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."

the thing that pissed me off the most about Wash's death was that someone spoiled it for me before i saw it and i spent the entire movie trying to figure out when/if it was really going to happen and by the time it finally did i thought he was safe. asshats who spoil movies suck.

Wash's death did not work when spoiled. I noticed that with a lot of people.

That original draft of Serenity I sent out had somebody else on Haven who got killed, Book on Serenity, and no death. It was a lot more with the funneh than the final script, but it really was just noise -- amusingly, Wash even makes a joke about surviving stupid odds. And Book goes blind for some reason I've never figured. (Unless Book's secret was that he masturbated a lot at the abbey).

I was lucky; I remained completely unspoiled.

Aimee was spoiled, so it wasn't as big a shock for her. She just sat back and waited...and then enjoyed the "HOLY FUCKSTICKS, BATMAN!" jaw-hitting-floor reaction I had when "KKKKSSSHHHH!!!" "...gurk..."

I'm normally one of those people who is religious about not talking during a movie (when shown in a theater), but I know I missed the next few lines and violated my own rule by practically shouting "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Then sitting in shocked and embarrassed silence, convinced the rest of the crew was doomed.

It totally worked for me. And part of me loved that Joss was so "Oh, I'll kill my babies, don't mess with me."

Another part of me, of course, will miss Wash. He was one of my favorites.

I think my one beef with Wash's death was that I wanted to see more of the funeral scene. I don't know why, but that scene just felt cut awkwardly short.

Aimee was spoiled, so it wasn't as big a shock for her. She just sat back and waited...and then enjoyed the "HOLY FUCKSTICKS, BATMAN!" jaw-hitting-floor reaction I had when "KKKKSSSHHHH!!!" "...gurk..."

I went with a friend who was spoiled. I had the same reaction (without Batman, but hey), and I think she was watching me more than the screen at that point.

I'm normally one of those people who is religious about not talking during a movie (when shown in a theater), but I know I missed the next few lines and violated my own rule by practically shouting "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Then sitting in shocked and embarrassed silence, convinced the rest of the crew was doomed.

Me too. At least I didn't feel bad about yelling, though, because most the people in the theater had the same reaction. Except the spoiled ones, I guess.