DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Serenity (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) (1 Viewer)

[Aaron_Brez]

Yep, I concur with the Shepherd Book guesses. And recent communications with Tim Minnear have given us a little insight into the Inara mystery as well.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't want to see the show return, or sequel movies, as I think there are more stories to tell there. But so far the rumors of its return seem to be just that.

 

[mattCR]

BTW, for those that dislike the cover art (I think it's terrible) fans have a replacement:

http://home.att.net/~the11thhour/ser...over4-11th.jpg

 

[Jim Harvey]

Not a bad fan art cover at all. I still don't understand what possessed Universal to make such horrid artwork for the DVD.

Anyone seen it out in Canada yet? How bad is the bilingual infliction, if any? I assume the spine will be messed up with the french/english text.

 

[seanOhara]

I'm not sure the alt cover art is any better. The upraised hand in particular looks wrong -- it looks too big to be River's and it's oriented wrong for Mal.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

How about the original poster art?

- Steve

 

[Steve Y]

Hmmm... interesting alternate cover. Better than the "official version". But I'm surprised anyone wonders why the studio chose the art it did. Space battles and sexy poses. Isn't that what Middle America wants? Nathan Fillion does look a little confused in that fan cover, though... like someone opened the door to Serenity's latrine and surprise-snapped his photograph.

 

[TravisR]

Nope, it's what all of America wants.

 

[Frank@N]

Really glad to see this thread today, just bought a used copy of Firefly on the vague recollection that the show was OK and spawned a decent movie.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Surprised there haven't been any comments on the screenshots. I think the transfer looks pretty good myself.

 

[dpippel]

Transfers can't be judged on screenshots. There are just too many variables involved for them to be anything more than a novelty.

Regardless, the whole watermarking issue is quite disturbing. Unless reviewers get release copies of the DVDs they're evaluating then the most important aspects of a DVD review, the video and audio quality of a disc, are meaningless. How anyone at Universal (or any other studio for that matter) expects someone to critically judge a release any other way is hard to fathom.

The paranoia in the home video industry is pretty frikkin' ridiculous if you ask me.

 

[Rakesh.S]

I think a cool coverart could've been created using the stills of the actors that appear when you pop the Firefly DVD in. It looks like it is shuffling through cards, and shows each actor, before it gets to the episode selection.

I'm not really impressed with any of the coverart or movie posters thus far. The US poster looked *okay* but nothing special.

 

[Brendon]

Question sort of related to the DVD release:

Was Serenity profitable at the cinema ?

I ask on the basis that it used to baffle me why so many "dead teenager" films managed to spawn so many sequels when they never seemed to bring in a huge take at the box office. An article somewhere online (I forget where) suggested that although the takes were merely ok, their low budgets meant that the films were in profit. Doubly so after their DVD releases, meaning that sequels were almost a guaranteed money spinner.

I expected similar to be true of Serenity. I'm not sure what the film's budget was, but even with just the hardcore Browncoats turning out and then buying the DVD, would the film not be turning a profit for the studio/investors ?

Given this expectation, I have/had high hopes for at least another sequel. Whilst I'd hate to see a potential sequel done on a shoestring, I have every confidence that Joss Whedon's writing can make up for just about any constraint in production.

Any thoughts ?

Brendon

 

[Steve Tannehill]

No, Serenity was not profitable in movie theaters. According to Box Office Mojo, it made $38.3 million on a production budget of $39 million. This did not include marketing costs, which are sometimes as much as the production budget. I doubt it this time, however.

The DVD sales will hopefully put Serenity into the black. I believe it was the New York Times which had an article some time ago on how theatrical features sometimes do get the green light based on combined theatrical and DVD sales. Serenity probably does fall into this category.

As for a sequel, time will only tell. One published report has claimed that a new TV movie will appear on the Sci-Fi channel (ala Battlestar Galactica). It should be noted that Sci-Fi is related to NBC/Universal, but neither Universal nor Joss Whedon were willing to comment.

We can only hope this report is true.

- Steve

 

[Chad R]

The maigc number that was bandied around for a sequel was $80 million worldwide, which the film fell short of by about $20 million I think. There's hope that the DVD will outperform expectations to give it the extra bump, as well as the aforementioned Sci-Fi Channel movie.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

It made $38.3 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo, far short of the $80 million magic number. I wonder if it can generate $41.7 million (and then some) in DVD sales?

- Steve

 

[Aaron_Brez]

Sure. It was in a writing seminar he was teaching, as quoted here.

 

[pitchman]

The new issue of Entertainment Weekly has a brief article about the future of Serenity as a movie franchise and it reports that basically, it doesn't have one. Joss Whedon states something to the effect that he is comfortable with that since he has closure as a result of making the film.

Call me a crazy optimist, but I still think somewhere along the line that Firefly/Serenity will find some way resurface... I sure hope Steve is right about the Sci-Fi Channel!

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Doug,

I agree about the screenshots, but I actually have the disc, which is what I based my comment on.

 

[TravisR]

Since Whedon writes comics, I could see it resurfacing in that medium. Although his comments about having a feeling of closure with Firefly/Serenity makes me wonder if he might be reluctant to even do that.

 

[David M.]

Over the summer Dark Horse released a three issue series bridging the tv series to the movie. The first issue is on it's third reprint I believe. On Jan. 25th, the trade paperback will be released collecting all three issues.

Serenity TPB

Each issue featured three alternate covers of each Firefly character.

I recommend you read them if you want to find out what happened to the guys with the blue hands.

And to bring this back to the DVD. I'll be picking it up for sure tomorrow.