Chapter 361: This Is It!

“Director: Wang Yang, Screenwriter: Wang Yang & Joss Whedon, Producers: Wang Yang, Joss Whedon…”

A bit melancholic? The screening halls of “Firefly” across 3845 North American Cinemas fell silent, save for the tranquil, sorrowful soundtrack. As the North American and global audience watched the post-Serenity Valley battle scenes unfold through background story animations, many felt their emotions surge. They were no longer as skeptical of the so-called “Wonder Yang”, who seemed a bit much! This was just the beginning; who knew if it would end up like “District 9”, leaving them sleepless, haunted by nightmares?

“Wow, what an amazing soundtrack.” In different packed theaters, Nancy Reno exclaimed in admiration, so did Rachel McAdams, and many other film and music fans excitedly praised the music, confident that it must be a gem. No surprise there—Hans Jimo + Jan Kaczmarek! Either of them is capable of transforming a bad film with their music, greatly elevating a good one. The first few minutes, with their battles, speeches, sorrows, and calm, fully demonstrated their exceptional skills and original creative passion.

The fervor of Jimo and the melancholy of Kaczmarek together crafted an unparalleled musical world. Many soundtrack fans thought it was the most exquisite opening music of the year, with a truly Eastern flavor, seemingly incorporating some Asian bamboo wind instruments.

Right from its debut, “Firefly” showcased indisputably top-tier visual effects, cinematography, and soundtrack, confidently declaring that it was a big-budget production of 200 million dollars, backed by a top-notch team! It was a skyscraper built under the supervision of the amazing Yang! Even the most critical of movie reviewers softened their gaze, acknowledging the opening segment that set the story backdrop was nicely done. How could they nitpick? Wang Yang’s cameo was beyond reproach, on par with the explosive Robert Downey Jr….

Not to mention the fans who had already acquainted themselves with the story; after this introduction, “casual moviegoers who picked ‘Firefly’, the youngest Oscar-winning Best Director + IMAX film, from the poster wall were able to understand the uncomplicated backdrop clearly. The Earthlings had come to a vast new star system, war broke out, the marginalized protagonists lost, and the Star Alliance took control of the entire new system.

What a visual feast! All spectators understood that this was just the beginning, and the film’s quality couldn’t yet be judged, as the camera zoomed into a planet on the edge of the star system, and the main story began.

“Rumble, rumble, rumble—”

On the big screen, a long train rumbled through the expansive, beautiful prairies under a blue sky dotted with white clouds. The audience was instantly enveloped by a peculiar sense of science fiction—the desolate outskirts of the star system were half technologically advanced future, half technologically behind “present,” with a pioneering cowboy style in vogue.

The camera then cut to the train’s cargo hold filled with passengers and goods, where Michael Pitt’s character, Simon, caressed a large black box. In a close-up, his demeanor was decadent, but his eyes were soft and amicable. His nearly half-faced beard brightened the eyes of many fans, as Simon murmured softly to himself, “Riv, stay here for a bit.” He then headed to the passenger cabin, took his seat, opened the newspaper to read, but his eyes remained vigilantly aware of his surroundings.

The camera swept over the patrolling security staff on the train and then focused on the news report on the train’s television screen: “A bank warehouse was robbed yesterday in Liann City, suspects are believed to be associated with the former independent faction gang.” The voice of the detailed report toned down, while some smartly dressed passengers’ complaints grew louder: “Damn it! Those damn country bumpkins!” “They should be wiped out along with the looters!” A cowboy-dressed burly man stood up furiously: “The fuck! What bullshit are you spouting!”

The white burly man blurted out a Chinese expletive, incomprehensible to the majority of North American viewers who glanced at the subtitles and knew it was a coarse word akin to “FUCK,” a touch of mystery to it. Some of the audience members familiar with Chinese profanities smiled and even mimicked it, like Natalie: “The fuck… his own…”

As the burly man argued with passengers, the camera abruptly switched outside, where a small spaceship spewing flames descended from the sky, moving at the same speed just above the train, marked with the circular logo of Serenity. The music became gradually more mysterious and tense, as the Serenity fired grappling hooks to attach to the train, with Mal, Jayne, and Zoe descending on ropes, opening the train’s roof with tools; meanwhile, the camera cut back inside, several unnaturally tense security guards passed by Simon, heading toward the arguing passengers.

Simon looked somewhat nervous. He lifted his eyes, and the news report continued on the TV screen: “The latest monitoring from the Frontier Security Bureau on the edge of the system suggests that the Reavers may move toward Canton. Residents, please be alert…” The camera then cut back to Mal and his team, as they attached boxes of targeted goods to the numerous hooks from the thick cable, with only one spot left. An excited Jayne said, “Mal, one spot left, we’re taking this one! I like ’em big!” Mal glanced at the black box: “Let’s hope it’s not food…”

As Jayne buckled the last strap, Simon’s brow furrowed in an instant. He saw the belt at his waist light up with a red glow and rose from his seat with a grave expression, hastily heading towards the cargo hold. The security personnel subdued the burly Independents throwing punches, pulled away travelers who were starting to kick, and at that moment, the entire train blared an ear-piercing alarm “Wooo—.” Under the tense soundtrack, Simon ran in panic; while on the other side, with Zoe’s “Done” over the intercom, Serenity suddenly retracted its cables.

The vast, endless prairie was suddenly disrupted by a “flight” of large cargo boxes from the top of the moving train, which were pulled into the spaceship. There stood Mal, Jayne, and Zoe atop the cargo boxes, each pulling on the ropes single-handedly.

“NO!!!” Simon, arriving a step too late and seeing the black box missing from the cargo hold, yelled out in near emotional loss of control. He came to a passageway, gasping for breath, with his hands on the window, watching the Firefly spaceship quickly recede into the distance.

“You were cowardly soldiers before, and now you’re all just trash!” “Losers!” The camera shifted back to the passenger cabin, where knowing the train had been robbed, passengers cursed more fervently, their faces twisted in anger. The serious security personnel handcuffed the enraged, muscle-bound giant, and led him away. The camera then focused on a television screen flashing an S-level wanted notice, showing a clean-shaven and refined Simon: “This criminal is extremely dangerous. If you see him, please call the police immediately. Do not risk contact…”

This segment of the train heist didn’t have any intense fighting, but the audience was completely mesmerized by wave after wave of visual feast. The fluid and natural editing, with the spaceship and the train running parallel, broadened one’s view of the world, while the suspenseful and thrilling music quickened the heartbeat—exhilarating!

However, the last few lines of dialogue made fans who were clearly in the Independents’ camp feel a bit of heartache. Cowards, losers, and trash? Naturally, they couldn’t help but recall the impactful words of Mal from the fight at Serenity Valley; they were heroes once, now reduced to rowdy cowboys cursed by the world. Evelyn felt a stifled frustration but, fortunately, the trailer hinted at a turning point in the story!

What did Wang Yang want to say, what did he want to do? Film critics were already speculating about the intent of the entire Firefly series—if it wasn’t just a commercial film, on which side did this young director stand: the Alliance or the Independents? What was he alluding to?

Richard Roeper from the well-known movie review program Ebert & Roeper thought, the Iraq War? Assuming the Alliance represented America, and the Independents, Iraq—wouldn’t Mal and his crew be like terrorists? And they’re the protagonists—it’s a disturbing idea. But having thoroughly understood the backstory of Firefly, the analogy of the interstellar war to the Iraq War seemed intentional; yet, looters would rather fit the role of post-war terrorists. Whether justice belongs to the former Independent soldiers or the Alliance, maybe things aren’t so simple.

The outspoken yet politically correct Wang Yang has always been a darling of the Oscars, heart-stirring and thought-provoking. Initially, his stance on the Iraq War was as a fierce anti-war supporter. And this film? How would its artistry and political stance manifest, what would he express through it?

“Whoosh—” In the cinema, the sound of jet fighters soared, prompting many appreciative thoughts from the critics, but the audience didn’t care too much about the artistry, politics, or ideology. What they knew was that in terms of commercial and entertainment value, it was top-notch! The visual feast continued to escalate, and Firefly had no intention of slowing down—in fact, the train heist had just begun! Critics didn’t need to think too hard; their eyes were glued to the screen.

The robbed train deployed several of its security system’s small, unmanned fighter jets for a pursuit, and thus, amidst the intense score, across the vast blue sky and prairie, wild horses galloped below as Serenity dodged and weaved to avoid being hit by the flames licking at her from her pursuers.

“Wow!” In every IMAX theater, the audience let out a collective gasp, eyes wide open and unblinking—it was so beautiful, so splendid! They’ve seen this magnitude of spectacle before, but never with this level of cinematic experience. Previously, IMAX theaters had shown about 40-minute-long documentaries like the dated “T-REX: Back to the Cretaceous” (premiering since 1998-10-23) or “Space Station 3D” (since 2002-4-19). Last year, The Polar Express was the first feature-length IMAX-3D film, a live-action animation which was rather dull.

But now, Firefly was powerful! With realistic special effects, outstanding acton choreography and editing, the audience felt almost as if they were passengers or pilots aboard Serenity, their bodies unconsciously swaying left and right.

“Aaaaah—” Just then, the screen cut to a forward angle of Serenity’s aft cargo hold, where the doors suddenly opened and lowered, spouting two frightening streams of fire. The camera slowly zoomed in closer to reveal Jayne, muscles bulging, wielding two gigantic black Gatling guns, roaring madly as he moved step by step towards the cargo gate, swaying from side to side as he sprayed the approaching fighters with bullets: “Dada dada dada…” The guns whirred at high speed, and spent casings clattered to the floor with a crisp “ding ding” sound.

“Wow!” No matter the theater, the audience erupted with amazement and grins—unexpectedly, the previously smart and talented Daniel Wu had become a muscular man of violence, and his ferocity was compelling. The intense atmosphere provoked a rush of adrenaline.

The camera switched angles, and the atmosphere aboard Serenity was tense. Dressed as a mechanic, Kaylee peeked out from behind a stack of clutter boxes, a mix of anxiety and hesitation on her face. She watched as Mal almost got hit and let out a ghostly scream before he and Zoe quickly loaded the rocket launcher. She shouted, “Captain, Captain! There’s something I think it’s time to tell you.”

Mal, who was carrying the rocket launcher, shouted back, “What? You want me dead? You love me? I really can’t stand this!”

“Hehe.” “Haha!” The audience’s chuckles surrounded Nancy Reno, who also smiled. The line itself might not have been that funny, but Robert Downey Jr.’s delivery and demeanor nailed it, embodying his character’s rakish charm, especially his frivolity in the face of danger. Laughter echoed in the AMC-CityWalk cinema as Robert Downey Jr. smacked his lips and winked at his wife Susan Levin, who rolled her eyes in response.

“I installed the VI38 missile system on Serenity, and I bought the ammo for one launch!”

A rocket launched from Serenity was nimbly dodged by a drone fighter and exploded in the air like fireworks. Captain Mal, standing at Serenity’s hatch, almost fell over in surprise and exclaimed, “What!?” He tossed the rocket launcher aside and rushed toward the corridor entrance, cursing and complaining, “When did I tell you to install this stuff? We can’t afford a Firefly-class missile system, and you went and bought this… How did you even install it?”

In a close-up edit, Kaylee was all spirited, while Jayne still hadn’t quite grasped what was happening, looking dazed. Mal frantically picked up the phone on the wall, “Wash! We have a VI38 missile system! Use it! Now!!”

“OK, I’m looking, I’m looking…” Wash’s voice came over the cargo hold’s communicator. The big screen showed the Serenity’s cockpit for the first time, with lush green plains visible through the windshield glass, surrounded by various instrument screens and models of dinosaurs scattered around the control chairs and dashboard. Wash, in his Hawaiian cool outfit, searched for the missile system’s firing mechanism, muttering to himself, “I’m looking, I’m looking…”

With the music silenced, the close-ups shifted as Mal and the others quietly listened for something, when suddenly a loud boom sounded. All four were thrown backward! Outside the spaceship, a small missile shot out from beneath Serenity, followed by several large chunks of spaceship parts falling off. The overburdened Firefly nearly fell apart, amusing many viewers with this rare sci-fi spectacle, who burst out laughing, “Hahaha!”

In the sky above the grasslands, the super VI38 cluster munition warhead released, and dozens of submunitions glided in different directions, easily blasting five fighter jets into flames and fragments. The camera switched to the front of Serenity, behind which the other bombs detonated mid-air into clouds of fire that filled the entire screen. The ship seemed to accelerate as it shot upward, with another unidentifiable piece of metal falling from its underside and crashing heavily onto the grassland, causing a herd of grazing bison to run away in fright.

“Hahaha!” Back at the AMC-CityWalk cinema, the audience burst into even louder laughter, and the critics opened their mouths wide with smiles. Indeed, as Wang Yang self-assessed, there were plenty of laughs and exclamations. The film so far displayed a fun and humorous style, entirely different from other space sci-fi films, with its unique and novel feel in terms of costumes, scenes, and dialogue. And it seemed there was still more to come.

Space Cowboys? George Lucas, with his arms crossed and leaning back in his chair, let a smile creep around his white-bearded mouth. Quite an intriguing genre, he thought. But he was most interested in Firefly’s claimed fusion of the cowboy spirit with Eastern sensibility. However, these elements didn’t seem sufficient yet. How was that young man planning to proceed?

On the screen, the massive shock had everyone in the cargo hold falling to the ground. Kaylee looked shocked yet proud; Zoe seemed surprised and slightly exasperated; Jayne was still frozen in shock, perhaps not yet understanding what had happened. Captain Mal, leaning against the corridor door, had an astonished look that seemed to say, “I’m actually alive!” He took a deep breath, “Exciting!” Wash’s somewhat concerned voice came over the intercom, “HELLO? What happened? Is anyone there?”

Exhilarating! Cheerful! Indeed, it was a thrill! After the laughter subsided, the audience began to reflect on the combat scene just witnessed—compact yet intense, a small taste of what’s to come. They anticipated how spectacular the climax battle filmed with IMAX cameras would be. Many IMAX viewers thought they must tell their friends about the magnificent IMAX cinema experience; to miss it would be a waste of the film!

Meanwhile, viewers in regular cinemas considered whether, if all of Firefly turned out to be fantastic, they should plan a special trip to an IMAX cinema to watch it again.

After Serenity fended off the train’s pursuit, Mal and the others tidied up and began examining the merchandise they had acquired. The boxes they were tasked to transport by the gang were all accounted for. Wondering what the large black box they had pilfered might contain, they decided to open it, only to find it was a mystery box locked with a digital keypad.

“Hmmmm Aaaaah!” The next sequence, brimming with acting talent, had the audience laughing heartily, and film critics heaped praise upon it. Whether it was Mal and Jayne using all their might to pry open the crate with a crowbar, their stupidity and mutual complaining were hilarious, “You must be the weakest mercenary in the world! Why did I even hire you?” “How about we arm wrestle for the captain’s position, Mal? Why are you afraid?” “I’m already the captain.”

Kaylee, who had been standing by watching, suddenly walked up, and under the close-up shot, pressed 951753 on the crate’s digital lock. With a snap! The crowbar flung the lid of the crate up high, and Mal and Jayne nearly fell over like fools. Kaylee laughed heartily: “Captain, I can’t believe someone used 951753 as a password!” She seemed quite proud of herself: “Hahaha!” Mal looked discontented at being upstaged, his tone complaining: “Kaylee, couldn’t you let us figure it out just once? We were about to pry it open!”

These guys’ acting is too good! Kevin Crust from the Los Angeles Times gave a silent thumbs-up; Jeffrey Westhoff from The Northwest Herald, however, had a stern expression, intrigued by the witty dialogue and the distinctive characters. Under the director’s arrangement, everything was orderly yet collided with one another, resulting in a chemistry known as “Best Screen Duo” or “Best Screen Team.” He furrowed his brow and drew in a breath, wondering if he really should cry out, “The magic of Yang is back!”

“Genius, genius…” Scott Brown from Entertainment Weekly finally understood why the magical Yang had praised Ellen Page to the skies, to the point of being sycophantic. But now everything was clear, this girl, full of spiritual energy, was truly born to perform! She had stolen scenes from the little Robert Downey Jr. and Daniel Wu, and it wasn’t because they hadn’t performed well—quite the opposite, their performances were a delight to watch. This was a feast of acting.

Such excellent performances by the actors couldn’t have been possible without the director’s contribution, and the critics were already adding points for Wang Yang. However, two main characters had yet to appear, and a martial arts action scene hadn’t been shown yet. Where were Jessica Alba and Heath Ledger? What about Michael Pitt after boarding the ship? And Wang Yang himself?

“Woah!!!” On the big screen, as Jayne looked into the crate and let out a surprised shout, the camera switched to an upward angle from inside the crate, revealing Jayne on the left, urgently exclaiming in shock, “Mal! I thought we agreed not to do human trafficking! I’m not doing human trafficking!” Then, Captain Mal, who also appeared taken aback, simply reminded him, “You insisted on bringing this crate back.” Kaylee and Zoe then appeared on the right side of the crate.

Kaylee looked the most astonished, her gaze moving from Mal, to Jayne, to Zoe, then back to the crate. On the big screen, a girl wearing a white dress curled up sleeping inside the crate, with an angelic face and a devilish figure—the audience knew it was River! Kaylee, with a tone of strained luck mixed with surprise and doubt, said: “Wow, she… she isn’t a sex doll, is she? I mean, the kind used for…”

“Hahaha!” The audience burst into laughter immediately, some chuckling, some laughing uncontrollably. Even though they had seen the trailer countless times, Natalie Portman was laughing so hard she almost cried, her thoughts wandering off: “This is it! Humorous, thrilling, exciting! We absolutely cannot lose to Star Wars: Episode III!” At the AMC-CityWalk cinema, Jessica, who was also laughing, punched Wang Yang who winced in pain.

No sooner had she spoken than Kaylee became very embarrassed, Mal and Jayne glanced at her without a word, Kaylee rolled her eyes trying to gloss over it awkwardly: “The kind of toy doll used for… whatever.”

Then, under the close-up shot, River suddenly opened her eyes—clear-cut, yet devoid of expression. She swiftly leaped out from the crate, and naturally, the audience let out a collective gasp: “Whoa—”

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PS: Thanks to The Promise 1 for becoming a Grandmaster, and thanks to Wandering Helplessly for becoming an Alliance Leader. The passion for donations from everyone recently has been incredible, thank you so much! (