Serenity (2005) [Blu-ray]

Description

The action-packed adventure Serenity continues on Blu-ray Hi-Def! With exclusive all-new bonus features, this must-own edition takes you deeper into the incredible worlds created by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly). It's an edge-of-your-seat experience that can't be missed.Bonus Content:Alliance DatabaseDeleted Scenes with Optional Commentary by Director Joss WhedonOuttakesFuture History - The Story of Earth That WasWhat's In A FireflyRe-Lighting The FireflyJoss Whedon IntroductionExtended ScenesTake A Walk On SerenityA Filmmaker's JourneyThe Green ClanSession 416Feature Commentery with Writer / Director Joss WhedonFeature Commentary with Writer / Director Joss Whedon & Cast Members Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau and Ron GlassU-Control: Mr. Universe's CompendiumU-Control: Digital Tour of SerenityU-Control: Picture in PictureU-Control: Visual Commentary with Writer/Director Joss Whedon & CastBD-Live: My Scenes Sharing Review: Wonderful Sci-fi adventure! - I don't want to give too much away because this is the type of movie that is better enjoyed not knowing what's to come so I will try and keep this a very general review and set up the premise. This movie had me literally enthralled from the opening scene to the last image on screen. The story had something for everyone, scares, screams, laughter and intrigue. In some cases you were laughing one second and gasping a second later. The characters are richly written and you really feel connected to each and everyone of them, including the assassin! The lead characters, Mal & River, are two totally different people but caught up in the same web by the overly controlling alliance government. River, a teenage girl, was falsely lured away from her family to attend a school for "gifted" children. But it was a cover for the government to use children with psychic abilities, enhance those natural gifts and use them for their own purposes. River's brother, realizes something isn't right and rescues his sister and they end up on Mal's ship named Serenity. Mal is a soldier who fought against the Alliance but was on the losing side and has made every efforts to live on the outskirts of civilization. But, he feels an obligation to protect River and fight the Alliance assassin that has been sent to hunt her down and kill her. Every character in this movie is interesting and fun to watch. If you are a fan of the series, you'll already be familiar with the crew of Serenity but you do not need to have seen the series to enjoy this movie. Joss Whedon does an excellent job of introducing the characters in the beginning of the movie and getting on with a roller coaster of a story. The villain is one of the best villains I've ever seen in a movie and if there ever is a sequel they could probably spin off something with this guy alone (but I hope not because I want more of the crew of Serenity). I highly recommend this movie. I'm a huge sci-fi buff and I've seen all the Trek movies and all the Star Wars movies but this one, in my opinion, is the next level of sci-fi entertainment. Star Wars was a great franchise and really introduced the world to fantastic big screen adventures and Star Trek took a beloved TV show to the big screen and it was a joy to see but Serenity is the best of both these worlds and manages to be that big screen sci-fi adventure that is richly character driven and a blast to experience. Review: The power of belief - Have you ever started a fabulous book, engaging, well-written, and then have it disappear before you could finish reading it? The cancellation of Firefly, an incredible series, was one of the most frustrating and cruel decisions ever made by network. Fabulous acting, great stories, many questions unanswered - and then the rug pulled out before they were finished. But because the fans demanded it, eventually Whedon's miracle arrived, and a movie was made. We could attribute this to the powers of love and belief, both explicit themes in the movie. A movie is not the same as a television series. A movie needs more scope, so instead of the ragtag group of individuals trying to scavenge a living and survive without being detected, which was part of the charm of the series, we get to watch them fighting, essentially, two armies. Devoted fans may also not need some of the exposition. Some little things that I love about both the series and the movie is the use of language. The dialogue is fantastic: witty, funny, sometimes very apt. Whedon, like Humpty-Dumpty, is a master of the words he uses, bending them to his will. There's "shiny" and "companion" and "nethers". And perhaps, my favorite, the use of the word "'verse" to mean "universe" - but which of course also has the poetical meaning of the story. Not all the threads left hanging from the series are tied up, but many of them are. We learn a lot more about River. We resolve the relationship between Simon and Kaylee. Mal recovers his belief system. We have a more sensible explanation for Reavers. We don't get the background on Inara or Shepherd Book, but at least with the latter he says he's not going to give his life story. The movie starts and ends with discussions of love. We first learn the love that Simon has for his sister, recognized by, of all people, the movie's main antagonist, the nameless operative. The nameless operative also understands the power of belief. The operative is therefore in a better position than Mal at the movie's beginning. However, the operative is too committed to unquestioning belief and because of this he does things that he admits make him a monster. Mal, during the movie, also learns to believe again - but his commitment to this is based on a more thorough investigation. There's a wonderful exchange, in which the nameless operative asks Mal if he is ready to die for his beliefs. Mal says, "Yes - but that ain't exactly Plan A." I do have some quibbles. Jewel Staite lost the 20 lbs that she gained for her original stint as Kaylee. Perhaps she's more beautiful without the 20 lbs, but she no longer feels like Kaylee. And although I can imagine Kaylee and Simon getting together - they're both good people - they really don't feel like a good match. Also, there seems to be no resolution to Jayne's story. He finally gets to be considered a genuine hero and perhaps that should have been acknowledged. Nevertheless a wonderful movie and a tribute to the faith of the fans and Firefly's creators.