Would you re-edit the opening scene to SERENITY...? by burnnotice

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Would you re-edit the opening scene to SERENITY...?

POSTED BY: BURNNOTICE
UPDATED: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 10:37
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Friday, April 17, 2009 5:17 PM

I was a diehard fan of the series, so when I saw Serenity in the theater (twice) the opening scene really didn't bother me.

However, I can imagine how it played out for people who never watched the series. I tossed it in the ol' DVD player the other day and watched the opening scene twice and I actually think it is way too long.

My personal opinion is that it would play out a lot better if the opening scene ends with River and Simon escaping.

Then, take the excellent scene with Chiwetel Ejiofor and move it to AFTER the end of the Reaver scene when Simon punches Mal and says they are getting off the ship. This allows for better build up and also gets us into the Serenity ship quicker, which is still ultimately what the movie is about.

I could see people who had never watched the show before, getting bored early with that long opening scene. Of course, the way to do this right is to make those cuts and also add a few more scenes and release a "Special" Special Edition which me and everyone else on this forum would buy. Then take that money and use it to give us a SEQUEL...

(But of course that is just wishful thinking on my part).

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Friday, April 17, 2009 5:40 PM

PHYRELIGHT

NO RUTTIN' WAY!! The entire film is told through River's eyes. The five-fold introduction (the Earth-That-Was history, the classroom, the escape, the record room, and Serenity's one-take intro) fits in perfectly with River's fractured perspective. I wouldn't change a thing.

The deleted scenes, though... If I could edit anything, I would edit those scenes in.

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Friday, April 17, 2009 5:44 PM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.

Serenity was my first exposure to the 'verse. It did not bore me. Ever. I was riveted from beginning to end. And then I went to see it again, and I thought "Where are you hiding, little girl?" being answered with the Serenity logo was brilliant.
then I watched the series several times, and the movie again, and then bought it when it came out, and, well, here I am.

[/sig]

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Friday, April 17, 2009 7:08 PM

ASARIAN

Quote:
Originally posted by PhoenixRose:
Serenity was my first exposure to the 'verse. It did not bore me. Ever. I was riveted from beginning to end. And then I went to see it again, and I thought "Where are you hiding, little girl?" being answered with the Serenity logo was brilliant.
then I watched the series several times, and the movie again, and then bought it when it came out, and, well, here I am.

Same here. I saw the BDM first. That's what makes us special. :)

I thought the OP was alluding to changing the 'Simon rescues River himself' thingy, as arguably this doesn't necessarily construe with events laid down in the series' pilot. It never bothered me none, though; not when I saw it first (duh); and not after having seen the series, either. Joss purposely made the BDM grander, more epic: a dramatic escape and rescue op by Simon fits well into that frame.

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

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Friday, April 17, 2009 11:40 PM

ANOTHERSKY

I'm also one that was shown the movie (as a sheer favor to a browncoat friend, who would not leave me alone until I watched it. Boy I'm glad I indulged him.). I thought I'd give it a fair shot. It was more than fair, although I liked it a WHOLE lot more after watching the series before the second time through--some character things just needed the series to be fully clear.

The opening:

Plays like the prologue in FotR. Sets you up in an involved and complex world, that like all imaginary places, can be reduced to an opening crawl. Nice touch it's being recapsulated in a classroom--bringing in the Academy, Miranda AND major themes of civilization, independence, perception at the same time. All done with a mock-epic tone that snaps us back into what I would later learn is the firefly mode. Nice, nice touch.

"comfort and enlightenment of true civilization":
I honestly laughed out loud here the first, and every time. I love the delivery of that line.

Beyond that, the 3 transfers were beautiful in terms of quick plot, character and theme setup, clearly defining a "thesis statement" for the film.

What I WOULD criticize is understandable. In the "turbulence and then explode" and "no grenades" scenes, there was this weird, joke-in-a-joke elation that didn't fit. Off, somehow. I was worried at that point it would deteriorate to generic-movie status.

It's when Simon starts bickering with Mal that the "feel" picks up again.

Final thumbs up: The exact visual repetition of the Simon-River "turn around from the doorway and startle" scene ("they know you've come") with Mal-Simon ("you crashed her") is really interesting. Also that the only words spoken are "simon" and "doctor". I wonder what that means.

"I think we lost our fuzzy dice back there."

"Going for a ride."

Another Sky

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Sunday, April 19, 2009 4:00 AM

SCHISM

Serenity was my first exposure to any of the genre.

I didn't know the characters, but I knew it involved a bunch of fugitives (or those that harbour them) on a ship.

Three thoughts about the beginning, from the mind of a Verse Virgin;

1) When the movie title came up I thought "oh yeah, there's been no opening credits yet".

2) Long, yes, but not boring and brought me completely up to speed (at least in the necessary plot areas).

3) Kinda liked how you had to wait to finally see your main characters. A bit of a build up. Only to realize their ship is falling apart. How heroric. ;p

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Sunday, April 19, 2009 9:56 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

I saw BDM first. Series 2 years later.

The suggestion of changing the sequence of scenes - that would disrupt the chronology. The Operative at the Institute takes place several weeks before Lilac (Mr. Universe said the broadwaves have been up for a few weeks, and they were cast after the Operative told the assistant at the Institute to bring the subliminal programming files to him, after killing Dr Mathias).

For the opening scene, Joss wants the viewer to be surprised or taken aback that the Operative appears after having the recording "Backtracked".
He wants us to think we are watching a real-time scene, so he starts off with River's MEMORY of her school days - and sicne clearly River's memory would not be portrayed on a video recording of her escape, this should surprise us.
So starting with Universal logo, then teacher brainwashing River's class in her memory, then Dr Mathias in lab with River's teachers called the "scary monsters" to Operative's "backtrack" -this would get disrupted with your resequencing, and lose effect.

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Monday, April 20, 2009 7:35 AM

ANOTHERSKY

Agreed, JewelStaiteFan. One of the main themes of Serenity (and firefly in general, if OoG and OiS are anything to go by)is about perception--how we see the world around us, and how that view can be manipulated. (ie the miranda report, might have been the losing side, world without evil).

We start with an Alliance lecture that I think is part of River's in-lab "nightmares" about Miranda, only connecting the rape of Miranda by the alliance to her mental rape by the alliance--very nice connection through dream logic. They are the "scary monsters" she's dreaming of. We then find out that even the "real" events with Simon are just an Alliance security tape.

Thus the importance of "the signal" is really highlighted.

So no, I wouldn't change it one bit in major features. Perhaps the entry sequence, but it gives a good rundown of all characters, again important for verse virgins.

--
Another Sky

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Monday, April 20, 2009 7:47 AM

LINCOLNZ

The movie, to me anyway, is somewhat inferior compared to the series. That said I still wouldn't change the opening scenes. Especially not if it interrupted the awesome seamless jaunt through the ship(Best part of the film IMO).

I first watched the series, in it's entirety, back in 2005, prior to the release of the movie. This account may be new but I've been around this place since I first watched the series.

Anyway, I still don't like the movie so much, but I'd still never change it. It's what Joss wanted to do so it was his call to change it. My only issues where the overall tone and look, which felt cold and bleak, as opposed the the series' warmth and charm. I think the music as much as the sets and plot had a lot to do with that.

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Monday, April 20, 2009 11:01 AM

STORYMARK

Nope. See no reason to change it. It's not that long, and what is there has a lot going on.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Monday, April 20, 2009 11:15 AM

ARTCAT81

The only thing I would consider changing about the opening is the music, I would love to have had Greg Edmonson Score it.

Browncoats are the shiniest folks in the 'verse
www.texasartcat.com/bluesun.html <--my bluesunshop

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Monday, April 20, 2009 11:50 AM

LINCOLNZ

Quote:
Originally posted by artcat81:
The only thing I would consider changing about the opening is the music, I would love to have had Greg Edmonson Score it.

My sentiments exactly. No disrespect to the films composer but he failed to fully live up to Edmonson.

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Monday, April 20, 2009 12:30 PM

ARTCAT81

I enjoyed the movie scores, yes, but to me they were almost invasive to what was going on, well invasive is not the right word, more ... it kinda hit you over the head where Greg Edmonsons music, just flowed to me in a very natural, organic way.

If I had the money, I would love to hire Greg Edmonson to do his own score for it, I would love to hear what he would do.

Browncoats are the shiniest folks in the 'verse
www.texasartcat.com/bluesun.html <--my bluesunshop

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Tuesday, April 21, 2009 7:47 AM

CLJOHNSTON108

Quote:
Originally posted by burnnotice:
I was a diehard fan of the series...

Ummmm, whaddya mean "was"?

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009 10:21 AM

ACIDGOOSE

I enjoyed the opening scene of serenety, although i understand what you mean about the length.

i prefer to look at the movie as a final episode of the TV series.

How wuld you re-edit the begining without alienating new and old viewers alike?

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009 10:37 AM

BLUESUNCOMPANYMAN

I'll tell you what should have changed: Book's death. To the non-browncoat viewer it played no important role whatsoever. His previous screen presence had been an eyeblink before *poof* he was gone. A non-browncoat friend of mine was confused by it. He felt like there was a huge emotional moment being held for a complete stranger he was expected to mourn.

Gr Arg. So silly. It was a death with no meaning to the casual viewer. What a foolish waste.

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