 A passenger with a deadly secret. Six rebels on the run. An assassin in pursuit. When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in an action-packed battle between the relentless military might of a totalitarian regime who will destroy anything - or anyone - to get the girl back and the bloodthirsty creatures who roam the uncharted areas of space. But, the greatest danger of all may be on their ship. From the mind of Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) comes a new edge-of-your-seat adventure loaded with explosive battles, gripping special effects and fantastic new worlds! Storyline: In the future, a spaceship called Serenity is harboring a passenger with a deadly secret. Six rebels on the run. An assassin in pursuit. When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in an awesome action-packed battle between the relentless military might of a totalitarian regime who will destroy anything - or anyone - to get the girl back and the bloodthirsty creatures who roam the uncharted areas of space. But, the greatest danger of all may be on their ship. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com} Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Ben Williams, December 18, 2008 From the mind of the revered writer Joss Whedon comes Serenity, the theatrical followup to the critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged television show "Firefly." Serenity's path to theaters is a strange one, indeed. Most film adaptations of television material tend to come from shows that enjoyed mass popularity and high ratings. That was not the case with "Firefly." The show, while being lauded as a masterpiece of serialized science fiction, floundered on the Fox network and found cancellation a mere 11 episodes into its debut season. Strong DVD sales and a very vocal fan base convinced Universal Pictures to option the film rights to the series in the hopes that the show's numerous and outspoken fans could turn a relatively low-budget sci-fi adventure into an unexpected box-office hit. Much like the series, Serenity didn't quite meet expectations in theaters. The film received positive reviews and fans of the original show were thrilled with the film, but the mass audiences that Universal had hoped for never materialized. Serenity has performed well on video, but it seems likely that this single film is the last we'll hear from the characters that inhabit this beautifully conceived universe. Captain Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) has a problem: A tightwad of a young Doctor, Simon Tam (Sean Maher), and his awkward and secretive sister, River (Summer Glau), have made a home among the crew of his spaceship, Serenity. Mal runs a tight outfit smuggling goods across interstellar boundaries and under the nose of the meddling Interplanetary Alliance. Unfortunately for Mal, his two newest crewmembers attract a lot of unwanted attention. When River unexpectedly goes berserk in the middle of a smuggling deal, Mal is forced to investigate her bizarre behavior as well as the shadowy government henchman, The Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who has been sent to find her. The fate of the entire crew of the Serenity hangs in the balance as they face the deadliest foe they've ever encountered. Serenity is a rare film in that it surpasses the greatness of its source, "Firefly," while being accessible to viewers unfamiliar with the original show. Whedon has done a fantastic job in setting up his characters and the basic plot of the show while using a minimum of screen time. By the time the first ten minutes of the film have passed, any viewer, regardless of their familiarity with the TV show, should possess enough information about the characters, society and universe presented in the show, to feel totally comfortable enjoying the film. It is the the unique character of Whedon's efficient and well timed writing that separates Serenity from television adaptations like X Files: Fight the Future. Whedon's outstanding talents as a writer and creative force bring Serenity a unique old west feel that approaches the lofty heights of true space opera. His vision for the film is huge and he's unafraid to tell a large story through the eyes of a small group of likable renegades. Every character is sharply drawn with a distinct personality and purpose. I've always been intrigued by how Whedon seems unafraid to be boundlessly optimistic in his writing. A character like Kaylee (Jewel Staite), with her inexplicably cherry demeanor and positive outlook on even the most dire events, would seem ridiculous in just about any other world. But within the Whedon-verse, she's the perfect compliment and balance to more serious characters like Mal and Jaybe Cobb (Adam Baldwin). In general, there is a considerable amount of levity and humor to Serenity that allows for Whedon's unique writing timbre to develop freely from the characters. Serenity is a unique and highly entertaining film that will thrill fans of the original show while, no doubt, creating new fans eager to seek out the original "Firefly." Serenity comes highly recommended. Serenity is a terrifically entertaining film that will thrill fans of the original "Firefly" television series while inspiring new converts to the amazing Universe contained within this series. I came into the film upon its release as a neophyte to the series and was immediately compelled to catch up on what I'd missed. This Blu-ray edition features reference quality video and audio, as well as an abundance of excellent special features. It's my sincere hope that as more people discover this great little science fiction gem, that Universal will see fit to produce another film featuring these lovingly created characters. Serenity is a must-see on Blu-ray. Cast Notes: Nathan Fillion (Mal), Gina Torres (Zoe), Alan Tudyk (Wash), Morena Baccarin (Inara), Adam Baldwin (Jayne), Jewel Staite (Kaylee), Sean Maher (Simon), Summer Glau (River), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Operative), David Krumholtz (Mr. Universe), Michael Hitchcock (Dr. Mathias), Sarah Paulson (Dr. Caron), Yan Feldman (Mingo), Raphael Feldman (Fanty [as Rafael Feldman]). IMDb Rating (02/11/17): 8.0/10 from 248,809 users
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