Reviews of Firefly

Second Season Would Have Been Brilliant

Posted : 1 week ago on 30 December 2009 02:21 (A review of Firefly)

Like every Joss Whedon show, requires some time to get into a complex character-driven sci-fi world. The plots are there, but everything needs some time to gel. The second season would have been brilliant, and Fox didn't even give it a chance. I bet they're regretting it, with DVD sales. Still worth watching and rewatching.

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Firefly

Posted : 1 year ago on 20 December 2008 11:36 (A review of Firefly)

This TV show is probably one of the best i have seen. It continues improving throughout the series, the characters are really intriguing and. There is something that everyone will like in this show whether it's the ongoing story or just the way the characters act with each other.

Be warned though because this series will seriously piss you off knowing that the only continuation of the story is the film (also worth a watch).


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Firefly review

Posted : 1 year ago on 11 December 2008 12:01 (A review of Firefly)

If you don't deal with loss well do not watch this show.
You will get angry knowing that this (and the movie) is all there is too these epic characters.
The show just gets better and better and the crew becomes a strong group of likeable characters.
The overall deep story is barely touched upon but what is seen I totally love!
If any show needs a second chance it's Firefly

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The best TV show of all time.

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 23 April 2008 02:38 (A review of Firefly)

"Here's how it is: The Earth got used up, so we moved out and terraformed a whole new galaxy of Earths. Some rich and flush with the new technologies, some not so much. The Central Planets, thems formed the Alliance, waged war to bring everyone under their rule; a few idiots tried to fight it, among them myself. I'm Malcolm Reynolds, captain of Serenity. She's a transport ship; Firefly class. Got a good crew: fighters, pilot, mechanic. We even picked up a preacher for some reason, and a bona fide companion. There's a doctor, too, took his genius sister outta some Alliance camp, so they're keepin' a low profile. You understand. You got a job, we can do it, don't much care what it is."

Joss Whedon, modern master of television, was asked for another TV show. He had successfully made Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel; both of which became hits. And so Whedon conceived the sci-fi western of Firefly. Tragically the show was cut down in its prime; its cancellation being announced before half the episodes had been aired.

It was a major error for Fox to cancel Joss Whedon's Firefly after only the first season had been made. They gave the show an appalling time slot, and as a result it didn't get the ratings it deserved. But when this show hit DVD - popularity followed. The massive fan following then turned into a worldwide phenomenon. And this is all with good reason.

The show follows the crew aboard a space ship. Captained by Mal Reynolds (Fillion), the crux of the show's plot extends from the sub-plot of Mal and his crew accepting two fugitives aboard their vessel. Although there are differences between them and Mal, they are accepted as they are seen as assets for the jobs that the crew pull off.

So you can add me to the endless list of people who loved Firefly. When I first heard of it I felt it to be impossible for a show to be as good as it was hyped up to be. So I purchased the DVD I decided I'd watch the first episode that evening. As it turns out, I watched the first four episodes one after the other because I couldn't get enough of it!

And why is Firefly so darn special? It has witty humour, fantastic characters, relatable plots, exciting action, innovative concepts, attractive females, numerous sex scenes - the list will continue to go on. Each episode is as superb as the one preceding it. All the episodes have a high sense of excitement and adventure - this is truly the wild west that has been transplated into a science fiction setting.

The scripts are outstanding. There is humour aplenty; amusing dialogue, witty insults and characters that are developed superbly. Throw in some special effects that could rule all existing television programs, a faultless cast and some sublime direction from numerous contributors.

Another thing is that the cast are so lovable. Each character has distinguishable traits and a well thought out personality. Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds...unbeatable. Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cob...outstanding. It would take all day to list everyone in the cast that I liked. Each had something to contribute and there is no wasted space.

Music heightens the show's likability. The title song feels out of place, but suits the style. And the use of guitar music frequently reminds us we're in a western of the sci-fi universe. Even this music can't be faulted.

There is a reason why Firefly has won so many awards and has been voted so highly by many websites and publications. There's a reason why Firefly holds a firm 9.5/10 on IMDb with 20,000 votes (higher than The Godfather, Shawshank Redemption, etc). There's a reason why thousands of internet petitions have surfaced demanding the immediate resurrection of Whedon's masterpiece. It's because the show is the pinnacle of perfection. I have never seen a show (or a movie) of such high standard.

Some may be underwhelmed due to the hype, some may just not "get it". As for me, Firefly is better than any movie, any TV show or any damn internet series in existance. I could watch the whole first series everyday until the day I die and still shuffle off this mortal coil with a smile on my face. Watch it non-stop until I die...would still not be enough to satisfying my cravings.

Go buy this series NOW. If it's on the TV, watch it IMMEDIATELY. Firefly is unbeatable.

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Brilliant and hopelessly underrated

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 16 April 2008 06:31 (A review of Firefly)

When Firefly came out I was put off at the thought of watching a space western. I guess a lot of people felt that way because the series only lasted half a season.

But after watching it on DVD, I was amazed by the great mix of humor, action, drama that Joss Whedon packed into these 13 or so episodes. It's not like anything you've ever seen on television and probably nothing you'll see in the forseeable future.

I dare you not to fall in love with each of the characters in Firefly. A fantastic show that should have been given a chance to bloom.

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Dont be put off by Joss Whedon.

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 6 March 2008 05:10 (A review of Firefly)

Anyone who hasn't seen this show either needs to, or will never try because they cant stand the thought of watching something Joss Whedon produced. Yep, its the dude who brought us Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel, but Firefly is nothing like these, its actually quite an intelligent show! (Heck thats coming from a Buffy/Angel fan!)
Firefly is set 500 years in the future, it is not your typical sci fi, lasers and star ship's, it paints a more realistic view of how the galaxy will be, people will have branched out colonizing land as far as the edge of space, much like the original settlers in America, fulfilling manifest destiny on a grande scale. Obviously certain planets will not be as hospitable as others, and once the basics such as water, air and land are acquired, pretty much everything else is left to the settlers themselves. This means there is a lot of inter planetary trade, pirates, bandits and handymen, all done via vessels capable of flying through space, and not much else.
Serenity is a Firefly vessel, barely kept together by its captain Malcolm Reynolds, he makes a living traveling as an outlaw working for money and basically doing whatever it takes to get paid, he picks up crew and hitchhikers along the way to make some extra money, and winds up caught up in a whole lot of mess as a result.
The episodes of the program usually centralize around heists, or jobs that need to be done, people double crossing each other and dealing with the morality of certain "necessary" things that need to be done. The show combines several different genres but mainly Western and Sci Fi, which go together surprisingly well the way it is delivered in this show.
It is a must watch, its only 15 episodes long i believe? Fox in their infinite wisdom cancelled it like the clowns they are, and were then forced into a corner by outraged fans which then got the film Serenity made to conclude things.

Dont let the people who have rated it lowly put you off either, in fact i know most of them and i can safely say that they have never, and will never watch Firefly, they just like to presume the worst in it because of its creator and following. If you watch this be ready to feel upset that it was cancelled! Not one person i know who has seen all the episodes can see why it was taken off the air, its a fantastic show.

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Wild Wild Outer Space

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 27 February 2008 09:15 (A review of Firefly)

Strange pairing of sci-fi and western genres, it somehow works. 14 high quality episodes before the series was prematurely canceled. Great character development and plots throughout.

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A la manera de Joss

Posted : 2 years, 10 months ago on 7 March 2007 03:36 (A review of Firefly)

Para el que no tenga ni la minima idea de que trata esta serie, creo que alcanza con decir que Joss Whedon (su creador, quien escribio tambien Buffy y Angel) nos muestra su idea del futuro lejano… unos 500 años hacia adelante. Bastante realista en mi opinión, porque como de la Tierra no queda mucho para habitar el gobierno ambientó el resto de los planetas para que los humanos vivan en ellos. Cual gobierno? La Alianza, una especie de unificación entre China y USA, las únicas dos potencias que quedaron. Yep, bastante realista.La historia esta contada de la forma en la que Joss nos tiene acostumbrados; con buenos diálogos, con flashbacks muy utiles y sobre todo con 9 interesantes personajes. Y si, sobre todo los personajes.Es casi imposible no comparar a Firefly con otras series y/o películas del género, pero encontre especial influencia de Star Wars en ella. Tal vez porque la influenciada soy yo :). Pero de todos modos es imposible no notar similitudes entre La Alianza que gobierna la galaxia en el universo de Joss y la Republica que despues persigue a los heroes cuando es manejada por Palpatine/Darth Sidius en el Lucasverse. Ademas los independientes se parecen a los rebeldes, el Cap. Reynolds se parece mucho al contrabandista Han Solo incluso hasta en el amor que siente por su nave, y no me olvido del cazarecompenzas Jubal Early de “Objects in Space” que nos recuerda a Jango y Boba Fett.
Y claro, quizá lo que mas noté fue la gran diferencia: en el espacio no se transmite el sonido. Y esas escenas me parecieron realmente originales.

Mas alla de todo eso, Firefly es muy distinto a lo que estamos acostumbrados a ver de Ciencia Ficcion. Es una mezcla de futuro y pasado, donde no hay extraterrestres, y donde el mundo (o los mundos) son bastante parecido al presente, y en lugar de paises desarrollados hay planetas centrales que albergan a los mas poderosos. Y el resto se las arregla como puede. Y claro, entre "el resto" esta toda la tripulación de Serenity.

Estos nueve personajes nos muestran que lo unico que ellos quieren es sobrevivir. Y para eso dependen de trabajos de contrabando que siempre salen mal y los lleva a lidiar con seres mas peligrosos que la Alianza de la que se esconden. Y aun asi, con inteligencia, con balas o con trampas siempre vuelven todos, y no se deja a nadie atrás.

Llama la atención la continuidad que lograron en tan pocos capitulos, lo que hace pensar lo buena que habria sido la serie de haber tenido mas temporadas. Increible que se hayan cerrado historias de personajes secundarios que aparecieron en un par de episodios (como Nishka o Saffron por ejemplo) y hayan quedado tan abiertas las de los personajes principales. Tendrán Wash y Zoe un bebe? Que pasará entre Inara y el Capitan? Se marchará ella? Con que objetivo experimentaba la Alianza con River? Quien diablos es el Pastor Book y que esconde? Preguntas todas que espero se resuelvan, al modo de Joss Whedon, en la película.

Como fan de Buffy & Angel me es imposible no buscar aquello que hacia especiales a esas series. Y por mas que no sea en el mismo grado aquello esta presente (soy consciente de que en solo 14 episodios no se puede tener el mismo universo que tuvieron las otras dos con mas de 100 cada una). Y está en esas escenas, esos dialogos, esas palabras sin sentido (en este caso esa cuota la puso River) que escuchamos sabiendo que si lo tienen y esa forma de contar la historia que lograba llevarnos desde las risas hasta las lagrimas en una sola escena. Quizá por esta misma razon sea que mi episodio favorito sea "Out Of Gas".

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