I've finally gotten enough perspective on the film to articulate why it didn't work for me, and why it was such a disappointment as a film. I wanted it to be better. I was prepared to overlook a considerable amount of schlock. But when you go throwing perfectly good characters into the grinder without justification, without justification in the story, then I call it bad writing.

I'm still too mad about the way he and Book were squandered to be sad for losing them.

River and Simon were never characters i cared all that much about in the show. so having a movie dedicated to them, their backstory and their character growth was really disappointing to me. i was hoping it would be much more of an ensemble piece, like the show was. i was severely disappointed. add insult to injury with Wash's death who was probably my favorite character.

My favorite character was always River. No one else was even close.

And I thought Wash's death worked really well for the story. It scared the shit out of me. Book's I found to be a little contrived and it felt rushed.

I saw Book's death coming a mile away. Kill the mentor; Necessary Step 3 for the Hero's Journey.

Wash's death threw me, but upon later reflection, I thought it was brilliant. Didn't see it coming, and it left me in suspense the whole rest of the movie. Whenever Kaylee got hit, or Jayne or when Simon got shot I had this voice in my head saying "Holy shit! Nobody's safe! They're going to lose! THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE!" I was legitimately scared for them.

That's exactly how I felt. Apart from the fact that there wasn't enough time in a 2-hour movie to showcase every charcter AND still have an action movie of some sort (the pilot was a different story), my only problems were the short-shrift Book got (and the obviousness of what was going to happen to him) and the whole Mr. Universe character (I did rather like the actor, though).

I didn't so much mind Mr. Universe. He was a walking, talking McGuffin, granted, but he was kinda funny, so I didn't mind.

I think my one beef about Mr. Universe is that I find it hard to believe that that little dweeby guy could make it across his Generator Room Deathtrap to get to his own gear. I thought it would be really funny if Mal did his whole Death Defying Acrobatics bit and the Operative looked around, flipped open a panel and pressed a button activating the walkway.

Mal: "GORRAM it!"

Operative: "This is why I will win."

I think my one beef about Mr. Universe is that I find it hard to believe that that little dweeby guy could make it across his Generator Room Deathtrap to get to his own gear. I thought it would be really funny if Mal did his whole Death Defying Acrobatics bit and the Operative looked around, flipped open a panel and pressed a button activating the walkway.

Heh. That would have been AWSOME. And very Jossian. That whole reveal of the generator room had me flashing on Galaxy Quest, except I don't think it was supposed to be funny.

Ha! That would have been great. And Whedonesque.

Wash's death had the same effect on me as it did to Miracleman, although I was thrown for several minutes immediately following and before later carnage trying to acclimate to the fact that I was now living in a World Without Wash. It was a sad world. But a heart-pounding one.

And very Jossian.

Haaaaa. That's the adjective I used at first, and then I changed it.

I still discuss movies that are far older than 2 years in this kind of detail, or even more.

I mean, no one questions discussion of a book that's 2 years old, right?

Yeah, the Mr. Universe thing generated a lot of snark around Casa de Raq. One person opined that it was the requisite platform-style arcade sequence in the console game. Another noted the (yet again) Galaxy Questness. And a third said he does the same thing with his DVD and TiVo at home, to force himself to not just spud on the couch.

And a third said he does the same thing with his DVD and TiVo at home, to force himself to not just spud on the couch.

Hate to hang out at that guy's house.

"Hey, can I use your bathroom?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"AAAAAIIIEEEEE!!!"

"Mind the flame pit."

"AAGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!"

"...and the starved weasel room."

"OHGODOHGODOHGODOHWHYGODWHY?"

"...and the old underwear falling from the ceiling."