Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blows almost every other scifi movie out of the water, 4 Jan 2006
By A Customer
"I'm not going to say it's the best science fiction movie, ever. Oh wait, yes I am". The words of Orson Scott Card himself, author of the award winning scifi novel "Ender's game", and many others.
Not only is this a very fine movie, made on a fraction of the budget of any other scifi film I can think of, it also captivates those who have previously had no interest in science fiction before. Which is far more than I can say about almost any SciFi movie I can think of, the only other being Ridley Scotts 80's classic Bladerunner.
Why is this you might wonder? Well, a director can throw about all the money they want to create dazzling special effects, huge space battles and the like, but if the characters don't feel real, if you don't feel any empathy for them, if the script is clunky, and the story somewhat tired and predictable, then what is the point in creating it?
Even if you've never seen Joss Whedon's critically acclaimed series "Firefly", less than a quater of the way through this movie you'll suddenly realise, I care about these people, I care about what happens to them, so rich are their characters. They have flaws & insecurities just like we all do.
You can do alot more in a 14 Episode TV series regarding character developement than you can in a 2 hr movie, so the focus here is mostly on 2 main characters. The captain of the cargo ship Serenity, 'Malcolm Reynolds', and 'River', the extremely intelligent but mentally traumatised teenage sister of Dr Simon Tam who Reynolds agreed to give sanctuary aboard his ship some eight months or so earlier. Having said that though, all the characters are here, and they all do a fine job. The script is very whitty, clever and often very powerful.
The soundtrack in Serenity quite wonderous in it's self, with beautiful melancholic strings, echoing piano, and western and oriental influences. They work perfectly with Whedon's stunning camera work and lighting.
There are special effects in this movie a' plenty, and they look fantastic, infact they completely belie the fact that this film cost less than $40m to make. They really are quite beautiful but they are there to further a strong story, not to overcome it.
So emotionally powerful is this film that it has been described as 'art', and I really do think that it is, but will everybody like it? In the words of O.S.Card, "Not a chance...... it really is too strong for some people. Plus the storyline is 'smart enough' and 'mature' enough that some people just won't get it. Can't be helped".
Serenity was indeed voted film of the year 2005, did it deserve the top spot? Possibly not, but it did deserve to be very close to it. It was certainly the "only" Scifi based movie that deserved to be anywhere near the top ten movies of 2005.
Serenity is a very unusual film, a tiny film that went by almost unnoticed and was a difficult film to market. There are no big names in the cast, and it is based on a short lived TV series that sadly too few know about. So when you see it for the 1st time, nay, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th time and so on, you'll feel privileged that you did..
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shiny! on blu ray, 9 Jan 2009
The story follows the crew of firefly class vessel Serenity, as they scrape by a living taking dangerous and illegal jobs on the harsh border worlds of the solar system. Quite happy to blur the lines between right and wrong, if it keeps the ship in the air and food on the table. The ship captained by Malcolm Reynolds is home to an assortment of characters, including doctor Simon Tam and his sister River, experimented and left mentally traumatised by the Alliance, the dominant power in the system. The operative sent by the alliance has been dispatched to recover River Tam by any means necessary, with violent and brutal results for the crew of serenity as they are pursued by the alliance as well as desperately trying to avoid the flesh eating reavers...
For the uninitiated Serenity spawned from short lived cult classic Firefly - The Complete Series [2003]. Mixing westerns with science fiction, not traditional sci-fi, no googly headed aliens or phasers, but a strong character driven series effectively translated over to serenity. Sadly it was cut drastically and unfairly short. And a testament to those who worked on the show as well as it's many fans who kept its spirit alive, as it eventually transformed into serenity.
Very much a labour of love and it shows, Whedon's script and direction are of outstanding quality, clearly showing the effort and time spent on it and how much it means to him. Expertly mixing drama, humour and action.
The 'verse in which it is set is also richly detailed everything from the sets to the language is meticulous and you can't help but be drawn into it.
The actors are also fantastic, knowing their roles back to front from firefly's limited run, but to maintain the pace some are inevitably short-changed sadly. A wide assortment, all with their flaws but together strike an undeniable chemistry. From Mal's hot headed, shoot first attitude to Kaylie's caring but meekness, they all play off each other perfectly creating one of the most enjoyable to watch group of richly drawn misfits hurled together and are easily the best thing about the movie.
Onto the disc itself, which takes full advantage of the Blu ray format. The picture is mesmerising one of the best I've seen on a Blu ray disc from the CGI to facial detail, everything it perfectly clear and proves to be visually stunning. Likewise the sound is again excellent, be it David Newman's powerful score, ship engines or extended silences in space the sound or lack of is crystal clear.
Extras wise commentary, intro, out-takes, making of's and deleted scenes from the original release have been transferred over but there a fair bit of new content. Session 416, recordings of interviews with the character River shot with an art house horror feel to them and featuring a rather familiar voice. The green clan focusing on cinematographer Jack green and his family who worked on the film, a selection of new deleted and extended scenes not featured on the previous release, take walk on serenity featuring Nathan Fillon, Adam Baldwin, Alan Tudyk and Joss Whedon detailing the differences between the original set and the movie set in their usual humours manner.
During the movie itself is the ability to access to Mr. universe compendium, detailing facts on people places etc, a digital tour of serenity displaying facts on the ship at various points. There's also picture in picture feature, little pop ups of interviews and rehearsal footage displayed throughout the film, giving some genuinely interesting and insightful clips on effects and characters that fans will lap up.
Lastly a second audio commentary for this release featuring joss and cast members Fillon, Baldwin,Glass and Glau, who were sadly missing from the previous commentary, and anyone who listened to firefly commentaries know what a hoot they are together, and here proves to be no exception. It can be displayed visually so you can see them talking while the film is playing or listen to it like a standard commentary.
All in all near perfect picture and sound with a host of new extras make this essential purchase for true fans, and for newbies its the best way to experience Whedon's epic. great Blu ray for a great film.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Sci-Fi Movie, 3 Mar 2006
By A Customer
I have had a funny relationship with this movie and its predecessing series. I was interested in seeing the movie when it hit cinema's as i had read all the great reviews and liked the look of the movie. Due to commitments to work and university, i missed the movie on the cinema, which i was dissapointed about. I was shopping one day after the movie had gone off and saw the Firefly DVD for only twenty pounds. After much deliberating i decided to buy it, fancying something new. Needles to say i was skeptical when i put that first disc in and watched the pilot. But within 10 minutes of watching, i was enthralled, i couldnt stop watching it, and began to curse myself more and more for not seeing Serenity at the cinema. So i had to wait four months for the Serenity DVD to come out. By the time i bought Serenity, i had watched each of the 14 Firefly episodes 3 times. So my expectations were fairly high for the movie, but, Serenity took my expectations and blew them into the black. The movie really is great, and you wouldnt have to have seen Firefly before it to enjoy it, though it would help with some character interactions. Everything strong from the series is here, the characterisation (which is brilliant, you WILL love every character), humour, action (though it is bigger and better in the movie) acting, and the excellent music. The movie also has the unique ability to make you laugh out and cry at the same time. It really is a great ride of a movie. The story focuses mostly on Mal and River and the secret River carries that is a threat the ruling government The Alliance. The cannibalistic Reavers(men who have grown wild on the edge of space and like to eat people alive) also play a big part in the story. There are some great action set pieces, from the hovercraft chase at the start, to the spectacular space battle between the Reavers and the Alliance, with Serenity in the middle, to the climactic stand off within a planetary facility. This is a movie that should be seen by every Sci-fi fan around the world, and it at least warrants and rental from casual movie viewers. Highly recommended and one of the best movies from 2005.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
![Serenity [Blu-ray] [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nP1v1LJmL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Firefly - The Complete Series [DVD] [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ETQ96N82L._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![The Ultimate Bourne Collection [Blu-ray] [2002]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514Jn-AKBAL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Stardust [DVD] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gZlnGbH6L._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Firefly - The Complete Series [DVD] [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ETQ96N82L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Nathan Fillion
![Chronicles of Riddick [Blu-ray] [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PVfiu0b7L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
Blu-ray ~ Vin Diesel
![Pitch Black [Blu-ray] [2000]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ze7G2PLML._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
Blu-ray ~ Vin Diesel
by Joss Whedon
![Aeon Flux The Movie [DVD] [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/317HBDPMGFL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Charlize Theron
