A Thousand Tiny Details {Warning: Spoilerific}

POSTED BY: RocketJock
UPDATED: Saturday, October 15, 2005 02:41
VIEWED: 10821
PAGE 3 of 4

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Originally posted by liminalosity:

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Originally posted by zipply:

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Originally posted by liminalosity:
I love it that they have names like 'Barnswallow' and 'Crazy Ivan' for the edgiest moves.

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Simon, in the first scene on Serenity, when he's arguing with the cap about River going on the caper ('this is anger') and all merry hell is breaking loose on the ship...I've read a bunch of speculation about what's going on with Mal asking to be innoc'd. I think the scene is to remind the viewer who hasn't seen the series that River's brother who rescued her is now the doc on Serenity, as well as to let fans of the series know that this is a much tougher Simon than we're used to seeing. He stands right up to Mal, follows him straight down the stairs as the ship is pitching around, goes into the infirmary and innoculates Mal all without batting an eye, instead of cowering in a corner somewhere.

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Yes, exactly. A lot of people have complained because Simon shows backbone and competency in both the prologue and the body of the film; they cry "out of character!"

Au contraire, mon freir. Simon was always competent; but in his early days on Serenity he was a fish out of water; Simon Templar in Hooterville. Obviously he's done some acclimatizing in the time since.

"She's tore up plenty. But she'll fly true." -- Zoë Washburn

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Originally posted by RocketJock:
Simon Templar in Hooterville.

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oooh lol my face hurts. What a picture!

I haven't read the comics or any intervening plot related info, but in Objects in Space things shift quite a bit for both Simon and River in terms of emotional strength and acceptance by the crew. I wasn't surprised to see Simon make a strong entrance, and I very much enjoyed the confidence the character showed.

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The opening sequence of Serenity hitting atmo...dear sweet God, it gives me goosebumps and makes my hair stand on end. The music, the views, the realism...I'd give almost anything to own Serenity.

Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!

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Originally posted by liminalosity:
I haven't been buying that when the Operative stabs Mr Universe, he isn't just plain dead and done, but somehow he manages to crawl across the floor to the snugglebot and record a message to Mal. It just seems too farfetched that he would have survived for even one instant, but now I'm thinking maybe it's because he was a believer (BD theme throughout), and that somehow gave him a 2 minute pass.

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This is something that I don't think played well in the movie (the Operative's face is in shadow). After he stabs Mr. Universe, the Operative gets a look on his face that's a little disquieted -- not his usual calm.

The script makes this moment even clearer, stating that the Operative is a bit confused and taken aback by the sudden moment and feeling he has.

My theory is that this is where he starts to lose his cool. Mal has just shown that he not only won't give up River, but wants to stick it to the Alliance -- despite all the people who have died so far. This affront to the Alliance and the Operative's mission is finally the point where he starts to get mad. (It's nearing the end of spending an hour with Mal like Inara suggests -- only this has been more of a metaphorical hour. We see more of this when he freaks out about how someone should fire on the Reavers, and then when he shoots Mal in the back, Mal asks if he's made the Operative angry -- which he probably has.)

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Originally posted by teraph:

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Originally posted by liminalosity:
I haven't been buying that when the Operative stabs Mr Universe, he isn't just plain dead and done, but somehow he manages to crawl across the floor to the snugglebot and record a message to Mal. It just seems too farfetched that he would have survived for even one instant, but now I'm thinking maybe it's because he was a believer (BD theme throughout), and that somehow gave him a 2 minute pass.

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This is something that I don't think played well in the movie (the Operative's face is in shadow). After he stabs Mr. Universe, the Operative gets a look on his face that's a little disquieted -- not his usual calm.

This affront to the Alliance and the Operative's mission is finally the point where he starts to get mad. (It's nearing the end of spending an hour with Mal like Inara suggests -- only this has been more of a metaphorical hour.

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Yeah, I noticed that look as the Operative leaves the room too. I think he only pretended to be the picture of calm, I think Mal was under his skin from the start. I thought it seemed that he was already annoyed that Mal could sneak up on him at the companion house in that outrageous get up with the beaded fringe. I've been wondering if Inara's line 'please, spend an hour with him' (I like your "metaphorical hour" - that cracked me up) was to point the viewer to the idea that Mal's already under his skin. The only time he seems to me to be as calm and unemotional as he claims throughout is in his last scene when he tells Mal 'there's nothing left to see'. Otherwise he looks like a phony to me - oh so very polite, pretending serenity while seething underneath. He's pretty quick to point the finger too, like an insecure bully, asking everyone 'do you know what your sin is?' I don't quite have him figured yet, he's a pretty complicated villian. Thanks for starting things down this road, I want to hear what people have to say about this guy.

"Yeah, well, what you plan
and what takes place
ain't ever exactly been similar." -Jayne

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Originally posted by teraph:
(It's nearing the end of spending an hour with Mal like Inara suggests -- only this has been more of a metaphorical hour. We see more of this when he freaks out about how someone should fire on the Reavers, and then when he shoots Mal in the back, Mal asks if he's made the Operative angry -- which he probably has.)

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I agree as I said in My post above, the relationship between Mal and The Operative is amazing. It is underlined for me in the scene on the Alliance ship bridge where the operative said "We should have settled this like men, not with fire." you can see the disappointment in his eyes, that he was not going to get to meet Mal face to face.

although when he says "You should have let me see her..." I sat there and thought "but she would have kicked your ass dude.."


This aside.. Taking you "Reavers" comment into focus.. I think this underlines something about the Operative that we've thus far over looked, he says to Mal "You can't make me angry" but it turns out.. that you can make him SCARED.. I think that is why he freaks out. Reavers are Scary pieces of work.

And I think that Mal actually gets under the Operatives skin in another way.. The operative at the point that he sees Serenity and the Reavers, realizes at that point that Mal is also, in essence, an operative. The Operative himself believes in the alliance, Mal is an operative for Freedom and independence. and I think that intimidates The Operative on some level.

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The entry sequence at the beginning of the movie, the Reaver Army (drawing them out AND the battle--as my brother says, there's nothing like pitting space derelects against a well trained army and having the derelects win), the River Kicking Reaver Ass scene, and the exit sequence. <3

Also, I noticed that the newsclips in the background when they walk into the Maidenhead are about the town that just got sacked by Reavers--the only survivors hid in a vault. XD

Also,
"It was the Pax that killed them." <3 Whedon for his use of latin to make a truely ironic line.
(Er, for those who don't know, Pax means Peace in Latin.)

"I'm so hip I can't see over my pelvis!"

http://home.comcast.net/~aethercitystudios/index.html

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There was only one bit of the film that I REALLY liked... It the bit that started about 5 seconds before the Universal logo morphed into the evacuation of Earth-That-Was, through to the bit where the credits finished! In fact, the fisrt time i saw the film was 3 weeks ago, and I'm still suffering from the "shock and awe" now!

The film was FAR darker than I expected, but that doesn't make it any less excellent!

Can't wait for the DVD...!

A bit of an animal... but which bit?!?

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Originally posted by NeoDoug1:
There was only one bit of the film that I REALLY liked... It the bit that started about 5 seconds before the Universal logo morphed into the evacuation of Earth-That-Was, through to the bit where the credits finished! /B]

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You betcha.....the whole BDMovie was a thrill ride!

But I absolutely adore the final scene of Serenity rising up through the storm to space....OMG....the music is perfect, and coming on the heels of Mal's "love" speech.....(((SNIFF!!!)))....and then, the perfect touch of Firefly goofyness....the panel flying off, and Mal's "what was that?" as the ending shot......Hi-larious!!!!

Christ, I'm getting chills just replaying that in my mind....and here I thought 5 times would be enough to see this for awhile....I'm now jonesing to see it again!!!

"We gotta go to that crappy town where I'M a hero..."
Shiny stuff for Browncoats at: http://www.cafepress.com/outtotheblack

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