Chapter 362 - 362 The Birth of a New Culture

“Wow—”

Almost the same scene was unfolding in the lobbies of 3,845 North American Cinemas, where many young people waiting for the next showing of “Firefly” gathered, chatting, reading magazines, and playing with their phones. There were also many prospective audience members with their precious tickets wandering elsewhere before coming back, enduring a grueling three hours. They had waited two years, from 2003 to 2005, only to be three hours behind everyone else. Those people were enjoying the movie while Alice paced back and forth, nearly crying in frustration, “I’m just going to wait right here! I’m so angry, oh my God!”

“You don’t understand, I really adore Wang Yang! But I’ve already missed the premiere of ‘District 9’, and now…” she grew more agitated as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes, she viciously scolded the silent boy in front of her, “You were supposed to line up to buy pre-sale tickets! You said it would be fine, just fine, but look at us now! Do you think we came to watch ‘Batman’?!! This date is a disaster!!!”

She suddenly caught sight of a figure in the queue to buy tickets and couldn’t help but screech, “Papà! What are you doing there?” On the other side, Alice’s father, wanting to hide his embarrassment, found himself in an awkward position. It was his daughter’s first date, and he couldn’t help but worry, so…

Some people and die-hard fans had seriously underestimated Wang Yang’s popularity and the public’s anticipation for “Firefly”. Twice the MAX! Now they had no choice but to accept the punishment of waiting. Meanwhile, at all “Firefly” screenings, the audience was enjoying this fresh sci-fi world. As a collective gasp rose, in the tail section of the Serenity on the big screen, River unexpectedly leapt to her feet—the music suddenly turning eerie and tense, Mal, Jayne, and Zoe also reacted swiftly, drawing their guns quickly, and Kaylee screamed, “Ah—”

When River jumped to the peak of her height and hovered in mid-air, the camera slowed down for half a second, and then with a pop, her long legs kicked Jayne in the neck and chest area. Jayne let out a muffled groan and fell to the ground, with River landing with her hands braced on the edge of the box, her brown hair cascading down into the container as she kicked backwards, taking Zoe down with another groan. She then stood emotionless on the other side of the box, looking at Kaylee.

“Wow!” The audience was a bit stunned, especially the fans of Jessica, the fans of the singing, dancing, cute and youthful Sweetheart Angel. These were seriously fierce, advanced actions! Her flexibility was vividly displayed, her movements smooth and natural yet sexy and beautiful—it was astonishing.

“Freeze!” On the big screen, Mal on the left, holding a classically styled, cool-looking revolver, aimed it at the mysterious girl’s back, “I don’t care what kind of creature you are, freeze!” In a close-up shot, River’s face in the focus zone was still expressionless, ominously cold, and with a clang of the music, she suddenly moved, shooting forward as Mal fired, “Bang,” missing her! Almost hitting Kaylee, which made the girl scream, “Captain, it’s me!!”

In the midst of dodging, River had already rushed in front of Mal—it wasn’t a fair fight. With a few moves of her hands and feet, she disarmed Mal, blocked and dodged a few more, not giving him a chance to hit her. Suddenly she went for a direct attack, grabbing Mal’s neck emotionlessly, and with a “Smash!!” landed a solid punch on Mal’s cheek. In slow motion under high-speed photography, his head showed a layer of vibration, swinging as if shattered.

“Whoa!” The theatre erupted in a low chorus of gasps. Even Sidney, an action movie fanatic, was a bit stunned. This fighting style in “Firefly” was distinctly Chinese Kung Fu, while Mal was more about freestyle fighting. This warm-up-like fight sequence shared something in common with other aspects of “Firefly”—it was unlike any other movie of its kind. Sci-fi using Chinese Kung Fu was not uncommon, with “The Matrix” series being the most famous. However, this was a first in the space sci-fi genre.

What was captivating was that, despite the raw power and explosive movements that stirred the audience, they still managed to be elegant and beautiful. The sequences were mature and natural, never overwhelming or appearing crude or amateurish. On the contrary, it featured innovative camera angles and techniques! This fight scene, like the visually impressive battles of Serenity Valley and the train heist, provided a top-notch visual treat.

Amazing! The action movie enthusiasts couldn’t help but praise, Wang Yang, true to his background as a kung fu expert who had studied martial arts since childhood, sometimes you could tell the level just from a sequence of shots, at least he was adept at controlling scenes with multiple people.

“…I meant no harm.” Mal lay motionless on the ground as if dead, while Jayne and Zoe, nearly out of breath, were for the moment too weak to get up. With a ghastly pale face, Kaylee held out her hands defensively, retreating continuously, “I really meant no harm…” She pointed randomly, “Look over there!”

River showed no reaction whatsoever, and continued to advance step by step. A trembling and ingratiating giggle escaped Kaylee: “That’s a kind of compliment.” The audience, affected by the tense atmosphere, couldn’t laugh, and River grasped Kaylee’s neck, with Mal and the others still lying on the ground! Wash’s voice from the communicator, “What’s happening?” had no effect. Just when everyone was on edge, River suddenly closed her eyes and collapsed on top of Kaylee, falling unconscious. Kaylee, not knowing what to do, spun her eyes and let out a silly laugh, “Hehe! Hehe!”

“That’s a relief.” Many in the audience sighed and couldn’t bear to see such a charming Kaylee knocked out by a punch.

Inside the CityWalk cinema, Clair silently clapped with excitement, impressed by River’s violent entrance! She had been worried about Jessica Alba’s screen transformation due to Jessica’s usual sweet-hearted roles, but now, Jessica had displayed a different kind of beauty. She had shed her sweetheart image, becoming very cold and eerie, like a ghost girl floating above a lake, with wet hair and a lifeless face…

“She’s prettier than me when I fight!” Natalie chewed on her chips energetically, touching her capped head, suddenly struck by an uninteresting thought: “Maybe it’s because she’s prettier than me, boring! Ah, probably not.” In another screening room, Rachel smiled; after all these years, she had come to understand why she “lost.” It wasn’t a matter of who she knew first or their appearances; Wang Yang always preferred happy-go-lucky sweetheart girls. In the cinema, Jessica turned to give Wang Yang, who was engrossed in the movie, a glance—as if she appeared far uglier on the big screen. No, that’s wrong. Pregnant women are the prettiest!

Some women were lost in thought, but the audience and critics were so immersed in the film that they could hardly spare a thought for the details, like the symbolism of the shots and the dialogue. However, they knew it was definitely not for nothing.

Once revived, Mal and the others handcuffed the mysterious girl and tied her up securely. They confirmed she was a living person, but naturally, they had no idea how she ended up in a box or why she was so aggressive. She showed no signs of self-harm, so she most likely wasn’t a Reaver, unless she was a fleet leader. But as far as they knew, legendary Reaver leaders don’t wear dresses. The most learned aboard, despite never having gone to school, Kaylee said, “If they did wear one, it would be black,” and certainly they wouldn’t stay silent upon waking up.

After some heated discussion, Mal decided to keep her tied up for now, and Serenity headed towards the delivery city “Bartow.”

Some viewers had already guessed the screenwriter’s intent behind this setting, especially fans and critics in Florida. Why the name Bartow? Bartow is a city in Florida, which fit with the range of Serenity’s travels at the edge of desolate star systems. For those aware of the historical reference, the city in central Florida, east of the Tampa Bay area, was named after Francis S. Bartow, the first officer from the Confederate States of America killed in the Civil War.

The matter now seemed even more complicated. If the story allegorically suggested that the Alliance represented the United States, and the Independents were akin to the Confederate States, it was clear there was no wiggle room for discussion. The defeated Independents couldn’t possibly be the righteous and correct side, unless Wang Yang had lost his mind. What was he trying to say? Critics were left with a headache.

“Hehe! Haha!” Viewers across North America, north and south, didn’t care about any underlying message. The humorous dialogue elicited rounds of light laughter in the cinemas. The story’s background and world setting also became fuller and clearer with each reveal, as a new sci-fi world gradually took shape.

As the prairie was bathed in the sunset, Serenity flew towards the distant sky filled with red clouds, where thin trails of smoke were faintly visible, a solitary yet aesthetically pleasing image that dazzled the audience. Natalie exclaimed in awe, her eyes wide open, “Wow,” that mysterious combination of a Western cowboy and Eastern poetry mingled with science fiction. Beautiful!

Unfortunately, the scene on the big screen lasted less than ten seconds before it switched to a small town square. There stood a tall hero statue and wooden poles with red lanterns hanging from them, the ground covered with large ripe pumpkins as the local residents celebrated the harvest. A female reporter, microphone in hand, smiled at the camera and said, “We’re live at the White Mountain City Harvest Festival! As you can see, there are a lot of pumpkins!…” The scene slowly pulled back into a virtual display screen, receding far enough to reveal the surrounding mirrors, before cutting to a bright bathroom.

Heath Ledger, playing Blue Glove, was dressed in a sweatshirt, tank top, and shorts, brushing his teeth with a gargling sound in front of the mirror, with the virtual display emanating from the glasses he wore. The close-up shot showed Blue Glove watching the harvest festival news with a brilliant smile. After a quick montage of him brushing his teeth, getting dressed, and making a tasty-looking sandwich, the screen reported more news of marauders causing destruction and casualties. Blue Glove looked sad, he put on his gloves, tucked his glasses into his shirt pocket, opened the door of his hotel suite, and stepped out with a light whisper, “The day has begun.”

“One-Day-Begins.” With just a short sequence of shots and a line of dialogue, there was something endearing and “graceful” about Blue Glove. The audience felt something different, Heath Ledger’s posture and tone radiated a certain presence that captured all the attention, and the line “A-New-Day-Begins” added to the eeriness. The young man made a composed entry, stirring the hearts of the audience with his excellent acting. George Lucas couldn’t help wondering, what if he had chosen Heath Ledger to play the adult Anakin?

For the role of Anakin, the casting director, Robin Grande, received over 700 audition tapes, with more than 1500 candidates considered. Heath Ledger was among that long list, but Robin Grande strongly recommended the better-tempered Hayden Christensen. George Lucas also felt that Heath Ledger was not handsome enough and lacked chemistry with Natalie Portman in their dialogue, ultimately eliminating not only his own top choice Paul Walker, but also Colin Hanks, Eric Olsen, among others, opting for Hayden Christensen. Little did they expect such dissatisfaction from Star Wars fans, and now Heath Ledger…

Could Heath Ledger pose a sufficient threat? As the University of Southern California’s new graduate Nancy Reno pondered, it was well-known that Blue Glove was a villainous character, but playing a villain well required instilling fear, revulsion, hatred, and yet a bit of love—predicated on credible menace. Heath Ledger, in “10 Things I Hate About You,” was a high school bully not to be trifled with, and he came off intimidating in “The Kelly Gang,” how would he portray Blue Glove? However, considering how decisively Wang Yang cast him after a single audition, she figured she didn’t need to worry.

“Ding ding ding—” The serene music of wind chimes signaled the arrival of Serenity at the frontier town of Bartow. When Mal and his crew docked the ship and walked through Bartow’s streets, the unique atmosphere of Serenity Valley’s Lianyuan City was captivating!

This was the combination of Western + Eastern + Sci-fi! Cobblestone paths, people in cowboy and Asian attire, neon lights, red lanterns, “Tea,” “Wine,” and “Wang’s Restaurant” in Chinese characters on shop signs alongside English ones, birdcages hanging from trees beside shops, vehicles adorned with dragon-eagle flags levitating down the road, and cowboys riding smoky, outdated motorcycles… Kaylee, with her oil-paper umbrella painted with peony ink wash, shopped for fruit at a stall, only to be rushed and complained to by Captain Mal. River exhibited expression for the first time, curiously watching the wind chimes swaying in the breeze at the shop entrance.

A significant portion of the movie-going fans’ eyes glistened with excitement, WOOOO—! Everything on the big screen was so flavorful and novel, the world of “Firefly”! They were destined to become the most devoted fans because it was truly enchanting! Another group of fans showed keen interest, finding the fresh atmosphere appealing; some viewers didn’t react much at all, just seeing it as a well-designed futuristic city; and yet another group dismissed it, not caring for the style.

Fanatical, liking, indifferent, and disliking, but among this crowd who had diligently snatched up the tickets, the number of those who didn’t like it or were dismissive was truly minimal, and across the 3845 cinemas there were groups from all over North America, of various ages, professions, and ethnicities.

“Originally” or due to the butterfly effect, any version of “Firefly” that vanished into the past couldn’t compare to the current one. The level of art and craft of the teams, as well as their financial investments in production, were incomparable. Now the art direction, set design, props, costume design, and visual effects departments of “Firefly” were all Oscar-level. Under the direction and explanation of Best Director, they dissected, shaped, and created every detail of the scene, from conception to screen, leading to an explosive and astonishing outcome.

This impressed current film critics and movie-goers, who exclaimed once more, “It truly deserves to be a 200 million dollar big budget production!” Including the score, sound effects, cinematography, and action direction, it was indeed a top-notch, first-class crew behind the scenes! It’s safe to say that as long as they aren’t hampered by the director and script into becoming a bad film, they have enough to compete for the Oscars. And rightly so, who wouldn’t be full of energy working on a big production with an Oscar Best Director like Wang Yang? But if Wang Yang’s project were to collapse spectacularly, it would all be in vain.

“COOL—” Whether it was the die-hard Wang Yang fan Evelyn, the casual Wang Yang enthusiast Lister, or the many men and women who secretly exclaimed, “Cool!” A fondness for things associated with what one already loves, a more discerning taste, or the familiarity brought by “Kung Fu Panda,” very often a person’s liking or disliking of something, especially something new, is a matter of a fleeting thought. Many elements influence these fleeting thoughts, and it could even be a line from a despised TV soap opera actor from a memory long buried in the past.

Now is the magic of Best Director! Evelyn’s eyes lit up, Clair’s eyes lit up, and so did Lister, Tom, Sam… It has to be said that “Firefly” possesses an “effect-doubling” aura. It’s a trendsetter that influences the world, and they are the youngsters yearning for a new interstellar science fiction culture. We already have “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”; we don’t need another of the same style. And now, it has finally arrived!

“This is a new culture,” said George Lucas, his eyes slightly narrowed as he gazed at the charming Barto. It might become the new trend, it might not, but it’s definitely a new culture—a Firefly culture.

However, the movie isn’t just a sci-fi scenic painting; the five-star settings alone are far from enough to make it a classic. The movie has its own narrative pace. After a brief shopping trip by Mal and his crew, the story picks up tension again. Carrying their cargo, Mal and his folks arrived at the delivery warehouse. Kaylee and Wash didn’t come along. Surprisingly, an old friend from the Independence fighters, now the fierce leader of the Shark Gang, refused to pay using the excuse “this isn’t what I wanted,” yet he also intended to double-cross them by keeping the cargo. Of course, Mal wasn’t going to submit meekly.

“Mal, do you still think it’s wartime? Do you still think you’re a captain? I give you some respect, but you’re shameless, asshole! Without me, you’d be finished. Kill them all!”

Before the harsh words of the bald, tattooed Shark Gang boss could fade, the tense audience was drawn into a fiery atmosphere by the fiery music. On the big screen, Mal, Jayne, and Zoe were already quick to draw their guns and dodge, and River, still with her hands tied with looped rope, exploded into action. Amid her loud “Haaaah!” shouts and the gangsters’ pitiful screams of “Ah,” River was seen using her legs and tied hands to comprehensively beat down a group of gang members.

“Wow!” Mal, Jayne, and Zoe were stunned, and so was the audience in front of the screen. Action movie fans were shaking with excitement. This mysterious girl was like Bruce Lee! Even more exaggerated than “Kill Bill”!! Punches, kicks, leaps, somersaults… Indeed, as the magazines described, the visual effect was simplistic yet splendid, smooth yet thrilling, bursting with power, speed, and an explosive feel! Kung Fu once again shined brilliantly in a sci-fi movie!n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Roger Ebert from the “Chicago Sun-Times” couldn’t help but give two thumbs up. What perfect thrashing of the thugs in action scenes! This was it! Beautiful action sequences, a fierce heroine! He had previously described “Kung Fu Hustle” as “like a meeting of Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton (the famous stoic comedian) with Quentin Tarantino and Bugs Bunny.” And now it was all Best Director… At that moment, River finally erupted again, forcefully stretching the rope, and with a snap, escaped from the thick loops. Roger Ebert and the surrounded audience all exclaimed, “Oh wow!”

“Aaaaah—” With her hands and feet free, River instantly became even more ferocious. Under the fast-paced, exciting music, it took just a few rounds for nearly all the thugs to be cleaned up. She dashed and jumped onto a stack of miscellaneous boxes, then leaped down, her body bent forward, and with fists like the wind, she knocked down a gang member in front. She bellowed out a fierce “Haaah—” and as she turned around, she swung her leg. The posture of her long legs was indeed sexy, but the audience felt a surge of power, a rush of adrenaline!

Boom! As the hem of her flowing dress lifted elegantly, River used her left foot as a pivot and spun around raising her right leg, which came down loaded with strength and speed, crashing heavily onto a half-human-high box, resulting in a booming thud! In a close-up shot, the wooden box completely collapsed, and the contraband bullets inside clinked as they scattered all over the ground. River let out another fierce shout, her face stern and eyes filled with murderous intent. As her right leg steadied, her left leg swung at the astounded thug hiding behind the box!

Continuous kicks! She landed a heavy blow on the thug’s chest and abdomen, forming a “cross” with the ground, almost picking the thug off his feet! The bulky thug screamed “Ah” as he flew backward. River’s gaze slowly moved, and not a single gang member was left standing in the warehouse.

“Phew…” Mal blew on the muzzle of his pistol that hadn’t been fired, dumbfounded. Just when they were at a loss for words, River, in her abnormal mental state, looked down and softly said, “They wanted to kill us.”

“Wow!” The audience in 3845 cinemas let out a wave of low exclamations and praises. Just for this fierce and domineering River alone, “Firefly” was worth the watch—the most dazzling scenery of this summer! Too brilliant! (