The Serenity crew's chemistry isn't enough to take this spaceship into the stratosphere, and Whedon unleashes his most provocative ideas too late in the proceedings.
Serenity (2005)
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Reviews Counted:172
Fresh:139
Rotten:33
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Snappy dialogue and goofy characters make this Wild Wild West soap opera in space fun and adventurous.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for sequences of intense violence and action, and some sexual references
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Theatrical Release:07-10-2005
Synopsis: Beloved television cult director Joss Whedon (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL) makes a spectacular first foray onto the big screen with SERENITY, the cinematic adaptation of his wildly popular but... Beloved television cult director Joss Whedon (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL) makes a spectacular first foray onto the big screen with SERENITY, the cinematic adaptation of his wildly popular but short-lived sci-fi series, FIREFLY. A mix of space western, comedy, and drama, SERENITY follows captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his ragtag crew as they trade their way around the edges of civilized society. Of particular interest are two passengers they take on, Simon and River Tam (Sean Maher, Summer Glau), a brother and his telepathic sister on the run from the corrupt governing Alliance. As notorious former members of the anti-Alliance opposition, Mal and his crew make it difficult for Simon and River to stay hidden. Everything goes completely awry when a government assassin is sent to retrieve River. As Mal is forced to choose between his close-knit crew and the brother and sister newcomers, it becomes apparent that River harbors both a dangerous secret and astounding fighting powers, and Mal decides that discovering the truth about what she knows might just be worth his time. Many of the film's action sequences revolve around Summer Glau's martial arts skills in her portrayal of River. Glau prepared for her role with Hong Kong stuntwoman Ming Lu, as well as stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and Hiro Koda, and as a resulted performed nearly all the stuntwork herself. In addition to the stellar stunts, realistic graphics, and an often haunting score, the film's actors display a rare chemistry that brings viewers both into their lives and into a possible version of humanity's future. [More]
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, Ron Glass, Chjwetel Ejiofor, David Krumholtz, Michael Hitchcock, Sarah Paulson
Director: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon
Screenwriter: Joss Whedon
Composer: David Newman
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Serenity
Ultimately, I think SERENITY will appeal most directly to those who are already converted.
Even if certain elements of the movie seemed familiar individually, the whole of the enterprise feels different. It's a different voice and approach, and different is good.
Completely fresh, perhaps the best sci-fi film this year, and one of the better ones of any genre.
...giving a much-needed shot in the arm to a genre that’s become so pompous and full of itself that it wasn’t any fun anymore.
An amiable B-level spinoff of a cult sci-fi series whose reach clearly exceeds its grasp.
While there's absolutely no doubt that fans of the defunct show Firefly will eat Serenity up with a spoon..the film has not been designed to appeal to neophytes.
Captures the spirit of the series while jumping ahead with some unyielding visions of the future which have just as much relevance today.
If it's successful, Serenity will be taken as a singular achievement, one worth emulating for small screen auteurs and big screen marketing departments alike.
Like watching the original Star Wars for the first time, or better yet, watching The Empire Strikes Back... Mal is a guy who would shoot Greedo first.
Can proudly be placed alongside “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Blade Runner” as one of the best science-fiction movies of modern cinema.
I can't believe I am saying this, but I think Serenity could be the new Star Wars.
If you weren’t into Firefly before, Serenity gives no decent excuse to start now.
While movies like I Robot are aimed at the brainless summer crowd. Serenity is designed for basement dwelling geeks just aching to find meaning in the mythos.
The film is teeming with an overwhelming amount of integrity, heart, soul, and some of the best written characters to invade genre fiction in quite some time.
Serenity is first and foremost a movie that will fulfill the hopes and dreams of each and every Firefly fan.
Though diehard fans probably will take issue, Serenity is mostly sci-fi silliness attempting to be something more substantive.
Confusing panache and show-off dialogue slows the blastoff, but this escapist journey turns into high adventure with a rather special style.
an action-packed thriller with a sense of humor, several ingenious ideas and a few startling scares... full of genre-bending fun and pop-culture trivia...
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