Jon Freeman, 26/11/2007
A masterpiece of scripting and screenplay. Despite the strangeness of the setting which could be described as a western in space, Firefly has the best dialogue and character development of any sci-fi show, or perhaps in any TV series for years. No; probably the best EVER. It is top telly entertainment. Unbeatable. You really get a sense of excitement of the big plot arcs being set up from the start... If ever there was a series they should NOT have cancelled, this was it. Watch it and enjoy. Then watch it again to spot all the subtle hints of things to come. Then watch it again weep for all the fun you might have had, watching the episodes never made because the studio cancelled Firefly in favour of Dark Angel.
Buy it for your friends too. You will make them happy.
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Mimi Hall, 10/01/2006
Firstly it is VITAL that I state for the record that Firefly is not really a sci-fi show. Put all thoughts of Star Trek firmly from your mind for this is a Space Opera of the finest order.
Part frontier drama, part adventure, part comedy, part drama, Firefly is a unique and utterly enjoyable endulgance of a TV series. The Brainchild of Joss "Buffy" Whedon, Firefly was Unjustly cancelled after only 14 episodes. Thanks to the perserverance of it's creator the show was resurrected in the form of the movie 'Serenity' which is where I first encountered this enigmatic crew of bounty hunters and misfits.
The strength of the film, and subsequently the original TV series, is the casting of the nine central crew members who live aboard the Firefly class ship, cruising through space beneath the radar of the Alliance, the controlling power in the cosmos. Their time is spent equally in looking for oddjobs to survive on and struggling with the pressures of all manner of human suffering. It's these innate human dilemmas that plague each character that drive the interest in the series and make for a constantly compelling watch. From the stubborn rugged captain Malcolm Reynolds to the ever-upbeat pilot Wash to the mysterious fugitive River, the cast shimmer with intrigue. Their interactions are at once funny, touching and most importantly, believable. You feel for the crews hapless situation as they are besieged on all sides by trouble. Each episode is a self contained adventure and yet the ongoing plight of each and every characters various back story leads to a lovely continuity that helps the show grow from strength to strength.
The special effects are perfect, adding to this very human tale, without ever dominating. There's a lovely handheld camera feel to the shaky black smoke billowing shuttle chases, and the Western-styled drybrush setting of most planets adds to the edginess of the visuals.
In short the show is fun. From beginning to end. It will make you smile, it will make you cry and it will make you cheer. Ulimately it's end comes too soon, but who knows, with the success of Serenity on DVD the show may live again in another form.
I, for one, am keeping my fingers crossed.
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