The New Republic praises Serenity by Wilkins

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The New Republic praises Serenity

POSTED BY: WILKINS
UPDATED: Thursday, December 29, 2005 09:36
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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:13 AM

It's nice to see one of the major national opinion magazines offer a strongly positive review of Serenity.

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=w051226&s=orr122805
(subscription required for the entire article)

"Serenity, writer/director Joss Whedon's exuberant space opera, opens with one nod to the power of love and closes with another, the first concerning a brother's affection for his sister and the second, a captain's for his spaceship. (Tellingly, the latter is, if anything, more touching.) The two scenes form an apt pair of bookends because, to the extent this can ever be said of a major Hollywood release, Serenity is a product of love--that of fans of "Firefly," the cancelled TV series from which the film was spun off, of the cast, and most of all of Whedon himself."

"...Still, as Whedon and his "Firefly" cohorts have already shown, there's more than one way to skin a human (and sew him into a nice little Reaver ensemble). Theatrical box-office makes up an ever-shrinking portion of a film's total receipts (now a mere 15 percent, according to Slate's Edward Jay Epstein), with the vast bulk of the revenues coming from DVD sales and rentals on the one hand, and broadcast licensing (pay-per-view, network, and cable) on the other. And while Serenity was never well-positioned for the box office, it should, like "Firefly" before it, make a killing on DVD. (My own exceptionally scientific survey of a couple of local outlets would tend to confirm this: By day two of its release, Serenity had sold out from one and was only available in the less-popular fullscreen version from the other.) Once the movie hits cable, it should be set for life--I envision it running three nights a week on the Sci-Fi Channel for at least the next decade. Will this be enough to ensure a sequel? You can cast your own vote at the local Blockbuster."

And by buying as many copies of the BDM as your budget can handle, we may just get what we want.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:22 AM

WILKINS

There's an additional reason to appreciate Christopher Orr's positive review. Based on the correction tacked onto the end of the article, it looks as if Orr, or whoever typed up the article for the online version of TNR, initially made the glaring error of calling Firefly Fans "brownshirts." The error was quickly corrected. I'm assuming Orr wasn't knowingly bringing in the fascist resonances of that term, and it was just an honest mistake, perhaps a result of his _not_ being a fan of the show. And if a sharp critic like Orr believes Serenity is "everything you could ask for in an action-adventure film," without much previous knowledge of the 'verse, I hope that bodes well for future DVD sales. Perhaps Serenity will become the cult classic Firefly is.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:35 AM

GEEJAKE

Great Thread !! It would be nice to see more positive reviews like this posted...

Thanks

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:42 AM

VIOLETRIX

thanks for this. if i can find it, (to be fair and balanced --

haha), national review gave serenity a really good review as well.

i found it!
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/preston200510050823.asp

http://violetrix.blogspot.com
you won't remember anyway

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:47 AM

RKLENSETH

You can always check out www.rottentomatoes.com and read all of the major US critics reviews of the movie. Over 80% I believe reviewed Serenity favorably at the time it opened in theatres.

Oh, and play Cantr II at www.cantr.net.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:48 AM

FOLLOWMAL

All positive posts most appreciated.... makes me feel good to see them and adds to my growing hope this day that our 'verse will come back again!

River: I didn't think you'd come for me.
Simon: Well, you're a dummy.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:57 AM

WILKINS

The reviews available on rottentomatoes are convenient, but one reason I wanted to highlight this positive review in TNR (and now National Review) is that it is even more heartening (for me) to see Serenity garner praise from more self-consciously 'intellectual' opinion magazines, rather than your mainstream _Time_ or _U.S. News & World Report_.

And, as has been commented on at length elsewhere, these reviews are further evidence of the enduring and widespread appeal of Firefly/Serenity, in that people who hold to radically different politics still find much to love about the 'verse.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 11:03 AM

VIOLETRIX

Quote:
it is even more heartening (for me) to see Serenity garner praises from more self-consciously 'intellectual' opinion magazines

i agree wholeheartedly. i read national review quite a bit, and i was so happy to see that article. it is so nice to see people "getting it," you know? not just the everyday person on the street, but the people who are supposedly paid to think for a living.

it makes me stupid with happiness.

http://violetrix.blogspot.com
you won't remember anyway

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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 7:27 PM

MIKAMOM

bump

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Thursday, December 29, 2005 9:36 AM

CYBERSNARK

Y'know, being a huge Star Wars fan, "The New Republic" means somethin' a bit different.

So, yeah. Funny mental image place.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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