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Serenity

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Serenity (2005)

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Reviews Counted:32

Fresh:28

Rotten:4

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Snappy dialogue and goofy characters make this Wild Wild West soap opera in space fun and adventurous.

Rated: PG-13 [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:Sep 30, 2005 Wide

Box Office: $25,335,935

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

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Release:

Dec 30, 2008

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Reviews for Serenity

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Joss Whedon makes a rousing feature-directing debut, exploiting the cult status of his short-lived series Firefly to continue it on the big screen.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
06/06/07
Andrea Gronvall
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Go out and see Joss Whedon’s witty whizbang of an action movie, or we will kill a kitten.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
05/12/06
Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker
New York Magazine
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It has a great sense of humor about it, an attractive cast and it’s just a lot of fun.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
10/03/05
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
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Serenity isn't about effects. It's about narrative and characters, and it does a solid job in both areas.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
10/01/05
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
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Half a millennium after Neil Armstrong's one small step for mankind and we're back in the saddle again.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
09/30/05
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
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Fans get priority seating on the ride, but there's plenty of room for rookies to clamber aboard.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
09/30/05
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
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This genre picture is still a thrillingly original science fiction creation.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
09/30/05
Peter Hartlaub
Peter Hartlaub
San Francisco Chronicle
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Serenity is so like TV that it ought to come with a clicker so we can switch over to the next movie at the multiplex.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment 4 Comments
09/30/05
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
New York Post
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As always, Whedon's sci-fi fantasies smartly parallel the serious issues we're grappling with here on Earth, while his protagonists remain mordantly funny in the face of utter disaster.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
09/30/05
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News
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Whedon knows that he's blazing down a well-worn trail, but he addresses that by deftly adding elements of humor, action, romance and horror and continually confounding audience expectations.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
09/30/05
Kevin Crust
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
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The best summer thrill ride since Batman Begins, Serenity roars in a late but mighty welcome considering this year's sub-fun slate.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
09/30/05
Louis B. Parks
Louis B. Parks
Houston Chronicle
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Part of the kick to Serenity is watching the filmmaker expertly play with moods as he hyphenates the western and sci-fi genres.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
09/30/05
Stephen Cole
Stephen Cole
Globe and Mail
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If you want to take a trip to the stars, this is the rocket to ride.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
09/30/05
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News
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Most of Serenity is talk, and thankfully, it is pretty great.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
09/30/05
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press
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The movie runs on the fuel of sly intelligence, not to mention a healthy skepticism about mankind's ability to achieve anything that might be called progress.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
09/30/05
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
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A space spectacle resonant with witty dialogue, accessible characters and kaleidoscopic action.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
09/30/05
Philip Wuntch
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News
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Serenity is a trim little picture of epic proportions.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
09/30/05
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com
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After an hour of intense disorientation, the movie's arch sarcasm becomes oddly entertaining.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
09/30/05
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
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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.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
09/30/05
Sheri Linden
Sheri Linden
Hollywood Reporter
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Though diehard fans probably will take issue, Serenity is mostly sci-fi silliness attempting to be something more substantive.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment 1 Comment
09/29/05
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
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