Serenity

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Entertainment: +3

Content: -1

Based on the TV series Firefly, this sci-fi action adventure is set 500 years in the future when earth’s inhabitants have outgrown the planet. Many journey into space and establish societies. After a number of planets for a coalition, a civil war erupts among those who do not wish to be under the rules of the coalition. Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), captain of the spaceship Serenity, is a veteran on the losing side of that war. He and a small crew make a living by transporting for hire and stealing. When they take on two passengers, a doctor (Michael Hitchock) and his sister (Summer Glau), they don’t realize that they are fugitives and extremely dangerous. The coalition sends an assassin who chases them around the galaxy in order to prevent them from exposing the coalition’s nasty secrets.

The writers of this film seem to enjoy messing with viewers’ emotions. One moment, you will be laughing, and before you stop laughing, someone is killed. The so-called good guys are the thieves. The bad guys are those who follow orders without questioning them. A teenage girl with extraordinary fighting skills has the ability to see into the future and read minds. While the action and violence is abundant, the gore is not extreme. The crew is chased by gruesome creatures that we are told like to eat their victims alive. There are several references to God. A preacher reflects a common modern-day sentiment when he says, “I don’t care what you believe. Just believe.” A girl in distress prays for God to turn her into stone. Another mans says, “I believe in a world without sin, but I cannot go there because I am evil.” Excessive violence and frightening images and some bad language prevent Preview from recommending Serenity.

Preview Reviewer: Alan Boyer
Distributor: Universal Pictures

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: Many (12) times – mild (hell 10, damn 2)

Obscene Language: None

Profanity: Several (5) times – moderate (G 5)

Violence: Many times – moderate (much fighting and hand-to-hand combat, a man uses a sword to kill several victims, a long fight in a bar, hundreds of creatures attack and are shot with automatic weapons, a ship crashes, a man is impaled, long fight between two men using sharp objects, a man is impaled in the leg with large hook)

Sex: Few times – mild (couple kiss passionately and fall down out of camera’s view)

Nudity: Few times – mild (man without shirt few times, women is shown briefly in underwear)

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Few times – mild (woman has new will to live when she discovers a man would like to have sex with her)

Drugs: Few times – mild (a needle is in girl’s head during a medical procedure)

Other: Girl possesses supernatural powers, images of dead bodies in multiple levels of decay, several references to God (preacher says, “I don’t care what you believe. Just believe”; girl prays for God to turn her into stone; mans says, “I believe in a world without sin, but I cannot go there because I am evil”

Running Time: 119 minutes
Intended Audience: Teens and Up

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