The cover trumpets that this book has an introduction and the motion picture screenplay by JOSS WHEDON, but in between the cheery welcome to the book and the full shooting script (i.e., it includes scenes cut form the final edit) there is 32-page interview with Whedon conducted by Abbie Bernstein. In it Joss talks about how he originally developed "Firefly" and its main characters, how he had the opportunity to make a movie version, and what it was like making the film. So this is an in-depth interview and not simply a case of ten or twenty questions. But, wait, boys and girls, there is more, because in the pages of that interview you will find Whedon's pre-production memos on "A Brief History of the Universe circa 2507 A.D.," "Frame/Lens/Perspective," "Light," and "Music" (Yes, Joss has worked out what music will be like in 500 years). We have known for some time that Whedon pays attention to detail, and here is the textual evidence that proves the point. Bernstein does a good job of not just setting up Whedon, who always provides long replies to any and all questions, but also of asking questions about things fans want to hear about (you will find out more about the series and the film from this interview than you will from listening to the commentary track Joss made for the DVD and that commentary track was not hay).

Consequently, this is much more than a visual companion, as stunning as that part of the book can be. Once you read all of the background material you can sit down with the shooting script and follow along while watching the film to see not only what has been altered or deleted, but also to enjoy Whedon's stage directions (If you read any of the script books for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" then you know there are always some fun little comments worked into his scripts). This is an absolute must have volume for the legion of fans of the television show and theatrical film. Final note: I thought the blue tinted shot of River with Mal's head behind her that appears on the cover of the "Serenity" premium trading cards binder looked pretty good and while they follow the same basic design with the cover for this book they have used a much better shot of Summer Glau as River (plus adding a shot of Firefly in flight from the binder's back cover rather than the Serenity symbol). The "Serenity" poster that is available is actually a cross between the two, the original River with the Firefly from this one, which is good, but not great.

Truly the Perfect Companion
Review date: 2005-11-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

This book truly does live up to it's title, any one who enjoyed this year's Serenity will love this book, particualrly any Whedonites out there. Not only does this book have the entire shooting script (all deleted scenes included) it has an extensive interview with Joss on the writing and making of the film. As usual Joss Whedon is both humourous and informative. Intersperced with the interview are production memo's Joss made to various departments giving an even greater look into the process of making a film and the detailed thought that goes into it.

And possibly best of all are the stunning high quality pictures, a collection of movie stills, behind the scenes photos and conceptual art really complete this companion and make it truly visual. For any fan of Serenity, Joss or movies in general this book is a must!

You can't take the sky from me...
Review date: 2005-10-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

Hooray that Serenity got another chance to live with a feature film. If not for that, fans of Firefly and Serenity would never have got quality merchandise such as this.

A gorgeous, fully illustrated coffee-table style paperback book that makes enlightening reading. Every page is covered with pictures. Photos of the crew are simply amazing - it's always great to see the best bunch of space-farers together. And there are plenty of design drawings and paintings and storyboards that were created before the film was made.

There's a revealing interview with Joss Whedon, that covers everything from the origins of Firefly, to the very last scene in the latest Serenity film. He's a riveting read - intelligent, insightful, and knows what the fans want to hear about.

This book also contains the full script of the film, which I wouldn't look at if you havn't already seen the film. The script is interesting because not only does it include scenes that were eventually chopped from the film (and will hopefully turn up as deleted scenes on the DVD), but also gives the English translations of the Chinese they spoke in the film! Essential!

Any browncoat will be pleased with this purchase.

A fantastic companion to Serenity
Review date: 2005-10-21 Rating: 10 out of 10

This book is an essential purchase for fans of Serenity, the excellent sci-fi Western film released recently in cinemas, continuing the story of Captain Mal Reynolds and his crew that begun in the short lived TV series Firefly.

This book contains the entire script from the film, including scenes which were not filmed or cut from the film due to length, which gives some of the characters (particularly Inara) a little more development than in the final cut.

There is also a very comprehensive and interesting interview with Serenity's writer/director Joss Whedon, covering a wide range of topics and we also get his pre-production memos for example, about the score and the lighting, and how he went about making the film. There are also a few soundbites from the main cast members.

Also included is Joss's History of the Universe, although to be honest I was a little disappointed that the planet map was so small, but it is otherwise quite useful for filling in the background of Serenity.

Throughout there are many stills from the film, photographs taken behind the scenes, and a lot of pre-production art, which makes it colourful and beautifully presented. This book is a perfect accompaniment to the film, adding even more depth, revealing how it was made and is also very entertaining in its own right.

Serenity was an original and enjoyable film, and this companion does it justice, in no small part to the level of involvement Joss had with it.

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