Orson Scott Card on Serenity

[dwndrgn]

Just thought other members would be interested in Orson Scott Card's views on the movie Serenity. Here's his review lifted from his website:

http://www.hatrack.com/osc/reviews/everything/2005-09-30-extra.shtml

 

[dreamwalker]

Wow, its a wonder how I haven't seen this film yet!!

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

The man's got good taste

 

[polymorphikos]

Whilst the review was interesting, Mr Card (or Scott-Card, or whatever) mostly lost me when he started talking about what science-fiction is supposed to be.

That is the thing I hate most about sf fans/writers.

 

[Boaz]

Card loved Serenity. I liked it a lot, but I wanted bit more resolution between Mal and Inarra and between Mal and Jayne. Enigmas abound. Whedon used them to hook me... and I like that some of them stayed in place. Book remained a mystery. The Operative became a mystery.

Two quotes by Card drew my attention...

Let me put this another way. Those of you who know my work at all know about Ender's Game. I jealously protected the movie rights to Ender's Game so that it would not be filmed until it could be done right. I knew what kind of movie it had to be, and I tried to keep it away from directors, writers, and studios who would try to turn it into the kind of movie they think of as "sci-fi."

And I'll tell you this right now: If Ender's Game can't be this kind of movie, and this good a movie, then I want it never to be made.

I'd rather just watch Serenity again.

I've not seen Ender's Game. Did it live up to Card's predictions? Was it done right?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Ender's Game was good entertainment but far from a classic. I'd certainly rexommend it to while away a few hours but it needed something outside of great effects and it didn't quite deliver on some of the pathos and quiet horror of the book.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I've not seen Ender's Game. Did it live up to Card's predictions? Was it done right?

IMO it was done very well, and true to the spirit of the book. Like many adaptation it was not the letter of the book, but I thought it was an exceptional film regardless.

 

[Rafellin]

Interesting, because I love Firefly, Serenity & Browncoats: Redemption, but thought Ender's Game was an utter (but very pretty) disaster except for the rendering of the Formic queen.

 

[JoanDrake]

Whilst the review was interesting, Mr Card (or Scott-Card, or whatever) mostly lost me when he started talking about what science-fiction is supposed to be.

That is the thing I hate most about sf fans/writers.

I sorta agree, but Card is one of the more qualified to have an opinion, and you have to remember, to us (mostly) these are are just stories, to Card it's a living.

And am I alone in seeing Seinfeld as wickedly funny urban fantasy with people I DO care about, tho' they certainly wouldn't about me.

 

[willwallace]

Interesting, because I love Firefly, Serenity & Browncoats: Redemption, but thought Ender's Game was an utter (but very pretty) disaster except for the rendering of the Formic queen.

I mostly agree, Ender's Game wasn't very engaging for me. I enjoyed Serenity way more, but of course there was the series to build up my appetite for the movie. And I haven't read Ender's Game, so can't compare book to movie. But just seeing them as movies, Serenity for me is much better than Ender's Game.

 

[David Doherty-Jebb]

It's a sad truth that Card's toxic opinions may keep me from reading what many say is a SF classic.
But that's how it is.