This HD-DVD was released the same day Toshiba launched it’s first HD-DVD player, and it still holds up as one of the very best HD releases. Colors are well balanced, and seem to really pop off the screen, making it an excellent viewing experience , easily bettering the theatrical experience, which seemed very muted. Shadows are very dark without losing detail that I could tell. I could not detect any edge enhancement like I could on the X-men bluray, so while the edges aren’t as crisp as say, Chronicles of Riddick, they are also free of any jaggies or anti-aliasing techniques.
The sound was fantastic. I played this one again recently, and it actually fares better than some of the more recently released Universal fare. Surrounds are used to fill the room with ambient sound and moving effects, while the music score is tightly placed in all five channels. Excellent separation of dialogue and other effects as well. I did find the dialogue volume on the TruHD soundtrack a little bit low. I lowered the dB on the front mains to get better dialogue separation in this mode, and it was literally perfect.
It should be noted that I watch movies on a Panasonic AE 900U projector at 1080i projected on a Carada 118” screen from a viewing distance of about 15 feet. Some titles show their imperfections this large from such a limited throw distance, however, many on HD or BluRay do not. I have noticed a trend in more recent releases to push through their titles faster, and they just are not getting the same treatment as the earlier HD titles were. Happy to report that Serenity being the very first title released on HD looks just as, if not more fantastic than any title released to date, and the sound is booming, precise, and spectacular. Even if you dislike the film (many just don’t get Whedon’s sense of humor), it’s still worth picking up for the many great Home Theater showoff scenes it contains. My original Theatrical review follows.
by Tony
First of all, let me start this review by stating that I am a HUGE Joss Whedon fan. I practically consume the guy's work. It all started for me because I'm a huge Alien fan, and had read his original draft of Alien Resurrection, which was absolutely brilliant. I couldn't put it down. I remember thinking to myself, "My God, if they just shoot this script the way it reads, there's no way it can suck." They did not shoot his script. Now, in many online blogs, you can find many a know-nothing fan boy smearing him for having "destroyed the Alien franchise." I knew this was crap, having read his draft of the script, and so was open to watching "Buffy" after Dan turned me on to the first season. This was the man who gave us Toy Story, the best parts of Speed, the funniest line in the Xmen movie ("How do I know it's you? You're a Dick"), and some greatly underappreciated side work , i.e. his contributions to "Disney's Atlantis" and "Titan AE".
Buffy is one of the most brilliant things I have ever seen. Seriously, it really is a masterwork, easily up there with Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, etc. However, I did catch the first episode of Firefly when it aired, and I freaking hated it. Not just hated; but hated, hated, hated HATED it. It was too quirky; tried too hard to be original with its western in space thing, had a silly country music theme song, and just had a generally ugly, unappealing look to it. Usually, I love this guy's stuff, and I had been eagerly anticipating watching the show (I'd read this was a project he'd dreamt of making for years), and was more than willing to give this guy's work a chance. But it was just too painful. I couldn't get into the characters, because there was no back story, and it just started as if we were supposed to instantly know what was going on. It got cancelled so fast, I never got the chance anyway. I felt bad for Joss. I thought "The guy's freakin' losing it, how depressing." I read that the show was coming out on DVD. I really wanted to give the show another shot. I'm glad I did. Now, this next part goes out to Twentieth Century Fox. First, you defecate on Joss's Alien Resurrection script, destroying an awesome franchise and making the poor little curly red-headed geek your scapegoat. This comes after pulling the same stunt on his Buffy movie, which I thought was an okay funny comedy, until I saw the jaw-dropping television series that has seemingly changed the face of television. Then you go ahead and have a negotiations war with WB to try to get the show cancelled, so you can make more money in returns off syndication. (You even show up at the show's 100th episode party to do this). Still, he comes back to you guys with a show called FireFly. You guys put the money up for the show, he delivers the product, and then, guess what? You air the freaking things out of order. You knew his stuff. You know that Whedon writes a novel, not an episode of the week. Not a procedural. Buffy had its share of one-story wonders, but if you try to watch an episode out of order and hate it, that's like judging the entire Star Wars franchise on the scene in Jedi where the band plays for Jabba, and saying "well, I don't really understand or like that scene, so I'll probably hate the whole series." Well, you won't hate it, you'll love it. Read the damn book from the beginning. Fox deliberately aired the shows out of order with Firefly, with every intent on killing it. They knew the show was going to cost them too much money.
When I gave the show a second chance on DVD, my wife (who also hated it when it aired) and I really started to enjoy it, right from the first episode. The characters were neatly introduced and were likeable. You could understand their motives; understand the universe. Then, it really just got better and better. The universe really expanded. Joss had set up a whole new chess board, and it was a load of fun watching the game ensue. All of a sudden, the characters were not bland, the atmosphere no longer seemed ugly, but rugged and warm, and the tension in the underlying subplots just got better and better. And the show was very funny, too. What you'd expect from the guy who brought us Buffy. When it was over, my wife and I were depressed the ride was over, but I told her to fear not- there's rumor of a movie on the way. I never do this- all this to get to a movie review- but oh well. I'm pissed off. Now, despite what you have heard, this film does not trump Star Wars, nor does it try to. Give me a break. How could it? But you know what? It is (way) better than The Matrix. It's better than Terminator. And it's up there with Star Trek II, Aliens, and (parts of) Star Wars. This is not a good movie, it's a great movie. You want that movie that takes you back to the late 70's? When the whole movie universe was exploding with fun, intelligent science fiction? That feeling you got when you read Asimov or Clarke? That sense of wonder and excitement that those great sci-fi stories could deliver by making you think? In terms of plot devices, this film is another Day the Earth Stood Still. It's another Forbidden Planet. The acting is very good, and the story is interesting, exciting, original, and exceptional. It goes WAY beyond Firefly, and you need to watch it. Harry Knowles is wrong. Moriarty is wrong. And now, my friends, I am pissed at you. You guys spent your hard earned dough to go see things like "StarGate" and that movie was an incredible piece of SG-1.
I know you guys that like the sci-fi stuff just like I do. Did you spend your last 10 bucks to see Sith this year? Surely, you want more goodies. What the hell? Are you out of freaking money? You only got money budgeted this year for one movie? Don't let the idea that the movie has no big "name" stars in it stop you from going. It didn't stop us in '77. You know the critics love it (yes even Roger Ebert. Harry Knowles doesn't count because he hates the fact that Whedon doesn't come over and give him back rubs). 90% of everyone who's seen it, loves it (look at the yahoo.com user reviews). So get your asses down to the theater and see the damn thing.
This movie is tanking at the box office because you smacks would rather stay home and put on Lord of the Rings again for the umpteenth time than see something original. I like Whedon because he makes quality stuff, but if this movie tanks, it'll be bigger than that. It's beyond just one guy. A major studio will never let anyone craft a good sci-fi with lesser actors again. They won't take the chance. So even if Whedon isn't your cup of tea, support a great sci-fi movie. It may be the last one we ever get that isn't a "by the numbers" retread about cloning or a dumbed down remake of an Asian thriller.