they had resolved the whole backstory of Shepard, since we have no idea where he came from, and why he had the clearance he did. I understand why Whedon felt he had to do what he did, but I don’t like it. Still, the movie got a big thumbs up.

@filmfann Shepard always had an air about him that he had to atone for something, and kinda was expecting to die ugly. You had the sense that he felt he had it coming himself, and went out in a blaze of glory.

Wash was just senseless.

I know I watched it but I’m having a hard time remembering it. I hated that they killed Shepard and Wash. I think I would rate the movie as alright. Nothing spectacular but not bad.

Thumbs up!

@Blondesjon Wash would’ve lived had Firefly been renewed for another season.

Serenity was perfect… for what it was.

No, there is no room for another story, or another series, anymore than the Death Note series could continue beyond the original story.

Let it be.

Loved it and Loved it. Whedon is pretty harsh with screwing around with our feelings, but all good story tellers are. He initially intended Capt. Mal to be a darker, more cynical, morose character, but the network didn’t like that, but we got to see a darker Mal in Serenity. I’m sure we would have gotten to see how the idealistic young farm boy lost his faith and his ideals on the battlefield, if we had gotten more episodes. DAMN YOU FOX! There is tonnes more material for new episodes, another movie.. and I’ll be happy to help write them. ;)

For all you fans out there, I offer you up this (pay special attention to the sign on the door in the last few seconds….)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R6Ibz31DtE

@cazzie Hah! That was great!

Who are these guys??

@jerv . . . why would you do that to me? now i have to figure out how to navigate the multiverse to find the alternate timeline in which that occurs. there goes my fucking weekend.

@Blondesjon But he wouldn’t have lived much longer than that… the character’s death was inevitable.

@glacial Wash wasn’t Captain Jack Harkness, so yes, he would die eventually. Most people do.

@jerv Haha, tell that to Spike. There’s dead, there’s tv dead, and there’s Joss Whedon dead.

I was just referring to the fact that there was a plan to kill off Wash by the end of Season 2, anyway. See @Rarebear‘s link above.