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Bones - Season 3
Actors: David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel
ASIN : B001992NWO
Sales Rank : 78
Brand : Twentieth Century Fox
Studio : Fox / MGM
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543526025
UPC : 024543526025
Release Date : December 18, 2008
Publisher : Fox / MGM
Manufacturer : Fox / MGM
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Fox / MGM
Running Time : 655
Product DescriptionStudio: Tcfhe Release Date: 11/18/2008 Rating: Nr Amazon.com
Beyond Bones – Season 3  Boston Legal – Season Four |  The Unit - Season Three |  Saving Grace - Season One | Stills from Bones – Season Three (Click for larger image)
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Arrested Development - The Complete Series (Seasons 1, 2, 3)
Actors: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat
ASIN : B000JJ3Y78
Sales Rank : 188
Region Code : 1
Format : NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543410065
UPC : 024543410065
Release Date : December 14, 2006
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Amazon.comSeason One: Winner of the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy its first year out, Arrested Development is the kind of sitcom that gives you hope for television. A mockumentary-style exploration of the beleaguered Bluth family, it's one of those idiosyncratic shows that doesn't rely on a laugh track or a studio audience; it's shot more like a TV drama, albeit with an omniscient narrator (executive producer Ron Howard) overseeing the proceedings. Holding the Bluths together just barely is son Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), the only normal guy in a family that's chock full of nuts. Hardworking and sensible, Michael's certain he's going to be given control of his family's Enron-style corporation upon the retirement of his father (Jeffrey Tambor). The fact that he's passed over instead for his mother (Jessica Walter) is only a blip when compared to his father's immediate arrest for dubious accounting practices, and the resulting freeze on the family's previously limitless wealth. Bereft of money, and even less family love, the Bluths have to band together in their moment of need--not easy when everyone's looking out for number 1. In addition to his scabrous parents, Michael has to contend with his lothario older brother (Will Arnett), his basically useless younger brother (Tony Hale), his greedy twin sister (Portia DeRossi), and her sexually ambiguous husband (David Cross). Michael's only comrade in sanity is his son George Michael (Michael Cera), but then again, the teenage boy harbors a secret crush on his cousin (Alia Shawkat). A peerless ensemble led by the brilliant Bateman (who ever knew he could be this good?), all the actors are pitch-perfect in their roles, delivering the dryly funny, sometimes absurdist dialogue with the speed and flair of classic farce. The unusual tone of Arrested Development takes a bit of getting used to--it's far different from anything you'll see on TV, even HBO--but once you buy in to the Bluths' innumerable dysfunctions, you'll be laughing your head off for hours.--Mark Englehart Season Two: The axe of cancellation dangled perilously over Arrested Development during its second season, but the award-winning comedy fought against fate to deliver a hilarious if scattershot 18 episodes (reduced from the original show order of 22), and stayed alive for the beginning of a third season. Most likely, the creators and actors knew the clock was ticking down, so they didn't hesitate to throw their all into these manic, hilarious episodes, which have only the thinnest of plot arcs but an electrifying energy that makes them hard to resist. Some of the story antics were more of the same: good son Michael (Jason Bateman) tries to keep his company afloat, but is often foiled by older brother Gob (Will Arnett); the precarious marriage of Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and Tobias (David Cross) undergoes a trial separation; and young George-Michael (Michael Cera) fights his attraction to his cousin Maeby (Alia Shawkat). Other show developments, though, were new and stunningly, uproariously bizarre: Buster (Tony Hale) joins the army, but later finds his hand bitten off by a seal (yes, a real seal), and Oscar (Jeffrey Tambor), the hippie brother of jailed George Sr. (also Tambor), rekindles an affair with sister-in-law Lucille (Jessica Walter), which may have resulted in Buster's conception years ago. Jokes flew fast and furious, as did guest stars--Ben Stiller, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Christine Taylor, Thomas Jane, Ed Begley Jr., Ione Skye, and Zach Braff among them--making it hard to keep straight who was doing what and why. No matter, as each of the episodes was in and of itself was a perfect gem of comedy, strung together by sharp writing and fantastic performances. In addition to the regular cast, both Liza Minnelli, reprising her role as "Lucille Two," and Martin Short, as an, um, eccentric family friend, deserve special mention, with the episode both appeared in, "Ready, Aim, Marry Me," a frenetic exercise in slapstick farce. Typical examples of the show's offbeat humor were found in "Afternoon Delight," in which various members of the Bluth family discover the true meaning of the '70s ballad, "Meet the Veals," wherein the Bluths encounter the conservative parents of George Michael's girlfriend, and "Motherboy XXX," surrounding an unsettling mother-son traditional dance. The entire cast cohered perfectly through this season, and their give and take provided a perfect balance among the actors, all of whom were even better than the previous year. However, it's Bateman who should be singled out as the show's anchor, mixing dry sarcasm with impeccable comic timing. Despite plummeting ratings, Arrested Development didn't just keep its head above water, it swam with grace and hilarity. --Mark Englehart Season Three: Arrested Development--one of the greatest comedies in the history of television--went out in a blaze of glory. The truncated final season packed more biting humor per minute than ever before. In only 13 episodes, dozens of intertwining storylines spun in all directions: In addition to the overarching story about the fractious infighting of the Bluth family and the family's housing development company being investigated for treason in Iraq (a plot arc that comes to a dazzlingly surreal conclusion), the put-upon "good son" Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman, Teen Wolf Too) pursues romance with a lovely British woman (Charlize Theron, Monster) who turns out to be woefully inappropriate; swaggering magician Gob (Will Arnett, Monster-In-Law) flees from his newly-discovered teenage son while still pandering for the affection of his self-absorbed father (Jeffrey Tambor, The Larry Sanders Show); flighty Lindsay (Portia de Rossi, Ally McBeal) and her sexually blurry husband Tobias (David Cross, Mr. Show) both get the hots for the family's new lawyer, Bob Loblaw (Scott Baio, Charles in Charge); and much, much more. It's difficult to describe what makes Arrested Development so brilliant. The ensemble is uniformly superb (Jessica Walter, as the family's boozing, scheming matriarch, is particularly devastating this season) and the surprising guest stars (including Andy Richter, James Lipton, Justine Bateman, and many others) are perfectly cast; the characters' abominable behavior defies conventional television notions of "likability", yet they only grow more endearing the more you watch; the humor embraces wild slapstick and sharp satire, often within a single scene; and the nimble documentary style allows for sly glancing references to jokes and scenes from long-past episodes, rewarding devoted fans. But the key is that, no matter how screwball Arrested Development becomes, the show offers a rich, textured, and wonderfully coherent world in which these characters feel genuine, a world completely unlike the flat, plastic simulacrum offered by the average sitcom. Arrested Development was true to itself to the end. Its followers will cherish it forever. --Bret Fetzer
Reviews for the Arrested Development - The Complete Series (Seasons 1, 2, 3)
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How I Met Your Mother - Season Three
Actors: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan
ASIN : B0019CSXAM
Sales Rank : 117
Studio : 20th Century Fox
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543533252
UPC : 024543533252
Release Date : December 07, 2008
Publisher : 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer : 20th Century Fox
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : 20th Century Fox
Running Time : 429
Description"Friends" minus one. The series is narrated through flashbacks from the future about the 5 friends and their dating misadventures Amazon.comNo other sitcom is as gleefully inventive as How I Met Your Mother. The basic setup is familiar stuff: Five charming, good-looking twentysomethings pal around New York City seeking love and happiness. But many episodes have a narrative trick. For example, when his friends try to persuade Ted (Josh Radnor) from going on a date with the doctor removing the butterfly tattoo he got while drunk, their justifications send the show careening back and forth among three interconnected flashbacks. Other episodes repeat scenes from different perspectives, or leap forward, or interrupt scenes to provide necessary exposition. None of this is groundbreaking, but it is consistently smart and clever--and when combined with crisp comic dialogue and zippy performances, it's pure sitcom delight. This is a show that manages to make a gang's in-jokes actually funny. Season Three is absolutely essential for any fan of the show, because this is the season we actually meet the title character; after two years of preamble, the mother to Ted's unnamed kids finally appears! But there are abundant other reasons to get this season, including Marshall (Jason Segel, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) buying a crooked apartment, Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) getting the yips and getting slapped, and the return of Robin Sparkles, Canadian teenybopper alter-ego of Robin (Cobie Smulders). There's a wee bit of unfortunate stuntcasting (though she doesn't embarrass herself, Britney Spears still sticks out by dint of sheer inescapable celebrity), but it's a minor flaw in an all-around superb season. Add in an abundance of commentaries, featurettes, music videos, additional scenes, and How I Met Your Mother: Season Three is clearly a must-have for fans and a great introduction for newcomers. --Bret Fetzer
Beyond How I Met Your Mother: Season Three on DVD  Arrested Development – Season Three on DVD |  It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Season Three on DVD |  Family Guy, Vol. 6 on DVD | Stills from How I Met Your Mother: Season Three (Click for larger image)
Reviews for the How I Met Your Mother - Season Three
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Family Guy, Vol. 6
Actors: Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Mike Henry
ASIN : B0012018OE
Sales Rank : 85
Director : Brian Iles, Chris Robertson, Cyndi Tang-Loveland, Dan Povenmire, Dominic Polcino
Studio : 20th Century Fox
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Animated, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543541691
UPC : 024543541691
Release Date : December 21, 2008
Publisher : 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer : 20th Century Fox
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : 20th Century Fox
Running Time : 374
DescriptionMeet the Griffins: Peter, the big, lovable oaf who always says what’s on his mind. Lois, the doting mother who can’t figure out why her baby son keeps trying to kill her. Their daughter Meg, the teen drama queen who’s constantly embarrassed by her family. Chris, the beefy 13-year-old who wouldn’t hurt a fly, unless it landed on his hot dog. Stewie, the maniacal one-year-old bent on world domination. And Brian, the sarcastic dog with a wit as dry as the martinis he drinks. The animated adventures of his outrageous family will have your whole family laughing out loud..
Beyond Family Guy - Vol. 6 on DVD  Arrested Development |  Family Guy - The Complete Collection [Amazon.com Exclusive] |  The Simpsons - Season Eleven | Stills from Family Guy - Vol. 6 (Click for larger image)
Reviews for the Family Guy, Vol. 6
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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 3
Actors: Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Charles Gideon Davis, Danny DeVito, David Gueriera
ASIN : B0018RKEQE
Sales Rank : 111
Director : Fred Savage, Jerry Levine, Matt Shakman
Brand : Twentieth Century Fox
Studio : 20th Century Fox
Region Code : 1
Format : Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543525998
UPC : 024543525998
Release Date : December 09, 2008
Publisher : 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer : 20th Century Fox
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : 20th Century Fox
Running Time : 332
Product DescriptionStudio: Tcfhe Release Date: 09/09/2008 Amazon.comThe folks who populate It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia may be pals, but they sure aren’t Friends. They may be a gang, but they’re not Our Gang--heck, these cretins make Spanky, Alfalfa, and company look like members of the Good Sam Club by contrast. Consider, if you can bear it, the first of the 15 episodes (presented, with bonus features, on three discs) from this, the show’s third season: Mac (Rob McElhenney) and Dee (Caitlin Olson) discover a baby in a dumpster. Do they report it to the police? To Child Services, maybe? Of course not! They take it to a commercial agent, hoping to cash in by putting the kid in TV ads; and when the agent says that Latino babies are all the rage, they take him to a tanning salon so he’ll appear darker and more “ethnic looking.” Meanwhile, Dennis (Glenn Howerton) pretends to be join a tree-hugging group of hippies, merely so he can steal the group leader’s girlfriend, while Charlie (Charlie Day) and Frank (Danny DeVito) spend the day rummaging around at the trash dump. It’s tough to go downhill from there, but that doesn’t stop them from trying. In the course of the following episodes, members of the quacked quintet reveal themselves to be not only rude, devious, unscrupulous, amoral, and dishonest, but also racist, xenophobic, homophobic, and dumb (their endless arguments about nothing are riotously ridiculous). Not that this will surprise anyone who’s seen the show before. Dee, Mac, and Dennis try out for the Philadelphia Eagles while Charlie and Frank drop acid. Dee sleeps with the old, toothless janitor at a competing bar in order to steal their microbrew recipe. They mock a deaf mute. They fart in each other’s faces. When they think Paddy’s Pub, where they work, is going to be sold, three of them quickly land gigs at a nearby restaurant, where they get drunk on the job and steal from the customers. They even get held hostage by the hillbilly McPoyle family, possibly the only people in the known universe who can make our “heroes” look good. And it’s all pretty hilarious, including the bonus features. Those include humorous commentary on two episodes by McElhenney, Day, and Howerton (the show’s executive producers and occasional writers), two featurettes (a season overview and a look at the McPoyles) that are as whack as the show itself, a gag reel, and a “Dancing Guy” sequence so strange as to beggar description. --Sam Graham
Beyond It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Season 3 on DVD  It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD |  Arrested Development – Season One on DVD |  Arrested Development – Season Two on DVD | Stills from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Season Three (Click for larger image)
Reviews for the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 3
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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Seasons 1 & 2
Actors: Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Danny DeVito
ASIN : B000RW3VDE
Sales Rank : 103
Director : Rob McElhenney, Daniel Attias, John Fortenberry
Brand : Twentieth Century Fox
Studio : 20th Century Fox
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, Subtitled, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543444169
UPC : 024543444169
Release Date : December 04, 2007
Publisher : 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer : 20th Century Fox
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : 20th Century Fox
Running Time : 380
DescriptionThree best friends own a Irish Pub in Phili and get into sticky situations resulting from bad judgment. Amazon.comTake the best elements from Seinfeld and Arrested Development and you have It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Combining the social-degenerate-buddy formula (three men, one woman) with the beyond-dysfunctional-family element, Philadelphia creates scenarios that are so hysterical, wrong, appalling, familiar, embarrassing, uncomfortable, and entertaining, the show is addictive like staring at a car wreck when you know you shouldn't, but you just can't look away; it's invigorating like a fresh, loud, wake-up slap on the face. The writing, the quick timing, and the performances are so natural, one wonders if anyone is even acting (but hopes to heaven they are). Danny DeVito joined the cast in the second season, in one of the best roles on TV. DeVito is "Frank," the buddy dad that just wants to be part of the gang, the dad that looks good on paper, but the experience for his kids is more like taking care of a vicious dog that isn't potty-trained. Three of his four talented cohorts (Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob McElhenney) not only star in the series, but write it as well. Thanks to their new take on old themes and a willingness to stretch the boundaries of appropriateness and exploit the audiences' inner insecurities, originality is back on TV.--Rachel Moss Beyond It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia  Groundbreaking TV: Arrested Development |  Fox TV Store |  More from Danny DeVito | Stills from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Seasons 1 & 2
Reviews for the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Seasons 1 & 2
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The Simpsons - The Complete Eleventh Season
Actor: The Simpsons
ASIN : B001GQ3GHG
Sales Rank : 333
Brand : Twentieth Century Fox
Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
Format : AC-3, Dolby, Dubbed, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543557708
UPC : 024543557708
Release Date : December 07, 2008
Publisher : Twentieth Century Fox
Manufacturer : Twentieth Century Fox
Label : Twentieth Century Fox
Running Time : 484
Product DescriptionStudio: Tcfhe Release Date: 10/07/2008 Amazon.comSimpsons Season 11 includes all 22 episodes from the 11th season and bonus material on all 4 discs.
Reviews for the The Simpsons - The Complete Eleventh Season
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How I Met Your Mother - Season Two
Actors: How I Met Your Mother, Monique Edwards
ASIN : B000TM1CKQ
Sales Rank : 279
Studio : 20th Century Fox
Region Code : 1
Format : Widescreen, Box set, Color, Dolby
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543467281
UPC : 024543467281
Release Date : December 02, 2007
Publisher : 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer : 20th Century Fox
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : 20th Century Fox
Running Time : 521
Product DescriptionStudio: Tcfhe Release Date: 04/01/2008 Run time: 484 minutes Rating: Nr Amazon.comThe sweet, snarky charms of How I Met Your Mother are in full force on this clever sitcom's second season. The show's conceit is that it's all from the point of view of the future self of Ted Mosby (played in our time by Josh Radnor, voiced in the future by Bob Saget), telling his kids the story of how he met their mother--a character that, two seasons in, has yet to be introduced. Instead, the show revolves around Ted's romantic pursuit of Robin (Cobie Smulders) and the cozy relationship of Ted's best friends, Lily (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's beloved Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel from another cult show, Freaks and Geeks). Careening through these two love stories is Barney (Neil Patrick Harris, the former Doogie Howser, M.D.), an aggressively single womanizer, whose intimate friendship with this largely sincere and domestic bunch doesn't make much sense...but often makes for excellent comedy. This goofy quintet of late 20somethings flounder their way through life in New York, wrestling with love and careers. When the first season ended, Ted and Robin had finally hooked up, but Marshall and Lily had suddenly split up. Season two runs with this, enriching the relationships among all the characters over the season's progress while spinning out all sorts of stand-alone plots that make each episode a treat. Examples: Ted discovers that his parents have been keeping a secret from him; Marshall, feeling burnt by love, starts doing couple things with a newly single male friend; Lily gets a job at Ted's office and is appalled by Ted's obnoxious boss; Robin tries to keep Ted from discovering her sordid past; and Barney...well, Barney is the gleeful source of a dozen cockeyed tales, ranging from asking Lily to paint a nude portrait of him to grappling poorly with his gay brother's sudden turn to monogamy to going on The Price is Right to find his father. The entire cast is superb (and much more confident this season), but Harris's inexplicably endearing smarminess really pushes the show into a higher comic bracket. That performance energy--combined with the cunning use of flashbacks and other twisty story techniques--makes How I Met Your Mother both sweet and spicy, a conventional sitcom that tweaks the formula enough to make it feel fresh and engaging. If the creators can keep this up, this show will become a classic. Season Two features an abundance of fan-pleasing extras, including cheerful commentaries, extended scenes, and a disturbing music video of the show's theme song. --Bret Fetzer
Reviews for the How I Met Your Mother - Season Two
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How I Met Your Mother - Season 1
Actors: Alyson Hannigan, Monique Edwards
ASIN : B000HT3P7E
Sales Rank : 351
Brand : TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
Studio : 20th Century Fox
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543382034
UPC : 024543382034
Release Date : December 21, 2006
Publisher : 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer : 20th Century Fox
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : 20th Century Fox
Running Time : 482
DescriptionA love story in reverse: How I Met Your Mother is a fresh new comedy about Ted (Josh Radnor) and how he fell in love. When Ted's best friends Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lilly (Alyson Hannigan) decide to tie the knot it sparks the search for his own Miss Right. Helping him in his quest is his bar-hopping "wing-man" Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), a confirmed bachelor with plenty of wild schemes for picking up women. Ted's sites are set on the charming and independent Robin (Cobie Smulders), but destiny may have something different in mind. Told through a series of flashbacks, Ted recalls his single days, the highs and lows of dating and the search for true love. Amazon.comIf the end of Friends left a hole in your life, take a look at How I Met Your Mother. Quirky young urban folk grappling with life and love--check. Charming, good-looking actors who aren't afraid of looking like idiots for the sake of a good joke--check. Crisp, solid writing that sticks comfortably within the sitcom format, but is fresh enough to nudge the show into surprising and inventive moments--check. In fact, the creators of How I Met Your Mother should be embarrassed by how close they hew to the Friends formula--except that they do it so well. Let's face it, Friends didn't invent this territory (tales of twentysomething life), they just refined it. How I Met Your Mother quickly cultivates its own flavor: A little more openly romantic than most sitcoms, willing to let a scene take a quiet or off-kilter turn, trusting that not every viewer has to get every joke. The hub of the likable cast is Josh Radnor, who keeps Ted (a single guy ready to settle down) from being annoying, despite his neuroses and perfectionism. Cobie Smulders gives Robin (the girl Ted thinks might be the one, but who doesn't want to settle down) enough goofy, tomboyish charm that she feels like a person and not an idealized love interest. Jason Segel (Freaks and Geeks) and Alyson Hannigan (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, American Pie), plays Ted's soon-to-be-married best friends Marshall and Lily with enough lingering doubt in their engaged happiness to keep them from becoming too comfortable. And rounding out the cast is Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D.), shedding his good-guy image as Barney, a crass, lecherous cad who, nonetheless, comes through for his friends. Episode plots are pretty straightforward (Ted signs up with matchmaking agency; Marshall takes a well-paying job he doesn't like; when Ted gets a girlfriend, Robin realizes she has feelings for him after all; and Lily has second thoughts about getting married), but the show maintains a nice balance of single-episodes stories and a season-long arc--and as you grown attached to the characters, even fairly routine stories are made to feel fresh. This is good comfort television: Smart but not snotty, earnest but not cloying, oddball without being forced or wacky. Check it out. --Bret Fetzer
Reviews for the How I Met Your Mother - Season 1
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Firefly - The Complete Series
Actors: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin
ASIN : B0000AQS0F
Sales Rank : 88
Director : Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, Vern Gillum
Brand : Twentieth Century Fox
Studio : 20th Century Fox
Region Code : 1
Format : Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0024543089292
UPC : 024543089292
Release Date : December 09, 2003
Publisher : 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer : 20th Century Fox
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : 20th Century Fox
Running Time : 675
DescriptionFive 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. 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
Beyond Firefly on DVD  Watch Stargate: Continuum on DVD |  Catch up on Stargate Atlantis on DVD |  Check out Sunshine on DVD | Stills from Firefly (Click for larger image)
Reviews for the Firefly - The Complete Series
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