Features:
- Four Disc Box Set Must Have Collector Edition
- Includes All 14 Series Episodes!
- Includes 3 Never-Aired Episodes!
- Audio Commentary on Selected Episodes
- Includes 4 Deleted Scenes!
People who bought this item also bought:
Description
Five hundred years in the future there's a whole new frontier, and the crew of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity is eager to stake a claim on the action. They'll take any job, legal or illegal, to keep fuel in the tanks and food on the table. But things get a bit more complicated after they take on a passenger wanted by the new totalitarian Alliance regime. Now they find themselves on the run, desperate to steer clear of Alliance ships and the flesh-eating Reavers who live on the fringes of space.
As the 2005 theatrical release of Serenity made clear, Firefly was a science fiction concept that deserved a second chance. Devoted fans (or "Browncoats") knew it all along, and with this well-packaged DVD set, those who missed the show's original broadcasts can see what they missed. Creator Joss Whedon's ambitious science-fiction Western (Whedon's third series after Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) was canceled after only 11 of these 14 episodes had aired on the Fox network, but history has proven that its demise was woefully premature. Whedon's generic hybrid got off to a shaky start when network executives demanded an action-packed one-hour premiere ("The Train Job"); in hindsight the intended two-hour pilot (also titled "Serenity," and oddly enough, the final episode aired) provides a better introduction to the show's concept and splendid ensemble cast. Obsessive fans can debate the quirky logic of combining spaceships with direct parallels to frontier America (it's 500 years in the future, and embattled humankind has expanded into the galaxy, where undeveloped "outer rim" planets struggle with the equivalent of Old West accommodations), but Whedon and his gifted co-writers and directors make it work, at least well enough to fashion a credible context from the incongruous culture-clashing of past, present, and future technologies, along with a polyglot language (the result of two dominant superpowers) that combines English with an abundance of Chinese slang.
What makes it work is Whedon's delightfully well-chosen cast and their nine well-developed characters--a typically Whedon-esque extended family--each providing a unique perspective on their adventures aboard Serenity, the junky but beloved "Firefly-class" starship they call home. As a veteran of the disadvantaged Independent faction's war against the all-powerful planetary Alliance (think of it as Underdogs vs. Overlords), Serenity captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) leads his compact crew on a quest for survival. They're renegades with an amoral agenda, taking any job that pays well, but Firefly's complex tapestry of right and wrong (and peace vs. violence) is richer and deeper than it first appears. Tantalizing clues about Blue Sun (an insidious mega-corporation with a mysteriously evil agenda), its ties to the Alliance, and the traumatizing use of Serenity's resident stowaway (Summer Glau) as a guinea pig in the development of advanced warfare were clear indications Firefly was heading for exciting revelations that were precluded by the series' cancellation. Fortunately, the big-screen Serenity (which can be enjoyed independently of the series) ensured that Whedon's wild extraterrestrial west had not seen its final sunset. Its very existence confirms that these 14 episodes (and enjoyable bonus features) will endure as irrefutable proof Fox made a glaring mistake in canceling the series. --Jeff Shannon
Beyond Firefly on DVD 
Watch Stargate: Continuum on DVD | 
Catch up on Stargate Atlantis on DVD | 
Check out Sunshine on DVD |
Stills from Firefly (Click for larger image)
Customer Review:
Rating: 
Summary: Becoming a Browncoat
I've spent the last 20 minutes reading through the 1-star reviews for Firefly on this website. I was surprised to see so many people upset with the acting and the originality of the show, especially when these same people turned around and admitted to liking Star Wars and Battlestar.
Simply put, if you're a science fiction fan, you owe it to yourself to at least try this series, and the feature film based on it. In a week's time, I watched all 14 series episodes and the movie and am now an official Browncoat (Firefly fan) for life.
The characters are all memorable and more importantly, likable. Captain Malcolm Reynolds is an ex-Sergeant, who was on the losing end of a galactic civil war, and current captain of the smuggler ship Serenity. His crew consists of a witty, but weak, pilot, a fun-loving mechanic, a mysterious Shepard, a fowl-mouthed muscle, a dedicated first-mate, and a brother and sister running from the Alliance (think Empire).
The basic structure of each show has the crew of the Serenity traveling around the galaxy from planet to planet, job to job, bad situation after bad situation. It does borrow heavily from established Sci-Fi genre conventions, but it also adds its own twists to the formula, and every episode has several surprise moments that will make you smile or laugh out loud. Joss Whedon creates an engaging universe complete with quirky characters, and he successfully combines Sci-Fi and Western genres.
To address the complaints I began this review with I have to admit the acting never really bothered me. If you pay close attention it becomes obvious these were young actors who were still learning and proving themselves. By the time Serenity came out I thought the acting was far superior to anything Star Wars ever produced. Also, to call this show unoriginal and still admit to loving Battlestar, a show that is about robots vs. humans in a dystopian future, is a little absurd to me. Everybody has their preferences, but most of the negative reviews here seem to be a direct assault on the fans of Firefly, not the show itself.
Customer Review:
Rating:
Summary: Great Series !!!!
rarely do you find a series that has such great chemistry amongst the actors. This one has it. Great dialogue, humor, timing, story. AN ALL AROUND GREAT SERIES. Not to mention the movie that came out as well. You will enjoy this one!!!
Customer Review:
Rating:
Summary: As good as Star Trek or Star Trek Next Generation
A fabulous series that was killed in its first season. Shame on HBO for allowing whomever to kill this great Sci Fi series. The action is great and the story is believable. This is the story of a group of misfits who end up together in a space ship that goes around from planet to planet just trying to scrap together a living, but always ended up in trouble. The cast is fantastic, it makes me a big fan of Nathan Fillion, and you'll love the other cast members. One of them is now the alien leader in the new series "V", another is the cyborg in the series Terminator. Nathan now has a new series "Castle" so I like their new stuff but I'm sad there will not be anymore episodes of this fabulous series. This one is worth twice what I had to pay for it.
Customer Review:
Rating:
Summary: Why?! Why did it have to end?!
I just finished the last episode and I'm mildly depressed that there aren't any more. What a great show!! Of course it was cancelled.
Customer Review:
Rating: 
Summary: Did they make a perfect Sci-Fi show?
They almost did.
Usually, as a rule of thumb, though I love the sci-fi genre, I find it hard to stomach sci-fi TV shows. Battle Star Galactica (where Serenity has a small cameo in the first episode) to me was nothing special. Star Gate, blah. Star Trek Voyager, well seven of nine was hot...
You see what I mean. Usually I enjoy watching sci-fi motion pictures, but the TV shows are a no go. What firefly does, I don't know, is something special. The creators really brought together a fine cast that works so well together it makes you start wishing you had such great friends. Wrong. They aren't friends. They are family. And it is 100% believable.
Rather than going up against evil aliens or genocidal robots, Firefly takes a small crew and pits them in a western like setting where you have your lawmen, your hookers, your gunslingers, and your savages. Then it adds space to the equation.
CG is at a minimum and much of the stages and props are *gasp* real!
Each episode is sort of a stand alone episode, what some faces that aren't the normal crew members pop back up from time to time. This gives each episode a fresh feeling. There is plenty of action. Plenty of killin'. Plenty of drama and character development. Plenty of sexy women. Frankly, I don't know how they put so much stuff into this show and had it not loose focus. Its amazing.
So where does this show falter. Like most TV shows, not every episode is directed by the same person. That isn't really a bad thing. But the first episode title Serenity was directed by the creator Joss Whedon, and his direction is so damn good it puts the others to shame.
Another thing, and this isn't the show's fault, the series was cut short. It's only a mere 14 episodes or so. 16? I'm not quite sure at the moment, but there is a lot of questions left unanswered. They tried to make comic book tie-ins and a motion picture to explain things that happened after the show was canceled, but they don't do it justice. I'll review the motion picture "Serenity" and explain why Firefly is 100 times superior later.
Overall this show is fantastic. Its tough as hell with bar fights and drinking and guns and its also warm and comforting. The acting is a real treat and the characters are as lovable as they come. Truly, the best sci-fi show out there. A real pity it was canceled.
I recommend this to sci-fi junkies, or anyone looking for a good story and interesting characters.
|
