Terrible movie


Why people like it?

The acting from 80% of the cast is god awful, specially the captain and the doctor. Special effects are just OK, nothing incredible. All actions scenes seem silly, there are some cringe worthy dialogues as well.

The premise looks ideally OK, but the delivering is so rushed and confused that's unbearable.

I was expecting a 8.0 imdb score film, gathered my whole family to watch it and got very embarrassed by the result. I found myself expecting some crazy plot twist that never happened that could justify the 8.0 score.

Am I missing something? Because I think the movie is objectively bad - more like a 5.0.

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It becomes way better when you've watched the show that spawned it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/

So yeah, you're missing Firefly and it's one shiny show. Possibly shiniest in the 'verse.

Would You like to know more?

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Yeah, but you should not have to watch the parent TV show to enjoy it. This was allegedly a movie, a standalone entertainment. That was a lie, obviously. I do not give a damn about the failed TV show, which, having been a “space Western” was doomed to appeal to about 10 people.

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Am I missing something?


Not really. It just didn't click with you. That's cool. No movie can please everybody.

Just know. The answer to your question:

Why people like it?


Is the opposite of your post. Fans love the action, the dialogue, the characters, the story, etc.

Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead.

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Is the opposite of your post. Fans love the action, the dialogue, the characters, the story, etc.


Yes, the problem is that I think the movie to be objectively bad. For instance, I hated Kill Bill, but I know that's a very very well made movie - the acting is great, story telling marvelous, etc. It's just not my thing.

I thought this movie to be lacking in quality, despite my personal opinions.

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I would have to disagree with that.

Objectively, the movie is still pretty well made.

The opening alone does a good job of giving the audience everything they need to know about this world and its characters. It transitions from a classroom lecture, to a nightmare, to a holographic projection, always moving the story and action forward. It introduces the main antagonist and his motivation.

While it's true the special effects weren't special, they weren't bad either.

The action scenes are fun and well edited. Even towards the end when there are dozens of ships flying around, we never lose track of our heroes' ship.

The fight scenes with River are almost balletic, keeping in with her character being a dancer. Mal's fight scenes are more rough and tumble dirty tactics. And of course, the final shootout is the classic Western defend the fort scene.

Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead.

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The opening alone does a good job


Yes. The opening was really good and creative, but that's it... No other part of the movie came remotely close.

The fight scenes with River are almost balletic


No, it was silly in my opinion. You can see every single time that her feet it's not touching anyone and they put this 70's loud punch sound. Looks like a Power Ranger fight.

That's what I mean by objectively bad.

The man fights have really cheesy dialogue in the middle. The Cannibal dudes looked like Power Rangers evil minions.

The Chronicles of Riddick gets a 6,7. It's a little confuse and bad edited, but objectively better than Serenity in terms of fighting (waaaay better), special effects, acting, coherence of the plot and lore.

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The opening was really good and creative, but that's it... No other part of the movie came remotely close.


Gotta disagree with that too. Once we board Serenity, we're treated to a several-minute long uninterrupted tracking shot. We follow Mal from the cockpit, through the hallway, kitchen, engine room, medical quaters, into the main cargo bay, and up the catwalk.

Along the way, we meet Wash, Jayne, Zoe, Kaylee, Simon, and River. With each character, we learn who they are and what their roles on the ship are, ie. pilot, doctor, etc. We get not only a tour of the ship and its two main floors, but we get a tour of the characters.

Objectively, that's a well done and composed scene because the audience is shown who the characters are and not told. We're not told Kaylee is a mechanic, we see her working on the engine, for example.

Also, River's fight scene includes some creative editing. When it starts, it's dreamlike to show something is wrong with River. The takes are longer. Then when it intensifies, the takes become faster. As the scene reaches its climax, we get faster intercutting between River attacking everyone and Mal frantically searching for his gun. This gives urgency to the scene.

No, it was silly in my opinion.


Ahh, but that's not objective. In my opinion, it was brilliant. The dancer would fight with more grace. The scoundrel would fight using cheap tactics.

I don't feel the dialogue is cheesy at all. It demonstrates character. Mal as a scoundrel. The Operative as a cold calculating assassin.

I take no issue with the Power Rangers comparison because those scenes were very well choreographed. They often included over a dozen characters on screen. With the five main power rangers themselves having a variety of fighting styles and the fights being able to display them. At least the original series. I never watched any of the follow up series.

It's a little confuse and bad edited, but objectively better than Serenity in terms of fighting (waaaay better), special effects, acting, coherence of the plot and lore.


This also is not objective. I feel the special effects in Riddick were lacking. Particularly the CGI cat-thing. As well as the acting. Very hammy. Far worse than anything in Serenity.

As for the coherence of plot and lore, as I pointed out, Serenity did a very effective job of explaining both right at the beginning through a very creative series of scenes. And without the voice-over narration in CoR.

Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead.

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You gathered your whole family to watch it based on an IMDB rating? Really? 😂

"I know it looked like I fell... but it was all part of my plan!"

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Of course I would gather my tribe! 8.0 with a quarter million votes is insane! Not trusting anymore, though.

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Horse. Barn door. Not real bright.

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Guess it's not your thing. It helps that you watch the parent show, Firefly. The show gives more background to the characters.

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The plot twist was that the reavers were accidentally created by the Alliance's attempts to placate the populace of a planet. And by the end of the movie, the Alliance's power hold on the 'verse has been significantly undermined, something that never would have been expected in such sudden fashion in the TV series.

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I love this film, way better than I expected.

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You're a terrible movie!

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I agree, it's not very good. I rated it a 5/10.

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I like it, a lot. I'm not a follower of sci-fi, but Serenity has life and death tension leavened with a sense of humor and elan.
I find the cast very likable and the pace is very brisk. A movie like Tank Girl wanted to find this sort of tone but couldn't manage it. Serenity succeeds in spades, at least for me.

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