Serenity [Blu-ray]

Despite a lack of box office success at the time of its initial release, SERENITY has gone on to be a consistently strong seller on the DVD market. Much like the DVD of FIREFLY, it never topped the Best Seller lists (except at Amazon.com and other on line sellers), but like the series box set it has continued to sell to both old and new fans, gradually building an audience. I'm aware that some people feel that the film is not intelligible without having seen the series first. I saw the series several times before seeing the film in the theater, so I am unable to address this. I will say that my sister and one of her sons saw the film on DVD and loved it. They then got the FIREFLY set and became big fans of the series as well. My point is that not everyone finds the film hard to follow if they haven't seen the series, but I do believe that the film is best viewed as a wrap up of FIREFLY.In a way, Joss Whedon has broken a promise. This is a good thing. At the time of the initial DVD release he stated that there would not be a later DVD release. This was in response to complaints that Universal (a studio I have warm feelings for because their logo comes up every time I pop my BATTLESTAR GALACTICA DVDs into my player) is fairly notorious for double-dipping, i.e., releasing a DVD and then a few months later releasing an expanded version of the DVD, perhaps to release an even more expanded or "director's cut" version a few months after that. Many studios engage in this practice, but Universal seems to be the worst of the bunch. But this release comes largely as the result of fan requests. There actually was a two-disc version of SERENITY released in Australia (which I took the effort to track down on eBay, though I can only watch it on my computer using AnyDVD to get past the regional coding) with a different set of extra features available on this new release. I'm delighted that SERENITY is finally getting the 2-disc treatment in the US as well. Fans of the TV show never got all the FIREFLY that we wanted so each additional exposure to Mal and his crew is like water to someone dying of thirst.FIREFLY/SERENITY will, I believe, be viewed as critical, along with BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, in redefining film and TV Sci-fi. The two shows (and I do think of SERENITY as the final act of FIREFLY) established a new aesthetic for Sci-fi by bringing a new sense of realism along with a rejection of what could be called Magic Science for plot resolution. By Magic Science I am thinking of all those situations in a host of movies and TV episodes (STARGATE SG-1 specialized in this) where a very imaginative physics is utilized to get the heroes out of a dangerous situation. Our heroes might be caught in a time warp that can only be overcome by reversing the polarity of the warp drive engines, or, uh, something. Neither FIREFLY nor BSG engage in such shenanigans. Their solutions to problems always seem very much like the kind of solutions that we would utilize. In other words, both shows eschew scientific gimmicks. The two also refuse to employ that old stock in trade, the alien. There simply are no aliens on either FIREFLY or BSG. The Reavers are very much a human creation, as are the Cylons. Furthermore, both strive for more realistic visuals. Although SERENITY employs more traditional film techniques (thanks to highly regarded cinematographer Jack Green), both these series largely used hand held cameras (especially BSG, which uses exclusively high def video). FIREFLY pioneered the technique, later employed magnificently by BSG, of employing "zoom" in CGI shots. In both shows one will see a spaceship and then the "camera" (which doesn't exist) zooms in, going briefly out of focus while the visual field is adjusted, for a closer look. Not surprisingly, the special effects outfit that originated this for FIREFLY, Zoic, later provided special effects for BSG. (In fact, they couldn't resist putting Serenity into the BSG Miniseries. If you watch the first scene in Caprica City, where the camera first looks up through a skylight and then lowers down into what turns out to be the office of Laura Roslin's doctor, Serenity can be seen as the only ship going from right to left.) And both shows introduced retro elements to provide a unique look. FIREFLY is influenced by a 19th century Old West look in clothing and weaponry, along with a number of Oriental elements, while BSG often uses design from the forties and fifties (e.g., the phones on the show were taken from a WW II submarine). In the past, new Sci-fi TV series set in space basically had to define themselves against the aesthetic of the Star Trek shows. In the future, they are going to define themselves against the recreation of Sci-fi brought about by FIREFLY and BSG.FIREFLY and SERENITY, as well as BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and ANGEL, can in many ways be viewed as a product of Third Wave feminism. (Anyone doubting the centrality of feminism in everything that Whedon does--and if you doubt it you simply haven't been paying attention--should go to Youtube.com and search "joss whedon equality now speech" and listen to the speech he gave following an award they gave him.) While TV Sci-fi has long been a means for representing nontraditional roles for women, Whedon has been instrumental in taking this to the next level. Buffy Summers was created specifically to be a feminist cultural icon and there is no question that Whedon succeeded. She might not fit the ideal criteria set forward by Second Wave feminism (or, rather, the caricature of the Second Wave feminism--contrary to the stereotype, most of the major Second Wave feminists wore make up and bras, liked men while hating patriarchy, and were heterosexual), but by Third Wave practice (which is generally viewed as more pro-sex, less PC, more experimental, brasher, and less concerned with victimization than with self-assertion) she is perfect. Whedon loves empowered women. While comics have long had female super heroes, until the nineties there were shockingly few genuine female heroes on TV or in movies. We never thought twice about Batman or Superman or Rambo, but we had to wait a long time to see a strong female hero like Ellen Ripley in film and even longer for Dana Scully, Xena, and Buffy on TV. Why were only men allowed to be fantasy heroes? Some seem to find Buffy objectionable without noting that there never has been a super soldier like Rambo. Following Buffy (who seems to have been the influence on future heroic women, rather than Xena) came a host of empowered women. So it is no surprise that in SERENITY we find that Mal Reynolds's second in command is the tough-as-nails and stoic Zoe, who is just as hardened and combat ready as any of the men. Despite decades of films showing women collapsing at the death of men close to them, we aren't surprised when Zoe postpones mourning the death of her husband. There will be time to cry later, right now there is fighting to be done. And River Tam is one of Whedon's most compelling heroines. River's fight is not just against external monsters, but also against the attempt that has been made to turn her into a monster. A genius and child prodigy, River had been programmed and engineered to becoming an assassin, but was freed by her brother Simon. At the heart of SERENITY is the question whether River will become the killing machine they intended her to be or will she become a person. As Mal asks her, "Are you just a weapon?"One of the things I love about Joss Whedon is how he continually defies our expectations. He does this marvelously with The Operator, played magnificently by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Working for the powers that be, he sees himself as a good man doing difficult but good things. SERENITY is about the monsters that society creates by the elevation of corporate interests above human interests (yeah, it is a Marxist theme, but any close watcher of BUFFY will recall the famous shot from the end of "Ann," the Season Three premiere, where after Buffy liberates workers from a demon factory, where the workers are literally worked to death, she stands with a hammer and a sickle in her hands). The Operator learns that he has unwittingly helps support powers that have created monsters, whether River or the Reavers. His redemption at the end is classic Whedon.I don't know what the long-term future of SERENITY will be. It does not completely stand on its own like BLADE RUNNER or THE MATRIX. It will forever be tied to FIREFLY. But I believe that this should be seen as a strength rather than a weakness. Knowing the series lends this film a depth lacking in other series. For instance, knowing that Jayne isn't the trustworthiest soul helps understand some of his actions in the film (not to mention knowing he has a remarkably large collection of T-shirts). Or Kaylee's ongoing attraction to Simon and his odd reluctance to open up to her. Or the long, complicated relationship between Mal and Inara (the greatest tragedy of the film is that their relationship, which was incredibly important for the series, received short shrift--Whedon has promised that if there is a sequel to the film, which at present looks unlikely, that this will be rectified). Or what Shepherd Book's background is. All of which is to say that FIREFLY/SERENITY is unique and wonderful. Along with BSG, this series and film completely renewed my interest in TV Sci-fi.

For the record, I have now owned two editions of FIREFLY and three editions of SERENITY. And while I was not convinced that the tremendous increase of price for FIREFLY on Blu-ray justified the slight increase in visual quality, I am a huge fan of SERENITY on Blu-ray. The price is reasonable and the increase in visual quality is significantly better than the original DVD.Most people know the story at this point. FOX bizarrely and inexplicably (oh, well, unless you are talking about a possible minimal improvement in your bottom line -- though I would like to know what the viewership of the shows that took FIREFLY's place on the Friday night schedule was) cancelled FIREFLY, broadcasting only eleven episodes (though others were made, only to be seen when the DVD box set was released). Then FIREFLY became one of the most successful shows on DVD in the history of the new medium. Indeed, it and FAMILY GUY helped redefine the understanding of the relation between DVDs and cancelled series. And their strong sales led both to the renewal of FAMILY GUY as a series and the revival of FIREFLY as a movie.By any measure, SERENITY was a disappointment as a feature release. It failed to recoup production costs in domestic ticket sales and only by a whisker broke even in international sales. But like FIREFLY, the film was a huge success on DVD. After a couple of pressings of the original DVD (with one of the ugliest covers ever), Universal brought out a two-disc Collector's edition, which also did well in DVD sales. Now both FIREFLY and SERENITY have appeared in Blu-ray. As Mr. Universe would say, you can't stop the signal. While SERENITY did not at first make money for Universal, it has over time turned the studio quite a profit. This success has led to speculation from time to time that Universal might push for another film, either as a theater release or as a direct-to-DVD (a TV movie would seem to be precluded by the terms of Universal's agreement with 20th Century Fox, which owns the TV rights to the series). And fans have a right to continue to hope. Joss Whedon had long kept two major FIREFLY/SERENITY secrets secret. One had to do with Shepherd Book's background and the other with Inara's back-story. Book's story will be revealed shortly in the next SERENITY comic series "A Shepherd's Tale," which will indeed delve into the secret of his past, of what he was before he entered the monastery. But Whedon has persistently refused to divulge Inara's story and has forbidden Monica Baccarin to reveal it. He has also stated that if there is ever a SERENITY sequel, Mal and Inara's relationship will feature much more prominently, and presumably whatever it is that she is hiding.Anyone who saw FIREFLY knew that while River was not at the time one of the crucial characters on the show, that her story was nonetheless going to be the central catalyst for the show's plot. At the time we knew that agents of the Blue Sun Corporation (which receives no mention in the film, but which was the corporate entity that undertook the experiments on River) were anxious to find River. The show's plot was clearly going to revolve around her secret, why the government and Blue Sun wanted her back, and precisely what they had turned her into. We got hints on the show. We knew she was psychic. We knew that she possessed some bizarre abilities (such as shooting three men at a distance with a handgun with her eyes closed). And we knew that while prodigiously gifted, she had been broken by their experiments. Her story was to have unfurled over the course of at least two seasons. The movie focuses on the heart of what that story would have been.By paring down the movie into only River's story, other characters unfortunately got left to the side. Book barely featured in the film. Kaylee and Simon and even Jayne have much smaller moments. Even Zoe is somewhat shunted off to the side. In fact, the only two characters who really get the amount of time that they deserve are River and Mal. This was probably unavoidable. Otherwise the main story would have been sacrificed just to get the other characters a few more moments. But when the series ended, the number one question most fans had was, "What the heck is River's deal?" So the film answers that question.Although I came to SERENITY after having seen FIREFLY several times, I've been amazed talking to others who saw only the movie how much they enjoyed it on its own. And although I cannot put myself into their shoes, it is pretty obvious that the movie holds up nicely on its own. A lot of this can be attributed to the fact that Joss Whedon focused his efforts more on the story than on giving all the characters a "fair" amount of air time. You can correct this in a TV series, but not in a movie. First and foremost, the movie tells a great story that answered many of the central questions that were dangling at the end of the series. The movie introduces very few new characters. The main one is the Operative, played by the marvelous Chiwetel Ejiofor. The brilliant thing about the Operative is that he clearly sees himself as the hero of the story, the selfless one doing what has to be done to bring about a better world. There is, in fact, a wonderful parallel between the Operator and Malcolm Reynolds. The difference is that Mal at the time of the action in the film is already the person the Operative will later become. Like the Operative, Mal was at one point a true believer, until he lost his faith at the Battle of Serenity Valley, an event captured in the first few minutes of the series as Joss Whedon wanted it to be broadcast. And like Mal, the Operative at the end of this movie loses his faith in his cause. [This is seen even more explicitly in the deleted scenes, where the Operative looks up at the nose of the ship with "Serenity" painted on it, and he asks Mal how he found something to live for afterwards. Mal merely replies that he should get out of the blast area or he'll never find out. The Operative, Mal hints, has to find his own path.] While Mal lost his faith through defeat, the Operative loses his by no longer being able to pretend that his side is the right one, that he labors on the side of the angels. To his credit, he remains a good man, only no longer allied to a particular cause. Even before the events at the end of the film the Operative recognizes that the proper world, civilization itself, has no place for either him or Mal.SERENITY is a great movie, though it is very different from other exceptional Sci-fi films in that it is dependent for much of its appeal on the TV series. I am a big believer in the superiority of television (at its best) over the movies. If you value character and dialogue over all else (as I do), movies simply cannot compete with TV. I defy anyone to show me a cop movie that can rival the final denouement in TV's THE SHIELD. Or a fantasy series with the depth of pathos of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. Or a human interest drama with the depth of character of FRIDAY NIGHT LITHTS (as a test cast, just compare the film FNL with the vastly deeper and richer TV series). It is simply an impossibility to get to know or develop a character in the 90 minutes of a movie compared to the 920 minutes of a single season of a TV series (though remember that if a series goes seven years, that expands to 6,440 minutes. Now, not all TV series take advantage of this. Although STARGATE SG-1 lasted for ten seasons, there was not much more character development at the end of the series than there was at the end of Season One. But shows like BUFFY, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, THE WIRE, THE SHIELD, THE WEST WING, ANGEL, PUSHING DAISIES, and FIREFLY take advantage of the huge inherent superiority of TV over film. So one reason SERENITY is so good as a movie is the fact that it gets to ride piggyback on a very great TV series.Again, I am not sure that I recommend FIREFLY on Blu-ray. It is better, but I'm not sure that it is so much better that it justifies the extremely hefty price tag. But if you have a Blu-ray player and love FIREFLY and/or SERENITY, you will not regret upgrading to Blu-ray. Plus, you have to keep in mind that SERENITY is not merely a must-see movie, it is a must-see-8-or-9 times movie. I give it my strongest recommendation.

the finale to the firefly tv show. we needed another season but this does the job to finish it.

Ich habe wenige SF-Filme mehr herbeigesehnt als seinerzeit SERENITY – und konnte es 2006 nicht erwarten, diesen Film zu sehen.Wenige Serien haben mich derart begeistert, wie es 2005 „Firefly“ geschafft hat, und auch nach fast anderthalb Jahrzehnten (wie die Zeit vergeht…) liebe ich diese kurze aber grandiose Serie immer noch heiß und innig – wenn ich auch die gerade mal 14 Folgen natürlich mittlerweile in- und auswendig kenne.SERENITY hatte seinerzeit die undankbare Aufgabe, die vielen losen Enden der Serie innerhalb eines zweistündigen Kinofilms irgendwie zu einem Abschluss zu bringen… und gleichzeitig dem „normalen“ Publikum den Einstieg in den doch sehr markanten Hintergrund von „Firefly“ zu ermöglichen.Sprich: die Macher mussten es irgendwie den Hardcore-Fans recht machen, die auf sehr spezifische Fragen Antworten erwarteten, und gleichzeitig dafür sorgen, dass auch Otto-Normal-Zuschauer auf seine Kosten kommt. Hinzu kommt, dass das alles noch „Firefly“ sein und dennoch etwas Neues bieten musste.Eine fast unlösbare Aufgabe, die man, wie ich finde, zumindest sehr ansprechend gelöst hat.Nein, in meinen Augen ist SERENITY nicht perfekt – der Film hat einige kleinere Macken. Manche Erklärungen und Auflösungen wirken ziemlich hastig zusammengeschustert und etwas banal, was aber in der Natur der Sache liegt… wie geschrieben musste man einige Erzählstränge innerhalb kurzer Zeit zu Ende bringen, das man dabei nicht zu sehr ins Detail gehen konnte ist klar.Auf der positiven Seite ist festzustellen, dass SERENITY viel Tempo, Witz und Action bietet. Die Dialoge und die Gags sitzen, die Tricks lassen sich auch heutzutage noch sehen, und die Kampfszenen sind wirklich gelungen.Ich stehe dazu: SERENITY ist unterm Strich so gut, wie es eben möglich war. Die Macher mussten sehr viele unterschiedliche Anforderungen in diesem Film unter einen Hut bringen, und diesen sehr schwierigen Spagat bekam man definitiv hin. Ob SERENITY ein Film ist, der wirklich gut funktioniert, wenn man „Firefly“ gar nicht kennt kann ich schwer beurteilen, aber als nachträglicher Abschluss dieser wunderbaren Serie schlägt sich SERENITY sehr gut.Von mir gibt’s knappe, aber verdiente 5 Sterne.

Durch die Sitcom THE BIG BANG THEORY wurde ich auf die Fernsehserie "FIREFLY - Aufbruch der Serenity" aufmerksam, da der Charakter Dr. Sheldon Cooper es zutiefst bedauerte, dass seine Lieblingsserie nach nur Einer Staffel abgesetzt wurde.Daher kaufte ich mir aus purer Neugier diese Fernsehserie von 2002 und verliebte mich ebenso in diese Science Fiction-Saga, in der der Serienschöpfer Joss Wheadon die bekannte Science Fiction mit dem Amerikanischen Wild West und Asiatischer Kultur verband - ein interessanter Kulturclash. Darüberhinaus mit liebevoll erdachten Charakteren und tollen Abenteuern bespickt.Coole Dialoge, Gags mit Witz und Elan und ein unvergleichlicher Charme, dem man sich kaum entziehen kann, sorgten einst dafür, dass diese leider zu früh abgesetzte Fernsehserie nun - hier und heute - eine geheime Serienperle geworden ist und dadurch unbeabsichtigt zum Kult wurde."SERENITY - Flucht in neue Welten"Da doch diese Fernsehserie aufgrund von mehr als bescheidenen Einschaltquoten nach der Einen ersten Staffel abgesetzt wurde (allerdings nur wegen falsch platzierter Ausstrahlungszeiten und der ärgerlicher Ausfälle durch Sportsendungen) und dadurch zu viele Fragen und Klärungen offen blieben, war dies ein überaus trauriger Abgang der "Serenity".Doch 2005 war es dann soweit und die Fans konnten Aufatmen: Denn Joss Whedon brachte das letzte Firefly-Abenteuer in die Kinos, löste alle unaufgeklärten Fragen der Serie geschickt; er schenkte uns Fans ein wohltuendes aber dennoch trauriges Happy.Ja, der Film hat trotz des temporeichen Erzählstils den Charme der Fernsehserie, steckt voller Witz und am Ende muss der Zuschauer sein china-seidenes Taschentuch zücken - macht's gut, Freunde!BD-Info:Vor Jahren kämpfte Captain Malcom Reynolds im Galaktischen Bürgerkrieg gegen die Allianz - und verlor. Mittlerweile lebt er mit der kleinen, bunt zusammengewürfelten Crew seines Firefly-Raumschiffes "Serenity" am Rande des Universums. Als Malcom die zwei Passagiere - einen jungen Arzt und dessen telepathischer Schwester - handelt er sich riesige Probleme ein: Die allmächtige Allianz will das Geschwisterpaar in ihre Gewalt bringen. Doch nicht nur ein unaufhaltbarer Militärapparat und die grauenhaften kannibalischen Reavers bedrohen die "Serenity", sondern auch die Gefahr, die in ihrem Raumschiff selbst lauert...Die Blu-ray:Die Bildquali (Schärfe, Farben und Kontrast) der Blu-ray ist einfach makellos und Heimkinosystem-Astronauten bekommen einen deftig räumlichen Klang in DTS Surround 5.1 geboten.Klasse find' ich auch, dass im Gegensatz zur Fernsehserie die Audiokommentare hier beim Kinofilm deutsche Untertitel eingeblendet werden können!Auch ein Blu-ray-Wendecover ohne den nervige FSK-Ab 16 Jahre-Flatschen ist vorhanden!Extras:-Filmkommentare von Joss Whedon und den Darstellern Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau und Ron Glass- Unveröffentlichte Szenen- Verpatzte Szenen- Einführung von Joss Whedon- Zukunftsgeschichte- Was ist in einem Firefly?- Die Reise eines Filmemachers- Erweiterte Szenen- Ein Spaziergang auf der Serenity- Der Green-Clan- Session 416- Meine Szenen: Markiere die besten Filmszenen- Die Bestellung hier bei amazon.de verlief schnell (freitags bestellt, Samstag geliefert) und problemlos, ich bin sehr zufrieden! -

Wer hätte gedacht, dass ein "Mauerblümchen" und Abschluss einer TV-Serie ("Firefly") so punkten kann !Die Handlung wurde hier schon umrissen, ist entweder bekannt oder kann im Netz nachgelesen werden: Space-Western mit Martial-Arts und Zombie-Anleihen. Joss Whedon war später auch für Drehbuch und Regie der zwei ersten Avengers Filme verantwortlich.Zum Bild: Sehr kontrastreiche, klare, saubere Farben. Hervorragende Schärfe, guter Schwarzwert, fast rauschfrei. referenzwürdig - Selbst die SFX sind überraschend gut gelungen .Das Ganze bei einem Film von 2005 - da können sich viele jüngere Filme eine gehörige Scheibe davon abschneiden ... Dasselbe git auch für den Ton: Sauberer Bass, der aber nicht die Dialoge erdrückt. Hohe Dynamik. Viele direktionale Effekte, immer gut verortete und nicht vom - übrigens auch sehr guten - Score übertönte Dialoge. Das Ganze sehr empfehlenswert. Am Rande der Referenzklasse bei Bild und Ton. ...und ein Wendecover gibt's auch...

Serenity Steelbook (Blu-ray) La Steelbook non è male ma nemmeno delle migliori, la parte davanti bella ma dietro non è tanto un gran che, potevano sforzarsi di più.L’interno molto bello con una foto tutta per esteso dei protagonisti.Per un collezionista da avere assolutamente. Ma di sicuro non a 20 o più €, massimo che si deve spendere secondo me è 15 ma non oltre. Sapendo che tanto quando la acquistano i venditori ci spendono 1/10 di quello che ci fanno pagare.Detto questo il film è magnifico un cult del genere fantascienza, che consiglio di vederlo non vi deluderà bella storia, begli scenari tanta azione e colpi di scena. Migliore di sicuro di film dello stesso genere che escono tuttora a volte.L’unica cosa che stò vedendo che ormai le spedizioni peggiorano e basta oltre al trattamento che hanno i DVD. Mi è arrivato anche in ritardo, quindi non so perché devo pagare Amazon prime se poi non lo rispettano, oltretutto mi sono ritrovato con il disco che sbatteva dentro la custodia poteva anche rigarsi meno male che non è successo almeno controllare le condizioni dell’oggetto a volte sarebbe utile.Ecco anche alcune foto di questa metalbox. Serenity Steelbook (Blu-ray)