The crew of Joss Whedon's TV series "Firefly" swap the small screen for a big screen adventure.
Excellent. Must watch for anyone. Plenty of action and keeps you guessing to the end. Joss Whedon excelling himself again. Familiar faces. A slighty westerny vibe with futuristic elements. Forget star trek. Serenity is the way forward.
At the beginning of 2005 it felt like the world was holding its collective breath for the science fiction movie event of the year. This movie promised to take the audience on a rollercoaster ride of a story during which they would laugh, cry, be shocked and truly moved by the characters. The special effects would wow the audience without overpowering the movie and not only would the fans be dancing in the aisles but also those whom had never been touched by the magic of this franchise. Unfortunately, Star Wars Episode III failed to deliver... but thank goodness for Serenity! One of the best movies (science fiction or not) of 2005 without a doubt.
Serenity is everything you could ask for from a Sci-fi film...or a thriller...or an action movie...blast, I'd even go as far as to say a Rom-Com! A sheer pleasure from one frame to the next.
Underrated, under-marketed, under-sold, this low budget surprise ($40 million's LOW in the Hollywood movie world) won over the critics but couldn't attract the cinema-going audience it merited. It's imminent release on DVD however should redress this illogical wrong and introduce and entirely new viewing population to the magic that is the cast and crew of the Firefly class space barge 'Serenity'.
Centred around the mysterious past of the beautiful and uber-violent fugitive River, Serenity the movie has a dual aim: to exist as a stand alone adventure for new-comers, and to round off some of the core story lines initiated in the fan-favourite TV series, 'FIREFLY' (see my review of the FIREFLY box set here - http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/25498DVD.htm).
It succeeds admirably on both counts.
For those familiar with the characters, this closing tale of River's path to discovery feels like a welcome final chapter. The bigger story though is perfectly paced to introduce new comers to Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his motley band of space-faring bounty hunters with big hearts and bigger guns. The action, comedy and drama of this excellent little movie are enough to win over any doubters as Joss "Buffy/Angel" Whedon delivers a masterclass in character driven entertainment. Yes, the key scenes are stunning (witness the Reaver/Alliance space battle, or the River bar brawl) but it's the loveable nature of a cast completely at home in their characters that leave you loving this overlooked gem.
There's something for everyone here, and if the crew banter and edgy western/space opera feel leave you hankering for more...just buy the TV series...you'll thank me...
In a word: magical.
Pure entertainment; kudos to Joss Whedon for having the courage of his convictions to stand by his vision against all odds, when hapless studio hacks fiddled with his sci-fi series "Firefly" (showing it in the wrong order and changing the time slots) Whedon rallied his hard done by cast, re-wrote, re-titled and re-released this "Star Wars"-esque sci-fi adventure (or space opera to use a Lucas term, much to the delight of moviegoers worldwide.
"Serenity" didn"t exactly set the box office alight, but it made more than enough (in praise as well as pounds) to warrant an inevitable sequel. Watching this reminded me of the first time I saw "Pitch Black" not knowing quite what to expect, and loving every second of what I saw. "Buffy" was over-hyped, never got a chance to see "Firefly" but I always liked "Alien: Resurrection" (penned by Joss) and can"t wait to see more of River Tam, Captain Reynolds and the rest of these wonderful, engaging characters, lets hope the sequels no "Matrix Reloaded".
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. Can't stop the signal... Beloved television cult director Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel) makes a spectacular first foray onto the big screen with Serenity, the cinematic adaptation of his wildly popular but short-lived sci-fi series, Firefly. A mix of space western, comedy, and drama, Serenity follows captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his ragtag crew as they trade their way around the edges of civilized society. Of particular interest are two passengers they take on, Simon and River Tam (Sean Maher and Summer Glau), a brother and his telepathic sister on the run from the corrupt governing Alliance. As notorious former members of the anti-Alliance opposition, Mal and his crew make it difficult for Simon and River to stay hidden. Everything goes completely awry when a government assassin is sent to retrieve River. As Mal is forced to choose between his close-knit crew and the brother and sister newcomers, it becomes apparent that River harbors both a dangerous secret and astounding fighting powers, and Mal decides that discovering the truth about what she knows might just be worth his time. Many of the film's action sequences revolve around Summer Glau's martial arts skills in her portrayal of River. Glau prepared for her role with Hong Kong stuntwoman Ming Lu, as well as stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and Hiro Koda, and as a result performed nearly all the stuntwork herself. In addition to the stellar stunts, realistic graphics, and an often haunting score, the film's actors display a rare chemistry that brings viewers both into their lives and into a possible version of humanity's future. Actors Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ron Glass, Summer Glau, Michael Hitchcock, Sarah Paulson, Yan Feldman, Sean Maher, David Krumholtz, Rafael Feldman, Nectar Rose & Scott Kinworthy Director Joss Whedon Certificate 15 years and over Year 2005 Screen Widescreen 2.35:1 Languages English - DTS-HD Master Audio (5.1) Duration 1 hour and 59 minutes (approx)
US sci-fi adventure written and directed by Joss Whedon. 500 years in the future, after a galactic civil war has united all the space colonies under the repressive Alliance, former rebel soldier Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) captains the Firefly class cargo ship Serenity, taking on odd jobs and scoring heists where he can to keep his ship and his crew in the air. When he picks up Simon Tam (Sean Maher) and his disturbed sister River (Summer Glau), Mal ends up with more trouble than he could have bargained for. On the run from the Alliance, River has been the subject of horrific government experiments to develop her latent psychic powers. Determined to get her back, the Alliance dispatches ruthless assassin The Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), leaving Mal and his crew battling for survival as they race across the galaxy. However, when they then discover an even darker secret the Alliance would like to keep hidden, Mal and his companions finally have their chance to hit back.
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