Product 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-12-09
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 675 minutes

Amazon.com
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

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Stills from Firefly (Click for larger image)

From the Back Cover
Five hundred years in the future, there is 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.

Customer Reviews

The best show ever!
This is one of the best shows ever. Unfortunatly, it is the complete series, indicating that there will never be any more of them. On the up side though, it comes in slim cases with extra commentaries and deleted scenes!

Firefly still flying
I didn't discover Firefly until the reruns hit the Sci-Fi Channel - call me a late bloomer. What a find this show is - witty, action-packed and dramatic, a rare combination. The DVD extras are few, but a wonderful interview with cast and crew, who were truly heartbroken when it was cancelled. It also adds another layer knowing the fans rallied to resurrect the show as a movie. Though this is a great collection for those who are just finding the show, I'm leaving off one star for myself, and the fact that I did not buy the newest, expanded DVD.

review from a non-scifi person
Let me start by saying that I have never seen Buffy or Angel, never seen Babylon 5 or Farscape, and my entire exposure to Star Trek is less than five accidentally watched episodes. I don't read sci fi. I don't watch sci fi. I watched Firefly because it was highly recommended by a friend.

I absolutely loved it.

It is funny, exciting, clever, fun, has interesting characters, attractive (very) actors and actresses and a feeling of watching an old western with a twist.

I read through some of the negative reviews (many of which are five star and the reviewer thought one star meant they liked it... seriously) and I should point out some things to people planning to watch Firefly:

There are no aliens in Firefly. A lot of reviewers seems to equate aliens with sci fi as a prime element. Well, Firefly has no aliens.

Firefly is essentially a space western. It makes use of old style western movie quips and puns, and relationship dynamics that were popular in 1960's western films. Hence, the noble and headstrong captain of the ship makes jokes and puns before a shootout, the hard bitten mercenary is a lovable idiot and such.

Since it is essentially a western, it takes place on outer planets where settlers are trying to survive. Cowboy-like life makes sense in this aspect. It is the new wild frontier.

The special effects are very good for a TV show.

The show is good enough to have gained a large cult following of which I am surprisingly now a member of (Browncoats!)

It is a good show, and did not deserve to be cancelled. it is a shame there are only 14 episodes.