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Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin ... see more see more... , Jewel Staite , Summer Glau , Sean Maher , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Ron Glass , David Krumholtz , Michael Hitchcock , Sarah Paulson , Yan Feldman , Rafael Feldman , Nectar Rose , Tamara Taylor

A band of renegades on the run in outer space get in more hot water than they anticipated in this sci-fi action-adventure adapted from the television series Firefly. In the 26th century, the galaxy ha... read more read more...s been colonized by a military force known as the Alliance, but its leadership has not gone unquestioned. The Alliance was once challenged by a league of rebels known as the Independents, but the Alliance emerged victorious after a brutal civil war, with the surviving Independents scattering around the galaxy. Also wandering the edges of the galaxy are the Reavers, who have won few allies due to their violent behavior and habit of ripping apart their enemies and eating them before they're dead. Capt. Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), who fought as an Independent in the galactic war, is the head of Serenity, a rogue frieghter ship whose crew includes Mal's first mate, Zoe (Gina Torres), who fought alongside him in the war, her husband, hotshot pilot Wash (Alan Tudyk), sunny but dependable mechanic Kaylee (Jewel Staite), and hard-nosed gunman Jayne (Adam Baldwin). The crew of Serenity wander the galaxy, taking on whatever work they can get, from criminal activities like smuggling and stealing to legitimately offering transport to travelers. Passengers aboard Serenity include professional "companion" Inara (Morena Baccarin) and holy man Shepherd Book (Ron Glass), but the real trouble aboard the ship comes with the arrival of Simon (Sean Maher) and his teenage sister, River Tam (Summer Glau). In time, the crew discovers that River has remarkable psychic powers and was being held captive by Alliance forces until Simon came to her rescue. Now the Alliance is hot on the heels of Serenity and its passengers, with The Operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a sinister Alliance tracker, leading the chase. Serenity was written and directed by Joss Whedon (in his directorial debut), creator of Firefly, which only lasted 11 weeks on the air but gained a powerful cult following who rallied to get the show released on DVD after its cancellation, leading to impressive home-video sales and and an eventual motion picture deal. A couple of months prior to Serenity's theatrical release, reruns of Firefly were picked up by the Sci-Fi channel, adding even more fans to its cult following. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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89% liked it

279,474 ratings

Critics

82% liked it

178 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 59 min.

Directed by: Joss Whedon

Release Date: September 30, 2005

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DVD Release Date: December 20, 2005

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Flixster Reviews (25,763)

  • jmanard52
    June 6, 2008
    jmanard52
    Simply one of the finest sci fi stories out there. A superb cast brings the series Firefly to the big screen and casts a wonderful spell. Summr Glau is one of the best bad assess of the sci fi world.
  • allan913
    April 18, 2012
    allan913
    It's just flat-out spectacular. A mind-blasting good time. A masterpiece. Director and creator, Joss Whedon has crafted a new breed of adventure from his classic short-lived tv series, Firefly. A tremdously entertaining, nail-biting and thrilling instant sci-fi classic. A hip, fu... read morenny and wickedly entertaining action-packed thrill-ride. The story is brilliant and the excitement is non-stop. The most original sci-fi film in years. This makes Star Wars look like puppy chow. A great cast of actors who do a an extroadinary job. It's character driven and very well told. Nathan Fillion gives a breakout performance that shows undeniable star power. Chiwetel Ejiofor is brilliant and extreamly cool. The crew you love to watch just brings on the fun and energy and do not stop to take a breath. A totally enjoyable adventure that you can not get enough of. Awesome action sequeces and great humor from start to finish. It`s tunning, thrilling and breathtaking. An unforgettable and exhilerating adreniline-rush. A full-throttle and utterly enjoyable ride thats just pure fun.
  • FrizzDrop
    March 16, 2012
    FrizzDrop
    The continuation of the television series "Firefly", Joss Whedon wraps up what-could-of -been with an explosive bang. For those who don't know, Firefly was a television show created by Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel) which had a tenuous start on Fox, as the network aired the episodes ... read moreout of order, confusing the fans and irritating the other viewers. Sadly, it was cancelled midseason and only eleven episodes made it to air, though thirteen were shot. The show became a cult classic once it came out on DVD, and rightly so, as the show was multi-layered, multi-faceted, and certainly kickass. Like the show the film explores the new worlds of space, as Earth has been destroyed and outer planets have been terraformed. The struggle is much like that of Star Wars: the evil of the universe is made up of a shiny society of rich and calculating men trying to better the outer planets, or rebels, by making them part of their Alliance. A war breaks out, but the rebels lose, and now a crew of deserters roam the universe, finding scraps from ships that have either been pillaged by the pirating Reevers or captured by the Alliance. The original cast of the show reprise each of their roles, including Nathan Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds, Alan Tudyk as Wash, and Morena Baccarin as the companion named Inara. The genre of the show and movie is certainly described as space western, meshing the action packed scenes of space and the equally calculated and thoughtful ones of the western, on these desolate outer planets. The universe is constructed thoughtfully, merging the culture of Earth so the language reflects an amalgamation of English and Chinese, the values that constrained prostitution have been lifted, and the attitudes of the people have regressed as well as their intelligence. The effects are amazing compared to the original show and there is some sufficient back-story but no true answers to the questions originally poised. We finally get to see the range of River's abilities, the origins of the Reevers, and some amazing acting from Chiwetel Ejiofor as a government assassin. The story is actually engaging, the characters are written impeccably, and though it wasn't a giant answer to the show and didn't give fans any new insight, it did wrap up the show, in true Joss Whedon fashion. Never say that Joss Whedon doesn't shock and awe with his programs, as he has done with his other series, stretching the boundaries of what makes good television. In the past he's let the main character die, destroyed entire towns, and didn't resolve romances we had longed to see to fruition. So, in this film he pulled no punches, and let loose on what constitutes reality. Really, just enjoyable for anyone who loves innovative genre bending and lovable characters for all the wrong reasons.
  • jamers2011
    January 13, 2012
    jamers2011
    Liked this one a lot.
  • garyX
    December 30, 2011
    garyX
    Joss Whedon's space western TV show Firefly gets the big screen treatment, and it inhabits the space between Minority Report and The Matrix. A great ensemble cast of well-written characters go head to head with a charismatic villain to expose the folly of an evil empire, not unli... read moreke another famous sci-fi franchise; in fact it could be considered Han Solo: The Movie. Intelligently scripted, exciting and full of very funny one liners, this is as entertaining as action sci-fi gets. My only concern is that anyone who has not seen Firefly may not understand many of the character-driven nuances. So go watch Firefly first...you won't regret it!
  • shawnewing92
    August 22, 2011
    shawnewing92
    After watching the firefly tv show, it became quite obvious why they made this movie after the show was cancelled. They conclude and answer so many ideas and questions that developed in the show, that it's completely necessary to have watched the tv show to understand film. Fant... read moreastic movie, fantastic show.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    May 15, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    I am a huge fan of the "Firefly" series, and I thought the idea behind the whole series was fantastic. The concept of "Firefly" ins that of a space Western. The series follows the adventures of the crew of Serenity, a Firefly class cargo ship. Serenity directed by Joss Whedon con... read moretinues the adventures of Malcolm Reynolds and his crew of smugglers from the Firefly TV show. One thing that has made Serenity an awesome viewing experience is the fact that Whedon has brought on board the original cast of the cancelled TV show. The film keeps the thrills, humour, wit and action from the TV show which is a big plus. Serenity is one original Sci Fi film that is pure excitement. Personally, Serenity is one of my favorite Sci Fi action films since the original Star Wars trilogy. Serenity should appeal to the diehard Firefly fans because Whedon has kept all the necessary ingredients that has made the show so good. The Alliance are still on the hunt for Sam and River Tam and they have hired an Operative who is brilliantly played by Chiwetel Ejisfor. I thought The Operative was one of the most unique and interesting cinematic villains to come around in a while.Serenity is a wonderful action packed film that is very enjoyable because of it's well written story and good. acting. Serenity is one of the few examples of a film that successfully goes from the small screen to the big screen. The show was excellent and the film is just as good. Whedon knows how to pull off a terrific film adaptation of a wonderful tv show, while most directors can't. Serenity is better than your recent Sci Fi Action film, and has a totally different angle with the Space Western theme which makes it that much better. The film boasts a few surprises for Browncoats, but I won't reveal anything if there are a few who've only seen the show and not the film. Joss Whedon has crafted a flawless masterpiece and I can say without a doubt it ranks up thereas one of the best Sci Fi films such as the original Star Wars. I love this film, it's a fun ride from start to finish.
  • fb100001493964409
    March 4, 2011
    fb100001493964409
    There are many who haven't heard of Joss Whedon's cult classic show Firefly, which was an extremely unique blend of sci-fi and westerns. The show only lasted one season, but it was undoubtedly a great show. "Serenity" was meant to be a slight form of closure for fans of the show.... read more So does that mean a newcomer wouldn't have the slightest clue what's going on? No, the movie is surprisingly accessible to newcomers while pleasing fans of the show, an extremely hard balance to strike. The plot is interesting with some cool reveals and great action, but the highlight of the movie comes in the form of The Operative (his name is never mentioned in dialogue or seen). He's an extremely interesting character, going about his job as an assassin for the government in a very non-chalant manner (the opening scene features one of the funniest/brutal assassinations I've seen on celluloid). For fans of sci-fi or good humor in general, give this a shot.
  • wildaly14
    February 4, 2011
    wildaly14
    Introduced me to the original and sarcastically witty Firefly series. Not only is the dialogue in this feature is funny, the story is entertaining, there's lots of action and the visual effect are stunning. A must-see!
  • aSpaceCowboy
    October 18, 2010
    aSpaceCowboy
    Probably would've made more sense if I had seen Firefly

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Critic Reviews

Andrea Gronvall
June 6, 2007
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader

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

Ken Tucker
May 12, 2006
Ken Tucker, New York Magazine

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

Richard Roeper
October 3, 2005
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

It has a great sense of humor about it, an attractive cast and it's just a lot of fun. Full Review

James Berardinelli
October 1, 2005
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Serenity isn't about effects. It's about narrative and characters, and it does a solid job in both areas. Full Review

Desson Thomson
September 30, 2005
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Half a millennium after Neil Armstrong's one small step for mankind and we're back in the saddle again. Full Review

Peter Howell
September 30, 2005
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Fans get priority seating on the ride, but there's plenty of room for rookies to clamber aboard. Full Review

Peter Hartlaub
September 30, 2005
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

This genre picture is still a thrillingly original science fiction creation. Full Review

Roger Moore
September 30, 2005
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It would make a cute TV show. Full Review

Kyle Smith
September 30, 2005
Kyle Smith, New York Post

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.

Elizabeth Weitzman
September 30, 2005
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

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

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Facts

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    • Capt. Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds: I aim to misbehave.
    • Kaylee Frye: Do you mean to say, as in, sex?
    • Dr. Simon Tam: I mean to say.
    • Kaylee Frye: Heck, I'm gonna live!
    • River Tam: I swallowed a bug.
    • Kaylee Frye: They'll be back before you can spit. Not that you spiy...
    • Capt. Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds: This is the captain. We have a...little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode.
    • The Operative: It's worse than you think.
    • Capt. Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds: It usually is.
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Serenity : Watch Free on TV

Serenity Trivia

  • What popular, but short lived TV series was the movie 'Serenity' a follow up from?  Answer »
  • Which one of these sci-fi films is based off a TV series?  Answer »
  • What is the name of the Firefly class ship captained by Malcom Reynolds in Serenity?  Answer »
  • in what film was the captains name malcolm reynolds (mal)?  Answer »
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