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"Serenity" Movie in the Science fiction tear jerkers

Webmaster — 2009-11-07T10:18:59Z

Let's just be straight up with each other for a minute, OK ? I cry at movies. It doesn't really matter what genre ; I bawled like a school girl during “Man Without a Face.” I got a lump in my throat during “The Wedding Singer” and “Lilo & Stitch.” And let's just not bring up “Old Yeller,” yeah ?

But, for some reason, there just aren't a lot of tear-jerking sci-fi movies out there. Maybe that's secretly why I love the genre so much — I can go on a date without having to touch up my makeup a billion times.

But I know there were a couple out there that got me a little choked up. OK, so my biggest embarrassment is how much I sobbed when Bruce Willis had to say goodbye to his daughter in “Armageddon.” But I knew there were others out there. So I went to my most magic of 8-balls : Twitter.

“Twitter !” I called out into the abyss. “Show me the saddest science fiction movies to grace the screen !”

The first three responses came back almost instantly. “Battlefield Earth,” “Battlefield Earth” and “Battlefield Earth.” Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. “The Matrix 2 and 3″ were next. COME ON, Twitter, where's the serious ? Remind me to never ask you for medical advice (again).

But then, a series of other answers came in, restoring my faith in the medium. Their answers, mediated and moderated, below :

Serenity :

Ah, Joss Whedon. You loveable, sadistic, hairy bastard man-child. You have a track record of creating the most memorable characters to grace screens big and small, and then completely wrenching them from us in as gruesome or pointless manner possible. Wash's death I can almost handle, seeing as how he went out as a hero. But killing Book by just letting him bake in the sun for a spell, all of that delicious backstory just evaporating with him ? You're dangerously close to “you suck” territory, bub.

The Iron Giant :

This surprise bit of sweetness about a boy and his bot packed several emotional gut punches. The most powerful, however, was when the silent titular Giant sacrificed himself to save his friend, as well as most of the state of Maine. Twitter friend Knappst3r, who evidently cries about as much as I do, cited this movie, in addition to “Serenity.”

The Fifth Element :

We've talked at length about this quirky cult classic, which has become a surprisingly divisive wedge in fandom (you either love it or hate it). I fall into the former camp. And, most importantly, I got a little sad at the end, when Leeloo can't feel love, but sacrifices herself thanks to Bruce Willis and some climactic music. Zeblue Prime mentioned that he cries at lots of sci-fi movies because of the sheer epic nature, but specifically cited The Fifth Element (or E5, if you have no idea what you're talking about, because I just made that up). And GeekGirlDiva, ever the sort to fall for romance, seconds The Fifth Element as a key climactic sobfest.

A.I. :

A few of you got a little choked up over A.I. — most notably the last scene. Elwang admits that a lot of people trash the movie, but the part where he gets his mom back for a day makes him all manner of weepy. ReallyBigPeach mentions a rough scene I'd forgotten about, when Little Robot Boy gets left in the woods alone. I blame Gigolo Jane for blotting out that memory — I can't seem to remember anything for around half an hour either side of her appearance. Star Trek :

Very few people think of the rebooted “Star Trek” as a tear-jerker, unless bright, blinding lights make your eyes water. But at least one person was on the same page as me. Pippsta remembered that opening scene being a little sad. And I couldn't agree more. CarrieLeighC went one further, saying it had her “sobbing faster and harder than any other movie ever has.”

I'm taking up a collection to rent “Old Yeller” for her.

HD Nation hearts "Serenity" Movie on Blu-ray

Webmaster — 2009-10-21T18:47:50Z

Click on the link :

http://revision3.com/hdnation/topstreaming

"Serenity" Movie in MSN's "Greatest Space Movies of All Time" List

Webmaster — 2009-07-21T09:00:10Z

Click on the link :

http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/movies/galleries/MovieGallery.aspx ?cp-documentid=20771765&imageindex=6

"Serenity" Movie in the Beyond Wolverine : Ten Other Movie Origins We'd Like to See

Webmaster — 2009-04-27T10:57:52Z

7. Serenity Origins : Mal

Mal Reynolds from Serenity

It's a cold hard fact. We NEED more Firefly/Serenity. I'm getting tired of watching those 13 episodes and that lone movie over and over again. And there's a window that could open soon. Despite its improved quality since its premiere, including at least one episode that could be called great, Joss Whedon's Dollhouse doesn't feel like it's going to be around for the long haul. The ratings and buzz aren't quite where they should be. Similarly, Nathan Fillion's star vehicle Castle isn't bad but the great Nate should be doing something more challenging than this Moonlighting variation. While we'd love a straight-up sequel to Serenity, it may be more creatively intriguing for Whedon to fill in the gaps of the history of Mal, one of the best characters in the history of sci-fi. How did he get his crew together ? In his early days of rebellion, what challenges did he face ? What enemies ? There's enough support from the Browncoat community that the fans would practically finance this thing themselves. Has there even been a pledge drive to produce a movie ? This could easily be the first.

Would you rather have Riddick 3 or Serenity 2 ?

Webmaster — 2009-04-09T20:05:27Z

Last night I watched the Blu-ray releases of Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick and got to thinking about that third Riddick film Vin Diesel recently suggested to Gamespot when he said, “Maybe we're too tight-lipped about the next Chronicles of Riddick film, and I think circa the release of [Dark Athena] that's probably when you'll start hearing more about the next Riddick film,” the actor said. “It is underway and I almost think it's a coincidence that we haven't heard anything, that there hasn't been a lot of public stuff on the Riddick movie.”

The Dark Athena Diesel refers to is the recently released videogame The Chronicles of Riddick : Assault on Dark Athena, which hit stores this past Tuesday forwarding the story of Richard B. Riddick beyond the 2004 animated Riddick feature Escape from Butcher Bay. Considering this is the second videogame in the character's lifespan since Pitch Black in 2000 there is obviously a fanbase, but they either aren't as vocal as the Serenity fanbase or I just don't travel in the same circles, as it seems strange to me there is so much attention on Riddick and so little on the world of Serenity.

While Pitch Black was a success in 2000 bringing in a worldwide box-office total of $53 million on a $23 million budget, the sequel hardly topped its $105 million budget in worldwide sales hitting $115 million. In the States, The Chronicles of Riddick was a severe flop earning only $57 million.

Of course, Serenity has nothing at all to hang its hat on in terms of box-office success since it cost an estimated $39 million to make and only managed $38.8 million at the worldwide box-office. However, word has hit home video sales were through the roof. I remember when HD DVD first came out Universal even used Serenity as one of the free debut titles as an added incentive, they must have had some reason for doing so. Universal even upped the amount of interactive features once they made the switch to Blu-ray.

However, when it comes to sci-fi franchises Universal, to this point, has backed Riddick and while there is no official third film in the future and there is no telling if Universal will even be the studio to release a third Riddick, it seems the Riddick franchise is rolling with far more steam than Serenity. That is, if Universal doesn't try and do something with “Battlestar Galactica” beyond its presence on the small screen.

Since Serenity's 2005 release talks of a sequel sprout up anytime one of the cast members of the original film is interviewed. I am not sure if movie websites jump to make these stories seem larger than they are because they attract visitors or even how big the attracted audience is, but if you put the scent out there it certainly draws attention.

After watching both Riddick films on Blu-ray it is easy to see Universal has these things primed for a franchise with timelines and extensive Blu-ray features exploring the universe the two films establish, but this isn't to say the Serenity Blu-ray is much different as it contains similar features.

Then there is always the recognition factor. After Fast and Furious stormed to $70.9 million on opening weekend there is no denying audiences are wholly familiar with Vin Diesel and in casting a third Riddick feature they could go for an even bigger name as his foe. With Serenity the biggest name at the head of the snake is Nathan Fillion and the franchise creator Joss Whedon. (Summer Glau has made a minor ripple with her role on the “Terminator” TV series, but not enough to make any real waves.) These names are familiar to fans of the franchise, genre and online followers, but when it comes to the general public I don't think the reach goes much further.

Does any of this mean much at all ? To be honest I don't really think so, but I am still curious what most readers would be interested in seeing if given a choice.

Personally I have a very hard time deciding. I really enjoyed Pitch Black and Riddick actually doesn't bother me much at all, but there is no denying it could have been better. I also think a third Riddick film benefits from what was attempted in the second film. Pitch Black was a rather small and intimate film while Chronicles of Riddick expanded the possibilities and story and sort of lost itself along the way. Now, however, the universe is established and writer/director David Twohy would be able to roam inside of it without having to waste much story on getting the audience acquainted.

As for Serenity the establishing has already been done and was pretty much taken care of in the first 5-10 minutes of the film. Speaking as someone that never even saw a single episode of “Firefly,” the TV series the film was based on, I was familiar with what was going on in a matter of minutes — credit to writer/director Joss Whedon for that achievement. Also with Serenity I haven't heard from anyone that actually didn't like the movie. Sure, there are those that don't like it as much as others, but Serenity has a whopping 81% rating at RottenTomatoes compared to Riddick's 30% and if home video reports are accurate I would think the Serenity audience has only grown since its disappointing theatrical run.

These are certainly all things to consider, but I wonder, where do you stand ? Vote now and if you have any comments on the matter please pass them on in the comment section below.

You can vote :

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/would-you-rather-universal-make-a-third-riddick-film-or-serenity-2

Chiwetel Ejiofor - "Serenity" Movie in the 50 greatest finishing moves in cinema history

Webmaster — 2009-03-24T13:06:33Z

The soft-spoken, mild-mannered Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is established as a tough guy early on in Firefly's movie outing when he whips out his ceremonial katana, swiftly skewers two flunkies and then helps errant scientist Dr Mathias (Michael Hitchcock) commit the seppuku the Operative feels appropriate - no matter what Mathias thinks. The Operative drills his fingers into the doctor's back, twisting just so to paralyse him. Then it's a simple matter of positioning his sword point-upwards to catch the doctor's falling body. It's a disciplinary action that neatly sums up the Operative's sense of honour but also his ruthlessness, so full marks to Joss Whedon for writing it so well, and to Ejiofor for the slight smile he maintains throughout.

Click on the link for more :

http://www.empireonline.com/features/movie-finishing-moves/default.asp ?m=9

"Serenity" Movie - Blu-Ray Disc - Hollywoodchicago.com Review

Webmaster — 2009-01-07T16:07:19Z

CHICAGO – The regular flow of imports from standard DVD and HD-DVD to the champion of the format war, Blu-Ray, continues with this week's release of an HD-DVD hit, Joss Whedon's excellent “Serenity”.

The movie based on one of the best science fiction programs in the history of television, the short-lived “Firefly,” suffered a similar fate as its source material - not being appreciated during its initial release. When “Serenity” hit theaters, it certainly earned critical acclaim and adoration of fans of the show, but most audiences ignored it. Like the show, the film earned a cult following after fans caught up with it at the video store and is regularly voted one of the best sci-fi films ever made.

Serenity was released by Universal Home Video on December 30th, 2008.

With “Serenity,” Joss Whedon and his multi-talented cast, including great work from Nathan Fillion, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Adam Baldwin, Alan Tudyk, and Summer Glau, didn't just take the opportunity to tie up loose ends from the show. Anyone could have made a series finale blown up to movie screen size, but Whedon isn't just anybody and he made a great movie that works just as well for people completely unfamiliar with the show. Serenity was released by Universal Home Video on December 30th, 2008.

“Serenity” is a perfect fit for HD and the video and audio on the Universal Blu-Ray release stand up to nearly any title released recently by the company. The 1080P widescreen presentation is a beauty but the English DTS-HD Master Audio in 5.1 channels is even more remarkable. I've seen “Serenity” a few times and never appreciated the sound design nor David Newman's score quite as much as I did with this release.

What's most outstanding about the release of “Serenity” on Blu-Ray is the unbelievable wealth of special features. You'll spend days with this title. Universal's U-Control still grabs most of the attention with optional, picture-in-picture, scene-specific features like a “Visual Commentary,” which allows the viewer to watch the director and cast as they give their commentary. If watching people talk while they watch a movie doesn't do it for you, the picture-in-picture featurettes that include rehearsals, behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews as the movie plays should be more interesting.

Through U-Control, viewers can also access a “Digital Tour of Serenity,” which allows access to the ship schematics during all scenes that take place on it, and “Mr. Universe's Compendium,” a detailed trip into the “Serenity” universe with data on organizations, weaponry, and personnel, gathered from decrypted files and intercepted transmissions.

The U-Control features and access to the increasingly-interesting BD-Live combined with HD video and audio would be enough for most “Serenity” fans but all of the other excellent features from previous editions of the cult hit have been imported. That includes deleted scenes with commentary, outtakes, “Future History - The Story of Earth That Was,” “What's in a Firefly,” “Re-Lighting the Firefly,” an introduction by Joss Whedon, extended scenes, “Take a Walk on Serenity,” “A Filmmaker's Journey,” “The Green Clan,” and “Session 416”. It's an overwhelming and detailed look at every aspect of “Serenity,” exactly what fans of the movie should expect and deserve. Now if they would only get back together and make a sequel. A browncoat can dream.

‘Serenity' is released by Universal Home Video and stars Nathan Fillion, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Adam Baldwin, Alan Tudyk, and Summer Glau, and was written and directed by Joss Whedon. It was released on December 30th, 2008.

"Serenity : Better Days" Comic Book - Ifanboy.com Podcast Review

Webmaster — 2008-12-28T12:38:39Z

Click on the link :

http://www.ifanboy.com/podcasts/video/iFanboy_-_Episode__102_-_Indie_Vault

"Serenity" Movie - Blu-Ray Disc - Wfdvdreport.com Review

Webmaster — 2008-12-13T19:23:34Z

Well, I certainly didn't think I'd be writing this review anytime soon ! When the announcement of a new Region 1 two-disc edition of Serenity was announced, I was extremely excited. We hadn't heard anything about the film since its two-disc DVD release over a year ago, but now Universal is sending the film out on a second hi-definition outing, this time on Blu-ray with most of the goodies from the previous two-disc collector's edition included.

Serenity comes from the mind of Joss Whedon who first unveiled this western sci-fi in episodic format on the Fox network. A muddled airing schedule only proved to confuse viewers watching Firefly an d it wasn't until the show was cancelled did it seem to pick up momentum. The full-series DVD release sold exceedingly well for the Fox network and seeing the popularity growing and remaining undeveloped, Universal Studios optioned the rights for a feature film of Whedon's little show. Firefly alumni eagerly awaited word on the movie and its production and while its worldwide intake was a couple hundred thousand short of the film's production budget, as this second DVD release showcases, like the show, the film found it's home on DVD.

With this film, originally written by Whedon to be the ending to the shows second season, we pick up right where the show left off, with a few of our main characters dispersed across the ‘verse and the crew of Serenity continuing what to do best : stealing from the Alliance. Their exploit quickly turns bad when Reavers, creatures who were once mad but were driven into mindless creatures, show up and the crew has to head away with their bounty.

This opening sets the tone for the film and while the introduction of Simon and River in the beginning of the film and Mal's trek through the bowels of his boat introduce to our characters, the bank robbing/Reaver sequence tells us who these characters are and just what it is in the universe they fear, as it obviously isn't the all-mighty Alliance. I also noticed, upon viewing the film on DVD, that Whedon seamlessly shows the audience the characters in a way that doesn't make those of us who were introduced to them in the show bored with the re-telling for the new audience members. For fans (affectionately called “Browncoats” after the resistance that fought against the Alliance in the Firefly series), the introduction of the crew is more like seeing old friends again and there's no doubt that fans smiled from ear to ear in the theater while their fellow theater goers were just settling in for what would be an awesome ride.

If I sound overly excited about the film it's likely because, while I arrived late to the Firefly fan base (I was one of the ones who was introduced to it with the DVDs), I was there at the theater on opening weekend and watching the film on DVD is a joyous experience each and every time. Just now, while I sat down to write this review, I decided to let the film play in the background and before I knew it two hours had passed and I'd only written one sentence of the review. The film, and series, is the type of show you can plan to casually watch and then you end up spending the full run time glued to the television.

With this film we're given a wealth of knowledge into the character of River Tam. While we had merely scratched the surface of what the Alliance had done to her while she was held prisoner, the actual secret she held in her brain, although she didn't know exactly what she was seeing, as certainly a terrifying one. All through the movie we're given hints of what River sees and is experiencing and her interaction with her brother, Simon, is hard to watch at times because it gets so emotional.

That was another thing the film amped up over the television series—while there were segments in the series that made one's eyes well up, there were at least three in this film that are hard to watch from an emotional standpoint. It really seems like Whedon gave it his all in this film, not only dialing up the drama, but the characters interactions with one another were so pitch-perfect that the introduction of the new Operative in the film meshed perfectly with the rest of the film as well.

Click Here !Along with the beautiful set locations and set pieces (including a new Serenity that has a few newer looking pieces built into it), the CGI got a big boost in this film as well. While it may not be evident until the third act with the Alliance/Reaver battle, what CGI we get prior to that is clean and professional looking as well. For a film that was working on a relatively low budget for a sci-fi adventure, the CGI doesn't show any areas of weakness—although I don't doubt that the films budget was kept low due to all of the original actors returning to the roles from the Firefly series.

On top of even green lighting a new Firefly project, Universal also pleased fans by not insisting on anything that would ruin the already established brilliance of the show and this, of course, included not recasting the roles. Without any big names to be seen in the series (though Gina Torres and Nathan Fillion have since starred in a few more feature films and television series since Serenity hit theaters), it's no wonder that the film didn't do as well as it could have in theaters. Regardless, the actors return to their characters flawlessly. It's a shame we saw so little of Shepherd Book and Inara in the film (and Kaylee for that matter), but with a crew of nine, showcasing them all would be impossible. To Whedon's credit, all of the characters got to show off all of their trademark attitudes and it's the little character moments that often stick out in one's mind, rather than a sprawling diatribe between groups.

It's clear from the extras on this release that it was a ton of fun to work on and it's easy to see why. The actors are so engrossed with their characters and it's in Serenity that Nathan Fillion and Summer Glau really bring out the best in Malcolm Reynolds and River Tam. The focus of the film remains on these two throughout and the actors have no problem with the extra spotlight thrown on them. Fillion in particular relishes the role and even says as much in the extras (he even goes so far as to state that he gets so into the character at time that he fully believes he is the captain of a space ship—something he'll later snap out of, of course. Eventually.) ; a lot of his mannerisms remind you of a slightly more hardened Indiana Jones (likely because he even admits to stealing from Harrison Ford in terms of mannerisms) and Glau's role as River is truly heartbreaking to watch at times.

Click Here !Overall, while the film offers so much more to those who have seen the series that preceded it, there's no doubt that the film isn't a ton of fun to watch. Familiarity with the characters will no doubt help your viewing, but Whedon does such a superb job of setting the cast up in the first few minutes that I doubt anyone would have trouble following the antics on screen. The crew of Serenity remains as likable as always and it's no wonder why. Whedon proved with his Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Angel spin off he could create characters like no other writer before him and with the crew of Serenity he's proved that he's still able to create worlds full of exciting characters and visuals without ever being dragged down by poor writing or acting. Serenity is a film that comes Highly Recommended.

The Blu-ray

So I rambled on for over two pages about the film (and series, admittedly), but the main reason I'm posting this isn't just because of my love for the series. Universal has opted to bring the film and most of the goodies from the two-disc collector's edition over to the Blu-ray format and the results have been nothing short of spectacular. Although after the elaborate and fancy case that the previous release came with, it's a bit of a disappointment to see it so slimmed down into a one disc set, but all of the same goodies are here. Disc art matches the cover an inside the standard Elite Blu-ray case we have an insert advertising the Blu-ray format.

Before we get too caught up in the extras, I'll tackle the video and audio for this release first. The VC-1 encoded video transfer is as good looking as it was on the original HD-DVD release and although I didn't own that disc, I did lay eyes on it a few times and this looks about the same. It's a dark film for the most part, but there are some fantastic areas of detail to lay eyes on. Whether it's the pre-Reaper invasion discussion aboard Serenity or the actual landing on the white infused planet of Miranda, the entire transfer for this film is pretty solid all around. There is a nice grain level throughout and no real signs of DNR, so it's very nice transfer all around and definitely one to show off, especially that final aerial dog fight…very nice.

The audio is equally as impressive, with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track being exclusive to this release as the previous releases featured only DTS (DVD) or DD+ (HD-DVD) tracks. It certainly doesn't disappoint ; I was always impressed by the LFE and surround output on the DTS track that accompanied the standard DVD release and the DTS-HD track here is nothing short of amazing. The surround levels have been boosted and everything about this film simply screams through the speakers. Aurally it's about as a stimulating experience as you can expect from a sci-fi film and I'm certainly not disappointed in the least with this track. Alternatively there are a slew of DTS 5.1 tracks available including : French Canadian, French European, Latin Spanish, Castilian Spanish, German, Italian, and Japanese. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French Canadian, French European, L.A. Spanish, Castilian Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Mandarin, Greek, Portuguese.

Click Here !Moving onto the extras, there is a bit of a mixed boat here. Not all of the extras from the previous DVD releases have been included. The two missing features are the “Sci-Fi : Inside : Serenity” and “We'll have a Fruity Oaty Good Time” pieces. New to this release, however, is an Alliance Database that takes us through the various elements of the Serenity universe. Also new is a Visual Commentary variant of the director and cast commentary, an array of picture-in-picture goodies to watch during the film, a Digital Tour of Serenity and Mr. Universe's Compendium. They're pretty minimal extras and the picture-in-picture pieces are most repeats from the extras on the disc itself, as far as I can tell. The disc also prompted a BD-Live update when I inserted it into my PS3, but selecting BD-Live from the menu states that it's “Coming Soon.” Perhaps the Fruity Oaty and Sci-Fi pieces will show up there.

Moving onto the commentaries we have Whedon's thoroughly detailed film commentary that sets itself apart from the Firefly DVD set commentaries by the fact that it was only him on the commentary track, leaving him free to say everything that was on his mind. While this track can get kind of dull at times because it is only him and no one else, he does spout off plenty of cool stuff we didn't glean from the extras and when paired with the second commentary with Whedon and cast members Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau and Ron Glass, they make for very informative listens.

The cast commentary is great to listen to, especially because Fillion, Baldwin and Whedon are so talkative on it. Glau and Glass rarely talk (I thought Glass had left at one point because I swear he stopped talking for half an hour), but Fillion is constantly bringing up on-set experiences as well as the conditions of certain days that specific scenes were shot during. Some of Whedon's comments from the other commentary are repeated here, but overall this is a great track to listen to, especially because the cast was so invested in the series and film that they were just as attached to the characters as Whedon was (and no doubt still is). Also of note, apparently the film had a hard time getting a PG-13 rating—odd as the series was never anything above TV-14, so what Whedon had planned was a bit more graphic than what we got, I suppose.

The Deleted Scenes (13:54) with optional Whedon commentary return from the previous release and the extended scenes show up from the Region 4 release. The Extended Scenes (6:15) are a lot of fun to watch and I kind of wish they were integrated into the film as the extra dialogue exchanges were really quite good—obvious why they were cut, but a superfluous two and a half hour cut of the film would do nothing else but make me happy. Outtakes (6:05) return as well and, as always, are fun to watch. Combined with the Firefly series outtakes, these outtakes are some of my favorites out of all the outtake reels I've watched, which is saying something.

A series of featurettes, Take a Walk on Serenity (4:07), The Green Clan (3:07) and A Filmmaker's Journey (19:55) come to us from the Region 4 release and they're all really cool extras. “Take a Walk on Serenity” has Whedon, Fillion and Baldwin goofing around on the various sets that make up the interior of Serenity and “A Filmmaker's Journey” is a very nice making-of that includes plenty of new footage (including some of the table read—where's that ? I want to watch that entire thing !) for those who didn't import.

Click Here !What's in a Firefly (6:33), Re-Lighting the Firefly (9:41) return from the first release as well, “What's in a Firefly ?” details the CGI in the film and “Re-Lighting” talks about the fans and how the process of getting the new film made got started. Future History (4:33) goes over the history of the series and a quick Joss Whedon Introduction (3:55) is included as well to give first time viewers an idea of what this film is all about. The final extra is a set of Session 416 (8:01) videos and I am especially glad to have the “Session 416” sessions on the set as Summer Glau does some incredible acting in these and only shoddy web-streams of them available prior made for poor viewing.

Overall this isn't an overwhelming release of the film, simply because it drops a few of the extras from the DVD releases. Having said that the 1080p transfer and lossless DTS audio do make for a tempting upgrade for those who are able to take advantage of such things ; those who aren't, however, may want to hold off on this release, as there are no real incentives to upgrade from the two-disc DVD edition right away. Although the visual commentary is a nice bonus (and showed that Glass actually didn't leave, he's just very, very quiet). Those with a lot of gift cards post-Christmas, however, may want to blow it on this release, as it certainly wouldn't hurt to show the series more love.

Serenity arrives on Blu-ray on December 30th.

"Serenity" Movie - Blu-Ray Disc - Highdefdigest.com Review

Webmaster — 2008-12-13T16:25:49Z

You gotta hand it to Joss Whedon. The mastermind behind the cult phenoms 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' 'Angel' and 'Firefly' seems to know exactly what the fanboys (and fangirls) want. With only those three low-rated TV series (none of which, on a good night, garnered even a fifth of the ratings for a 'Lost' or 'Desperate Housewives') this 44-year-old writer-director-producer has inspired the sort of fervent fan worship reserved for cinema mavericks with ten times the credits. Seriously — read any of the many fan forums and websites devoted to Whedon's creations, and you'd think this guy was the second coming, giving the likes of Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson or Ridley Scott a serious run as Hollywood's top cult auteur.

So considering Whedon's loyal following, perhaps it's no surprise Universal greenlit 'Serenity,' a big-screen spin-off to his cripplingly low-rated but much beloved 'Firefly.' The show only ran for eleven episodes on the Fox Network back in 2002, but became a hot seller on DVD. So Universal took the chance of investing $40 million in a movie version, hoping that if even half of the viewers who tuned into 'Firefly' every week showed up at the box office, they might have a cult movie franchise on their hand. Sure, it was kinda crazy, but hey, it worked for 'Star Trek,' right ?

Alas, fate was not so kind to 'Serenity.' Despite some good reviews, the film came and went in a flicker, grossing a meager $38 million worldwide — barely enough to cover its production budget. Whedon suffered his first high-profile flop, leaving the industry to snicker and Universal marketing execs to slink away battered by the film's box office failure. However, perhaps owing to 'Serenity's strengths as a nifty little sci-fi potboiler, the film, like the series before it, has gone on to develop its own cult following.

The story : Meet the crew of the "Serenity," a junky spaceship filled with bandits, outlaws and smart-alecky Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion). Constantly on the run from the Alliance (think 'Star Wars' evil empire), they rob and plunder for profit to pay their way through the universe. But when the ship's new doctor Simon (Sean Maher) brings his his telepathic, traumatized little sister River (Summer Glau) on board, it plunges the crew into their most dangerous adventure yet. Seems River holds a secret the Alliance and its psychotic chief operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) want so badly that they're willing to destroy whole planets and civilizations to get it. Reynolds and his crew may only be mercenaries, but when the true nature of the secret River holds is revealed, it just might transform the universe's greatest misfits into its most unlikely of heroes.

I shouldn't have enjoyed 'Serenity,' having never seen a single episode of 'Firefly' (plus my general knee-jerk reaction against anything even remotely sci-fi and cultish). But that tricky Whedon — he's crafted 'Serenity's plot and characters cleverly and carefully, so despite knowing absolutely nothing about the universe of 'Firefly,' I was quickly drawn in. Granted, I occasionally felt I was missing a bit of the in-jokes between characters and certain situations, but the story is tight enough it doesn't matter. Whedon is also taking no prisoners, even daring to kill off one of the major characters, which kept me pleasantly off-guard and genuinely surprised by the twists and turns of the plot.

But best of all is 'Serenity's scrappy attitude. It's easy to see why Whedon is such a hero to fanboys — he may now be a multimillionaire and a big-time TV producer, but in his heart he is Luke Skywalker, dreaming of fantastical worlds and mythic lands populated by Grand Themes and Big Ideas. 'Serenity' is filled wall-to-wall with scrappy archetypes and recycled pulp fiction plot contrivances we've seen a thousand times before, but to Whedon's great credit, he and his cast are so enthusiastic they transcend them by sheer force of will. It may be nowhere near as good (nor influential) as 'Star Wars,' but in one very important way, 'Serenity' genuinely invites comparisons to that George Lucas epic. Like Lucas, Whedon asks us to imagine a galaxy far, far away, one that both looks ahead with its optimistic themes but also harkens back to classic genre conventions. And it does it using the vast resources of the Hollywood establishment, yet playing by none of its ground rules. So flop or not, 'Serenity' is something to cheer indeed.

The Video : Sizing Up the Picture

'Serenity' was among the first four HD DVD titles that Universal released in early 2006. At the time of my original review of that release, I came under some criticism for lamenting that the look of the film was a bit grungy and rough, which didn't always make for ideal high-def source material. This Blu-ray release, which again provides a 1080p/VC-1 encode (spread across a BD-50 dual-layer disc), is pretty much the same, though despite some jagged edges here or there it holds up as a fine transfer.

The film remains highly stylized, with a processed veneer. Some shots look almost crystal clear, while others are heavily sprinkled with film grain, pumped-up colors, and bleached out whites that make it appear as if the film was left out in the sun too long. Schizophrenic, yes, if still pretty cool. This Blu-ray remains nicely detailed, with a sense of depth and clarity that can be very good at times. The color palette is quite rich and striking (if far from natural), with excellent blacks that help further accentuate the richest hues.

I still found the transfer a bit lacking in terms of shadow detail, with a black crush that can sometimes wipe away the finest textures. Noise can also be noticeable, though there are no major encode problems such as motion artifacts or posterization. Like the previous HD DVD, 'Serenity' on Blu-ray generally looks very good if just short of demo material.

The Audio : Rating the Sound

The biggest improvement that Universal offers on the Blu-ray of 'Serenity' is a bump up to full high-res audio. New is an English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround mix (48kHz/24-bit) that is a clear improvement over the Dolby Digital-Plus track on the original HD DVD.

Even in plain Dolby form, 'Serenity' enjoyed active and engaging sound design. The DTS-MA heightens the experience. I could easily hear more robust rear discrete effects, improved imaging and a deeper sense of separation in the surrounds. Dynamic range is fuller, with superior low bass and a brighter high-end. I also heard more distinct separation across the front channels, especially the center channel dialogue, which here is a bit less overwhelmed by the score and effects. 'Serenity' already sounded good on HD DVD, but it's even better here on Blu-ray in full-blown DTS-MA.

The Supplements : Digging Into the Good Stuff

The previous HD DVD of 'Serenity' was a direct port of the DVD, and now this Blu-ray carries that torch. However, Universal has certainly upped the ante in terms of exclusives (see below), so all-around this is an improved package. Video materials are presented in 480i/MPEG-2 only, with the same subtitle options as the main feature.

* Audio Commentary - First up is an audio commentary by Joss Whedon. I was looking forward to this one, because if you've heard him speak, you know Whedon is anything but dry. However, I was perhaps a tad disappointed, as he spends the majority of the track discussing the technical aspects of the film, and how to eke out blockbuster effects and action sequences on a $40 million dollar budget (which doesn't seem too shabby an amount, but what do I know ?) He does weigh in on his terrific cast from time to time, but it wasn't enough for me. Too bad they didn't spring to bring the cast in with Whedon, or better yet, record a separate cast track.

* Featurettes (SD, 21 minutes) - Up next are three short featurettes, which just as easily could have been edited into a single doc.

"What's in a Firefly" (6:33) gives us a rundown of the "Mule Chase" effects sequence, but once you've seen one how'd-they-do-that blue screen demo, you've seen them all.

"Future History : The Story of Earth That Was" (4:33) is a bit more interesting, with Whedon dissecting his inspirations for the basic story concept behind 'Firefly.' Too bad this one is so short.

Last but not least is "ReLighting the Firefly" (9:41), which is the best of the bunch, as it showcases Whedon and cast reactions to the news that 'Firefly' was canceled. And if it wasn't for one Universal exec who was a fan of the show, 'Serenity' never would have happened.

* Deleted Scenes (SD, 15 minutes) - Included are nine rough-looking deleted scenes. Not much is exciting here, with mostly background character and plot info, though diehard 'Firefly' fans may find this more intriguing than I did. All the scenes also sport optional commentary by Whedon.

* Outtakes (SD, 6 minutes) - Quite amusing is this reel of gaffes and goofs, which proves that the cast sure loves to swear whenever they muck up a take.

* Theatrical Trailer (HD) - Rounding out the extras is the film's theatrical trailer.

HD Bonus Content : Any Exclusive Goodies in There ?

Universal has really gone all-out in bringing 'Serenity' to Blu-ray, ladling on the exclusive features that, for whatever reason, never made it to the HD DVD.

* Introduction (SD, 4 minutes) - Joss Whedon gives a quick intro to this "special screening" ( ?) of 'Serenity,' giving a brief history of the death of the series and the birth of the movie.

* Featurettes (SD, 27 minutes) - A couple of additional vignettes are new to the Blu-ray.

"Take a Walk on Serenity" (4 minutes) is a brief tour of the film's main ship, with cast and crew pointing out a few of its interesting props and inner chambers.

Next is "The Green Room" (3 minutes), which is a too-brief profile of the film's cinematographer Jack Green.

Oddly, "A Filmmaker's Journey" (19 minutes) is far better than any of the other featurettes, which makes you wonder why Universal didn't include it on the original HD DVD. In any case, it's quite emotional, with most of the cast shocked but pleased to be returning to their original roles, as well as an appreciative Whedon, who explains that "movies based on failed TV shows are not supposed to happen." Very nice.

* Extended Scenes (SD, 6 minutes) - Four additional excerpts are included, all expanded dialogue scenes. In total they run six minutes, and are presented in fair-quality SD.

* U-Control : Picture-in-Picture Commentary - This group track features Whedon, plus cast Nathan Fillion, Adam baldwin, Summer Glau, and Ron Glass. All are videotaped together chatting about the film, and it's a lot of fun. It's a bit crowded but easily superior to Whedon's solo track, as it was recorded well after the film was completed so there is a fresh sense of perspective. The riffing is fast, so there is a ton of info imparted. Note that you can watch this commentary via the U-Control feature, or listen to it as a straight audio-only track.

* U-Control : Picture-in-Picture - In addition to the dedicated commentary, there is this PIP making-of track. It's an edited assemblage of cast & crew interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and sparse effects material. It's way better than the straightforward featurettes (which it culls from liberally), but also includes much information that is new. I'd just skip the standard supplements and head straight for this track.

* U-Control : My Universe Compendium- This is effectively a pop-up graphics track, with multiple pull-down menus accessible throughout the film with info on the characters, ships, planets and other details. As it is almost entirely data on the world of 'Serenity,' this is probably best left for diehard browncoats.

* U-Control : Digital Tour of Serenity - An extension of the data track above, this opens a separate graphics box, which gives detailed schematics and further text data on the Serenity ship itself. This is truly for geeks only.

* BD-Live - Finally, 'Serenity' also comes BD-Live enabled, which currently offers MyScenes Sharing, plus access to Unviersal's Blu-ray portal with downloadable trailers and other links.

Easter Eggs

No easter eggs reported for 'Serenity' yet.

Final Thoughts

'Serenity' is a fun flick, and I enjoyed it quite a bit even having never seen the 'Firefly' series upon which it was based. This Blu-ray is a worthy improvement over the HD DVD, with video that's on par, but audio and supplements that are noticeably superior. True 'Serenity' fans may find this worth an upgrade, and all others should definitely give it a look.