Good as a season finale, shaky as a stand-alone movie.
Serenity (2005)
Tomatometer
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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: 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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Reviews for Serenity
The action sequences, it must be said, are intense, and the film is fun, if you can swallow all the hokum.
Whedon's six-gun space oddity comes recommended, but you may want to brush up on the series before venturing into the theater.
The cast, a handful of sarcastic, working-stiff interstellar outlaws, is a magnetic bunch, turning the clichés of sci-fi adventure inside out.
A likeable cast with crackling chemistry, plus genre mash-ups, tough/clever wisecracks, and expert seasoning of action with humor and humor with action.
Serenity flies with sass and spirit, qualities that have been in palpably short supply in that Star Wars series since, well, Star Wars.
In its own unassuming, self-effacing way, Serenity is the epic sci-fi adventure that the latter years of Star Wars could only dream of being.
It’s the zippy chatter among the Serenity’s wised-up space pirates that gives the film most of its punch, but with only serviceable action sequences and largely cookie-cutter effects, you can still sense the void just outside.
While the well-intentioned Serenity likely won't achieve the revered status of Star Wars, at least it's no Episode 1.
Serenity is made of dubious but energetic special effects, breathless velocity, much imagination, some sly verbal wit and a little political satire.
Whedon works plenty of smart pop-culture references into his genre-jumping script.
A perfectly acceptable elongated episode of a television series projected onto a screen several sizes too large for it...more pretender than real contender.
Serenity is going to have a hard time finding that right niche audience – outside of already existing Whedon/Firefly fans.
A lively and clever sci-fi feature with colorful characters and a villain that is far more than the usual cardboard cutout.
[T]otal-immersion science fiction... we are hip-deep in this sprawling, interplanetary society...
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August 21, 2007:
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It's Tuesday, and you know what that means. New DVD releases! This week we have 2007's Best Foreign Oscar winner The Lives of Others, a Serenity Collector's Edition, and other... More...
February 05, 2007:
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October 06, 2006:
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Fanboy favorite Joss Whedon has given his supporters a whole bunch of fun stuff over the years, but it certainly looks like his "Firefly" & "Serenity"... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
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| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
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