Serenity -- tops Star Wars

[Team 2012]

Just saw this again and was struck with how superior this film is to Star Wars. Better script, more dimensional characters, more interesting premise...and more fun to watch. Of course, it has the advantage of appearing later (and the disadvantage of following a wow-zow classic) but the flight and fight scenes, the space shots, so much of it is WAY superior to anything in SW.

But how many people would say that?

[Grimward]

I think they're different, Team. After its massive success, I think Star Wars had the challenge of trying to appeal to all ages (others who know Lucas' mind/interviews here will correct me, of course). Serenity was never intended for the under 13 audience, and probably is best reserved for at least 15 and older (it was PG-13 here in the US, I think?). I don't know that the fight scenes are necessarily better (thought the Jedi-Darth Maul battle towards the end of The Phantom Menace was pretty good). I liked Serenity a lot, though, and would love to see another movie....

Welcome to The Chrons, by the way. If so inclined, stop by the Introductions thread when you get the chance and tell us a little more about yourself.

Grim

[Connavar]

The new Star Wars arent as good as Serenity imo either. They were barely movies,they were only about how awesome the visual effects are.

[tangaloomababe]

I have to agree, Serenity is a great movie, it kind of helps if you have seen Firefly first but you can get away with it. I enjoyed the Star Wars movie but only the original three, the later ones bored me silly and I was not overawed by the "special effects" but rather somewhat put of and the story lines were all over the place.
Serentiy the characters were more loveable and easier to relate to, it had humor and suspence both severly lacking in the Star Wars movie (sorry Geoff I know your a big Star Wars fan)

[The Procrastinator]

I don't know, I didn't think Serenity was that great a movie. I saw it before I saw Firefly and so much of it didn't impact on me like it should've - I could tell I was missing vital background info, parts of the film confused me. I recently rewatched it after finally getting to see Firefly, so at least this time around I got everything. I really enjoyed it, but I don't think it ranks with Star Wars. I'm talking the original here, Star Wars: A New Hope - still the only thing I think of when I think of Star Wars. If you want to approach this film with any kind of sophistication, of course it has an infinity of flaws, but just looking at it on the basic level of satisfaction, I still think Star Wars has "got it" when it comes to myth-making, storytelling, film-making and plain old entertainment. There's a reason why it blew the world away, before the merchandising behemoth that was to come was anything but a glint in George's eye. I don't think Serenity has a hope of competing with it on that level. Star Wars is a classic and rightly so, and as much as I love Firefly, I wouldn't class Serenity as a classic movie.

If you want to look at it from the point of view of the "universes" though - the Firefly series versus the Star Wars series - then I have to say I love Firefly better.

[Parson]

As I am (fortunately?) old enough to have been an adult when Star Wars came out and remember milieu into which it was sent. Serenity,isn't even a blip on the radar in comparison.

The movie industry in that time was IMO a wasteland of ill thought out plotless stories filled with anti-heroes and psychedelic illogic. Then comes this beautiful clear story of good vs. evil, interesting characters and (for then!) mind blowing special effects I went home blown away. I had never had anything like it as a movie experience. I didn't know such SF movies were possible.

As for the rest of the movies, I've liked each progessive one less. But I would be found in line to see another "Star Wars" movie that finally had a new story to tell. I think the prequels were a really, really, bad idea. (I know the story, George sold the most marketable one first before he had the clout to do what he wanted, so he is in some sense forgiven, but I would have loved to seen the story move forward rather than back.)

[Shadow Trooper]

My main thoughts are that both were great.

Serenity is a fantastic standalone film and one that I often show to colleagues who are 'anti Sci-Fi'. Guess what, they often give the comment 'it was OK'. Well believe me that is a result when they usually profess to involuntarily vomiting if subject to any form of contact with Sci-Fi.

Star Wars is an epic. The films are good on there own but become epic when watched as a whole (all 6).

Personally I found that I felt more involved/closer to the Serenity film and characters, where with Star Wars it felt I was watching a story and therefore not as involved.

[Dave]

I also agree with the above replies, that although I like both, a comparison is like chalk and cheese. As Parson says, every science fiction film since Star Wars owes it's very existence to Star Wars, so how can you compare with that, but Star Wars was a fairytale in space. I think the Firefly-Serenity universe is a much grittier one, possibly more realistic (there were no aliens at least.)

I think Serenity still seemed like a TV show made-up to the big screen, whereas Star Wars was a cinematic experience par none (at the time the opening sequence blew me away - though Spaceballs does it even better ) Who knows though, what Joss Whedon could have done with a larger budget?

[The Procrastinator]

TV show blown up for the big screen, exactly. I don't know if a bigger budget would've changed the fact that Star Wars (as mentioned above) is an epic and is meant to be one - whereas Serenity/Firefly isn't an epic, and that in fact is one of its strengths.

[dustinzgirl]

Serenity's "problem" wasn't budget, it was that it was based on a television series and they took television minor plots and threw them into a big movie plot. Its like making a television show from a movie. It's only good for the diehard fans, because we are the only one's that got the jokes and the plots.

Star Wars is completely different, it is a series of movies that have been made into television and animated and ect ect ect...and almost every one of them except for the Star Wars theatrical cinema releases fail.

Because you can't take a big thing and chop it up tiny and have the same goodness and flavors you originally had--apples to applesauce, made from the same thing, but doesn't taste the same, and if you really love the crispy of an apple, you probably don't like the mushy of applesauce.

and you can't take a bunch of little things and squish them all together into one big thing and have the same goodness you originally had, either. Like fruitcake. Who doesn't like tiny jellied/dried fruit, and cake? But you put them together, and GROSS.

[Vladd67]

Originally Posted by Connavar

The new Star Wars arent as good as Serenity imo either. They were barely movies,they were only about how awesome the visual effects are.

They were only about selling stuff.

[clovis-man]

Originally Posted by Parson

The movie industry in that time was IMO a wasteland of ill thought out plotless stories filled with anti-heroes and psychedelic illogic. Then comes this beautiful clear story of good vs. evil, interesting characters and (for then!) mind blowing special effects I went home blown away. I had never had anything like it as a movie experience. I didn't know such SF movies were possible.

Not to mention the great John Williams score; the first "heroic" score since Ben-Hur or Spartacus. A real breath of fresh air at the time. And thereby hangs the tale. You really can't compare Serenity with Star Wars (episode 4). The latter is forever cemented in the time that it was produced and was more influential of subsequent genre films than almost any other movie. Was Unforgiven a result of High Noon? Was Saving Private Ryan a result of The Sands of Iwo Jima? I don't think so.

Serenity was only possible because Fox dumped Firefly before its time was up. Joss Whedon was able to give the Browncoats out there some closure by filming the movie. Very fortunate for fans. But I don't see lightning striking twice. If Dollhouse gets cancelled (Fox again), I find it hard to imagine a feature film follow-up.

[biodroid]

I heartily disagree with you Team, If it wasn't for Star Wars I can guarantee you Serenity and Firefly would never have been made.

[dustinzgirl]

Originally Posted by biodroid

I heartily disagree with you Team, If it wasn't for Star Wars I can guarantee you Serenity and Firefly would never have been made.

On that note, if it wasn't for A Trip To The Moon (1902)

Star Wars would never have been made either.

And if it weren't for Verne or any of those other old dudes, A Trip To The Moon would never have been made either times three.



And, Star Wars isn't so much an original movie, as an original take on a lot of different movies with a big space ship in it.

But I love Star Wars. It can do no wrong. (shh, don't disagree with me)

[Shadow Trooper]

DG is correct.

I think it would be safer to say Star Wars set a bench mark for others to follow, a standard of film making (SFX) that others had to at least try and follow to remain credible in the film world (unless the storyline was so good nobody minded).