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List Price: $49.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 217
Released: December 9, 2003 |
| Our Price: $24.93 |
| Used Price: $20.45 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
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.
Description of Firefly - The Complete Series:
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) Firefly - The Complete Series Reviews:
What a great series!! It's a shame it's cancelled. A Shame.. 
2009-12-18 - When I first heard about the Firefly series, I didn't know what to think. I've always liked Science Fiction in general, but after I watched a few of the episodes I was hooked. The characters are well done, the stories are excellent, and it's a joy to watch. Also, the witty humor is great! There is a strong sense of family and friendship in there while their flying on the frontiers of space. This is one of those gem's that was crushed by the corporation and still to this day has a relatively large and loyal fanbase. Don't believe me? Check out the sales and ratings of this lol.
I'm purchasing this from Amazon in my hope to get it jump-started again. At the bare minimum I'm hoping for a couple direct-to-dvd videos if that's the most I can get.
THE "6th" STAR
2009-12-17 - Since I have nothing original to add to all the glowing reviews, I just decided to give Firefly a 6th star, someone else can give it 7 after me. Anyway my two bits, is as follows: I'm always years behind on watching Sci-fi shows. So when I do my research I generally look for shows that are raved about by the fans (I just ordered the Farscape complete series last weekend), well this shows cup runneth over with praises. It doesn't disappoint. Buy it, borrow, rent it, etc., you'll be glad.
What was Fox THINKING???
2009-12-16 - Oh, right,.."thinking" had no part in their decision to cancel this show!
I'm not a crazed, organized fan. I'm a middle aged woman with college and two teens under my belt.
I have bought and given away more copies of this show than I can count, because it is one of the best gifts I can imagine. Hours and hours of wit, humor, and heart.
When's the last time you could say that about a tv show?
I fell in love with these characters, every one of them. I mourn a little every time I rewatch an episode.
I'm left with the only conclusion available to me,..Joss must have really pissed off someone at Fox,...or the crime of canceling Firefly could not have happened.
Their loss, our loss,...now,..let's all go watch another episode of "More to Love",....nah,..I'd rather have some dental work done!
Sigh...
2009-12-15 - Warning, if you start watching this show you may finish the series in a day or two and be left with a sad feeling of what could have been had the show run another 2 or 3 seasons.
This is my first review and I'm hoping with the 2k other positive reviews someone at FOX starts noticing the potential cash cow they have locked in the basement before the cast grows too old and heavy.
Firefly - The Complete Series
2009-12-15 - This is a great stand-alone series which includes both the unaired pilot (later released as a full-feature film) and several episodes completed, but not yet aired, when the series was cancelled. The special features are amazing and I loved the series so much that I watched it again (twice) with family and friends. I even purchased the boxed set to send as a Christmas gift.
