Firefly the Series: What age is it appropriate viewing for?

Cafe Society
41

[QUOTE=Jurph]
Don’t forget the episode where the crew visits a brothel on a backwater planet. The episode has references to abortion, a fairly explicit fade-to-black that strongly implies forced fellatio, and several other unsavory bits. A high school freshman should be okay seeing it (I was watching Full Metal Jacket* when I was a freshman), but younger than that and I’d start to worry.
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Oh, I forgot about that one. You shouldn’t let your kids see that one. Not 'cause of the sex and violence, but 'cause it’s just bad. You should probably go ahead and skip it, too.

42

[QUOTE=Miller]
Oh, I forgot about that one. You shouldn’t let your kids see that one. Not 'cause of the sex and violence, but 'cause it’s just bad. You should probably go ahead and skip it, too.
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But wasn’t that the one with Jayne getting all poetical about his pecker? There were a couple good lines in that one, but I agree it wasn’t one of the best.

43

[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist]
But wasn’t that the one with Jayne getting all poetical about his pecker? There were a couple good lines in that one, but I agree it wasn’t one of the best.
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Yeah! It’s the one where we get to see Jayne’s fancy whore-visitin’ shirt what has buttons an’ everything!

44

[QUOTE=DesertDog]
It was a half-scale Soviet Hind, actually. (Click on the FAQ link to see the comparison).
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That is so cool.

45

Be prepared to explain:

Zoe: "Preacher, don’t the Bible have some pretty specific things to say about killing?

Book: “Quite specific. It is, however, somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps.”
and

Book: “If you take sexual advantage of her, you’re going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.”

46

Something to consider is the fact that you can only watch Firefly for the first time once. I don’t think it’s too unreasonable for younger kids to watch it (with the obvious exception of War Stories), but the great writing and extremely inappropriate jokes would probably get a much better reception with adolescents.

So I don’t see a problem with it, but waiting a few years might raise the show from “amusing” to “…this is AWESOME”.

47

Well, my daughter ended up staying over my sister’s last night after going to see “Enchanted” (Which they both loved). We had my son tucked away at 10pm and we took this perfect opportunity to watch the disc 1.

Sadly the opening episode “Serenity” was very slow paced and my wife was put off immediately by the firefight. (I liked it). My wife fell asleep about half way through. I watch all three episodes.

It was slow paced but interesting. They over played from the start the Doctor being more than just a passenger, but it was a nice dodge that the other barely noticed passenger was an Alliance officer.

The actors were good. It was a kick seeing Ron Glass of Barney Miller as ‘Shepard Book’, even if the character makes very little sense overall.

Adam Baldwin is the best character so far; in fact it is very nearly the same character he plays on “Chuck” that is the best character on that show.

The Captain, the pilot, Zoe and the Doctor are all solid; they are not standouts but a good mix.

Kaylee (sp?) was excellent, she good be Scotty’s Grand Daughter and acts like a true engineer in the tradition of Chief Tostin or Chief Curly Jones & Chief Sharkey. She is also very cute, that is one advantage she has over the more traditional Engineers.

Inara is yet another Joss Whedon super-hottie. How does he find these actresses? Her character actually seems to add to the show instead of detracting from it. This was surprisingly well done.

That leaves River. At least in the first three episodes they kept her part to a minimum, but she could get annoying very fast is the actress is terrible. I am fearful her role will enlarge in the rest of the show.

My favorite moment, I am sad to report was Captain Mal (Latin for bad :rolleyes: ) trying to get a truce with the knife throwing chief thug in “Bushwhacked” and the idiot talks about how Mal will die with his knife in him. Mal calmly goes “sorry to hear that” and give him a kick into the jet intakes. Of course the next thug plays the expected comedic role with his quick and desperate acceptance of the terms.
Overall, I enjoyed all three episodes. I will knock disc 2 to the top of my Netflix queue and I should get it Wednesday. It looks like I will be watching the series by myself though. Thanks to everyone that posted.

Jim

48

[QUOTE=What Exit?]
That leaves River. At least in the first three episodes they kept her part to a minimum, but she could get annoying very fast is the actress is terrible. I am fearful her role will enlarge in the rest of the show.
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I am going to disagree here. I think that Summer Glau may well be the best actor/actress in the whole series. She’s got a hugely difficult character to perform, and once she hits her stride things start to work really well, I think.

She’s got a great couple of scenes in episodes that focus on other characters, such as Shindig and War Stories, where she really makes you believe that River is looking at the world in a different way. And you’re not entirely sure just where she stands with respect to reality. Is she wrong, or is the rest of the universe?

If you don’t like the character, that’s one thing. But I think you should give Summer Glau a bit more time before you make up your mind about her skills.

I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the series as a whole, though.

49

[QUOTE=What Exit?]

Adam Baldwin is the best character so far; in fact it is very nearly the same character he plays on “Chuck” that is the best character on that show.
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I adore Jayne, and have a great fondness for Adam Baldwin (who’s not a Baldwin brother, unlike every other Baldwin in Hollywood), but I have to admit, acting is not real high on his list of talents. His list of talents includes quips, barbs, sneers and lurking menacingly, and he’s managed to keep himself cast to type in a satisfying number of roles. Yes, that’s the same Adam Baldwin from My Bodyguard ('80s preteen coming of age movie, not the Whitney Houston "Eye-eeeeeeeee-eyeeeeeeee, will always love yoooooooooooooooooooooooooue " thing with Kevin Coster) - and in My Bodyguard, he plays a 15 year old Jayne. So, yeah, he’s been playing the same role for at least 27 years now. Hey, at least he knows his limits!

I also counsel patience and a reevaluation of Summer Glau’s acting ability. Girl is pretty damn amazing. Now, I admit that Joss can become a little starry eyed infatuated with his Power Girls, but Glau, despite what you make think of her character, is a damn fine actress. And her character is supposed to be annoying and offputting. As the episodes go on, she has less screen time until she dominates a couple of the episodes, and the movie is basically about the mystery behind her character and what made her batshit sane ( :stuck_out_tongue: ), but all in all it’s an ensemble show and everyone gets pretty good screen time.

50

[QUOTE=WhyNot]
…the movie is basically about the mystery behind her character and what made her batshit sane…
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I am so stealing this phrase!

51

Yep, Adam Baldwin is as refreshingly one-dimensional as a younger Schwarzenegger and it works for him.

Strangely I knew everything you posted about him. I recently looked him up both for “Chuck” and “My Bodyguard” for the Highschool & College movie thread I started a few weeks ago.

I will give Summer more of a chance, but she is terrible in the first three episodes. That isn’t acting that is over-acting.

Jim

52

What Exit?, just out curiousity, I’d like to ask: Have you ever spent any time with people who are really, deeply, and profoundly insane? Not simply depressed, or mildly affected, but someone like those who interrupt convesations with you to respond to the comments from their voices? I have.

It may be that I was being snowed by someone while I was in the psych ward, but, I don’t think so. If I wasn’t being snowed, Summer Glau’s acting strikes me as being pretty credible - even in those first several episodes.

YMMV, of course.

53

[QUOTE=OtakuLoki]
What Exit?, just out curiousity, I’d like to ask: Have you ever spent any time with people who are really, deeply, and profoundly insane? Not simply depressed, or mildly affected, but someone like those who interrupt convesations with you to respond to the comments from their voices? I have.

It may be that I was being snowed by someone while I was in the psych ward, but, I don’t think so. If I wasn’t being snowed, Summer Glau’s acting strikes me as being pretty credible - even in those first several episodes.

YMMV, of course.
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Very little time. As I said, I will give her more time, but my quick judgment from the first three episodes is over acting.

Maybe you are right, but you sound like someone defending Shatner’s acting as Shakespearian, so it is not overacting. Point of reference that might also help you understand why I took a quick dislike to her (the actress and the character). I think Meryl Streep is the most overrated actress in the history of the world. She does not act, she always, overacts. She is like a 1930s stage actress learning how to do talkies. Shatner at least has the decency to understand he overacts. Streep has been told by so many how great she is that she believes it.

I prefer actors to come off as real people, you know character actors. So far Summer appears to be in the Meryl Streep School of over acting. However this is based on what 12 minutes of lines? So maybe I am wrong, I hope I am.

Jim (My second unexpected, decades old bitter rant of the thread)

Damn, I would rather talk about what I did like, rather than this one minor character.

54

Fair enough. I’ll shut up about it, and extend my apologies for having derailed what should be a fun thread for you.

Can I agree with you on both Shatner and Streep before I get completely off this topic, first?

55

[QUOTE=OtakuLoki]
Fair enough. I’ll shut up about it, and extend my apologies for having derailed what should be a fun thread for you.

Can I agree with you on both Shatner and Streep before I get completely off this topic, first?
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Cool and cooler.

56

Hands up who is now watching their DVDs again as a result of this thread?

puts hand up

57

hand raised

This morning’s viewing was of course “War Stories.” :smiley:

Jim, I agree completely about Streep but have to echo the others on Glau. She is simply amazing. Wait until you work your way through all of the shows, then watch Serenity, the movie. There will be some scenes in the last episode and the movie that will blow you away.

Simon: “Am I talking to Miranda?”

River: :rolleyes:

If that doesn’t crack you up when you see it, I’m afraid we won’t be able to be friends anymore.

58

[QUOTE=What Exit?]
Damn, I would rather talk about what I did like, rather than this one minor character.
[/QUOTE]

Sorry to continue the hijack but she’s not a minor character and is second only to Mal in the hierarchy of the show so if you dislike her and her character that much, you’ll probably not care for and possibly even hate the last half of the series and movie.

Also, for what it’s worth, she has a background in ballet, which might maybe explain her exaggerated acting. Her first appearance in a Joss production was actually in an episode of *Angel * where she played a ballerina stuck in time.

59

[QUOTE=silenus]
Jim, I agree completely about Streep but have to echo the others on Glau. She is simply amazing. Wait until you work your way through all of the shows, then watch Serenity, the movie. There will be some scenes in the last episode and the movie that will blow you away.

Simon: “Am I talking to Miranda?”

River: :rolleyes:

If that doesn’t crack you up when you see it, I’m afraid we won’t be able to be friends anymore.
[/QUOTE]

Wow, you are pretty serious about this as you put up with me being a diehard Yankee Fan. Believe me, I will keep an open mind. …more below.

[QUOTE=Aesiron]
Sorry to continue the hijack but she’s not a minor character and is second only to Mal in the hierarchy of the show so if you dislike her and her character that much, you’ll probably not care for and possibly even hate the last half of the series and movie.

Also, for what it’s worth, she has a background in ballet, which might maybe explain her exaggerated acting. Her first appearance in a Joss production was actually in an episode of *Angel * where she played a ballerina stuck in time.
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She is very minor in the first three episodes. I hope you are right about her, as I would hate disliking the second half of the season after such a good start.

On the other hand, I had no use for Angel, so if it is like that, I am in trouble.

Jim (I always thought I was in a tiny minority about Streep, this is refreshing)

60

[QUOTE=What Exit?]
On the other hand, I had no use for Angel, so if it is like that, I am in trouble.
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Both being written and produced by Whedon, there’re some obvious similarities but wouldn’t really think to compare *Firefly * with either of the Buffyverse shows and was just sharing a bit of trivia about her first appearance in a Joss show and her background. If you managed to make it three episodes in without getting that vibe yourself, you should be safe.