Directed by:
Joss WhedonScreenplay:
Joss WhedonCinematography:
Jack N. GreenComposer:
David NewmanCast:
Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, Ron Glass, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Krumholtz (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Captain Malcolm Reynolds, a hardened veteran (on the losing side) of a galactic civil war, who now ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family--squabbling, insubordinate and undyingly loyal. When Mal takes on two new passengers--a young doctor and his unstable, telepathic sister--he gets much more than he bargained for. The pair are fugitives from the coalition dominating the universe, who will stop at nothing to reclaim the girl. The crew that was once used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the horrific, cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space. Hunted by vastly different enemies, they begin to discover that the greatest danger to them may be on board Serenity herself. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (4)
Breath-taking blockbuster and the final episode of a TV series. A story about how anyone of us can be a hero, even a misfit team member. A dusty western and a monumental sci-fi. Serenity elevates the legacy of the series to an even higher level, making Malcolm the captain whom we all want as our superior and turning the love for the ship into an undeniable mission. Firefly is unforgettable in its own right, but thanks to Serenity, it becomes immortal.
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The film works as a standalone, even though fans of the original series will naturally appreciate the development of some motifs and will find it easier to navigate the story. The world in which Serenity operates is clearly different from the world of the most famous space opera, Star Trek. It is rawer, less polished, and not as sterile. However, while Star Trek and its spin-offs are family viewing for ages 9 to 99, Serenity is clearly aimed at teenagers (through the selection of characters, vocabulary, and the relationships between the heroes). Whedon simply remains a teenage boy at heart, writing for and understanding teenagers. If you liked Buffy or Angel, you have a very good chance of enjoying Serenity as well. I'm almost certain that if I were 15, I would thoroughly enjoy the film and the series. However, I have reached middle age and have mentally and intellectually drifted away from Whedon's world. Additionally, the film has a certain television dimension despite the invested millions. Overall impression: 40%.
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I haven't seen the series, but the film gives a pretty bad impression. The special effects evoke classic amateurish low-budget productions, trying to get the most out of the minimum. The plot is trivially simplistic, the crew of the ship, apart from the leader, is quite unlikeable, and the villain is embarrassing. Only the slightly deranged girl is worth attention, her actions make definitely worth watching Serenity on a properly large screen with decent sound, but otherwise, this mess is anything but an interesting film.
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Joss Whedon created his own sci-fi TV series, which didn't work as well as he had hoped. As a consolation prize for himself and his fans, he made a feature film that shows that sci-fi can still be entertaining, action-packed, and to some extent, original. These characters will grow on you, even if you don't know them from the series.
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