Average sci-fi (Firefly - The Complete Series (DVD))

Member Name: ElChupacabra

Product:	Firefly - The Complete Series (DVD)
Date:	29/07/09 (2 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Light, brainless entertainment

Disadvantages: Underdeveloped and not particularly cerebral.

Being a Trekkie I go to Star Trek message boards from time to time and naturally some of the fans overlap. This is something that has amassed a curious cult following, who call themselves "Browncoats".

Anyhow, browncoats had suggested a see this show so I bought it on DVD some years back. I only recently got around to watching it as the missus wanted to see Serenity and I felt it would be best to watch the show first.

Well, I'm not sure what to make of Firefly. It surely isn't good enough to warrant the following it had. Yet, its not astonishingly bad either. I think I had trouble getting past the idea of western frontiers in space, which to my mind simply isn't plausible. I also think that even on the frontier technology would be such that bullet firing weapons and Victorian dress is a thing of the past, not the future.

The scripts were also pretty weak and did not develop the characters much at all. Its quite possible that had the show survived cancellation this may have happened, but we are reviewing a self contained product here and in that regard Firefly dissapoints, especially as some characters, such as Mal Reynolds himself, had hints of what it takes to be a great character. However, I felt that even he was miles away from being a poor man's Han Solo.

Also the DVD lacks good features. For the cult following I though a better array of special features would have been present but alas they are not. Also, no 5.1 sound. For a TV show that is relatively new, I find the 5.1 omission to be criminal.

Summary: Worth a watch if you like American sci-fi, but don't expect Clint Eastwood in space