ccoshow-1 Reviews

Serenity (2005)

Not exactly like the TV show; judge it on its own merit.

[9/10 · 12 August 2005]

***NO SPOILERS*** I saw the movie at a sneak preview in Houston, TX on 6/23/05. I was just happy that we were getting more of these characters and this setting.

Visually, it was stunning. The extra budget for effects was well spent. The characters and their relationships were recognizable, but there had been changes from the show. I think this was necessary within the movie, and part of an evolution from the TV show to the big screen (the movie takes place 6 months after the last episode, "Objects in Space"). Things have changed.

There is a higher action and violence level in this (duh, it's a movie, not on TV), and we get some major revelations about the world (which some who saw it with me already don't like). There are some MAJOR events that affect the characters, and I wasn't totally happy with them - shocked is the word. But this is Joss's world, and his characters, and he tells the stories he wants to tell. He doesn't get bound up in hurting our feelings; he just tells it like it is. I believe he did say that this was the hardest thing he'd ever had to write.

At least one person at our screening was a "Firefly virgin," and he said that he liked it. I hope people who have no exposure to the show will be able to see this and enjoy it. Our big damn heroes come across well, and I hope this will get them some well-deserved exposure. This is a no-holds barred, big-time action/adventure sci-fi story, bold and raw, and set in a world unlike anything portrayed in SF before (well, except for "Firefly"). And I hope it does really, really well, and we get to see the sequels.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

Funny; stupid, but funny

[8/10 · 8 August 2005]

Sometimes, a dumb, funny movie just totally hits the spot. And that's the case with this movie. Dodgeball is freakin' funny, but don't expect Noel Coward. To me, the funniest bit is watching Justin Long taking a wrench to the face, so that should tell you the kind of movie this is.

But you have to be clever when you make a dumb movie, and this movie is full of cleverness. Gary Cole and Jason Bateman as the sports announcers were amazing; I never knew Gary Cole was so funny. And Justin Long has a real future doing physical comedy. As they say in the commentary, he is "a study in ham and cheese." MAN he's funny.

Ben Stiller is awesome as White Goodman, the cartoonish bad guy. Some of his best humor comes from his screen time shared with Jamal Duff, who plays "Me'Shell," White's 'fitness concigliere.' And Vince Vaughn sort of plays a standard Vince Vaughn role, but he's still great.

Stephen Root adds another classic character role to his impressive repertoire. And Alan Tudyk as Steve the Pirate totally rocks! When I heard that he was in this movie playing a guy who thinks that he's a pirate, I thought, "WOW, this movie must be stupid." You have to see it to get it.

If you don't mind broad physical comedy and references to obscure, gross sex acts, then this movie is great for a laugh.

Firefly (2002–2003)

A sign of the times

[8 August 2005]

It took Star Trek fans ten years to turn their show into a movie. Over the past fifteen years, there has been a change in how fans have been able to make their wishes known. With Firefly (and Farscape), we've finally seen how fans can use the Internet to join together and coordinate their efforts. It's probably the rise of DVD sales that really brought about the return of these shows (money talks), but how much of the DVD sales can be attributed to the clear demand demonstrated by these organized fan groups? Firefly was an amazing show. Different from anything else that had come before it, yet with certain familiar elements. Joss Whedon did what he does best, creating wonderful characters with depth and detail and throwing them into peril. And no-one was safe; Whedon will kill off characters, or get them into situations where it looks like they'll leave their "group" (Jayne in "Ariel," notably).

If Fox had simply supported the show, put it on in a good time slot, been careful to promote it so people knew when it was on, and aired the damn thing in the order the creator had intended, this show would still be on today. Instead, we got "The Littlest Groom." Fox should be ashamed.

If you can, rent the DVD's from Blockbuster, or borrow them from a friend. Watch them, IN ORDER, and see what people are talking about. I know non-science-fiction-fans who like this show, because it's funny and there's action. Please check it out.