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Most likely you have seen people charade dancing before. In ... Read more

Most likely you have seen people charade dancing before. In fact, many of the most popular dance moves come from things we see in everyday life, the sprinkler, the lawn mower and the shopping cart. Dance charades has all of those moves, but it has many more that you've never even dreamed of. For example: the cheerleader, wiping the counter or mopping the floor. In Dance charades, you get points by people guessing what you are dancing. But most of your points can be earned from your dancing skills. For every turn, the other players can throw up to three tokens at you if they are impressed with your dancing enthusiasm. This can make even the shyest of people shimmy. Country of Origin: 80% US and 20% China. Minimize

Outdoor Chess & Checkers. Outdoor Chess & Checkers This is ... Read more

Outdoor Chess & Checkers. Outdoor Chess & Checkers This is our Outdoor Chess and Checkers set, which includes a waterproof canvas mat, pieces for both chess and draughts, lawn stakes and a canvas carry bag to store it all in - perfect for family fun. Few games companies can claim to have been so influential in the world of indoor games as Jaques of London has been for the 215 years we have been manufacturing high quality sports and game equipment. In our two centuries of business, we have invented Ping Pong, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Tiddley Winks, Happy Families and Snap - not to mention our production of the Staunton chessmen, which has become the most commonly used set of chess pieces at all levels. We have decided to use this expertise to bring some of our favorite indoor games outside with our range of oversized models. Jaques Outdoor Chess and Checkers sets include a canvas waterproof mat with brass eyelets, wooden playing discs featuring gold blocked chess characters (for both chess and checkers) in a drawstring bag, lawn stakes and a canvas carry bag with shoulder strap. Perfect for family fun in the sunshine. Giant size: 55"L x 55"W x 0.125"H Magnum size: 35.5"L x 35.5"W x 0.125"H Minimize

Not everyone loves lawn ornaments. But Pearl was different. ... Read more

Not everyone loves lawn ornaments. But Pearl was different. Pearl was their friend—the only human who knew they were real.So when Pearl’s family moves and (shockingly!) leaves their pink flamingo, deer, gnome, and lawn jockey behind, Flo, Betty, Norm, and Jack know what they must do. They must find Pearl no matter how long and perilous the journey.Through cities and suburbs, over mountains and through swamps, the ornaments make their dangerous way. They survive storms and menacing gargoyles. They get directions from weather vanes and other statuary. And always, always, they must avoid the dreaded trash truck!In this hysterical and quirky tale of toys-come-to-life, Dan Yaccarino reminds us that home is where the heart is and that no journey is too difficult when it leads to the one you love. Minimize

Home Depot lawnmower Keep your yard in tip-top shape with T ... Read more

Home Depot lawnmower Keep your yard in tip-top shape with The Home Depot Lawn Mower, a Toys'R'Us exclusive! Pull the cord to 'start' it up, then press the top button to hear more realistic sounds and see pretend grass blowing around inside. Rolling wheels ensure easy pretend push-mowing on tons of surfaces. Features Includes a lawn mower Push mower allows for tons of pretend grass cutting Wheels move easily on many surfaces Mower Height: 22 inches Package Weight: 3 lbs Some assembly required 3 AA batteries required (included) Minimize

It should have been a typical day of trimming shrubbery and ... Read more

It should have been a typical day of trimming shrubbery and edging lawns, but Gretchen VanStantvoordt-known to everyone as "Ellis"-first gets caught in a traffic jam and then lands in the emergency room with a badly sprained ankle. Mary Moss, a new-found friend who was caught in the same traffic jam, convinces Ellis that trying to tend to her dog and negotiate the stairs at her walk-up apartment while on crutches isn't such a good idea. Without friends or family in the vicinity, Ellis accepts Mary's offer for assistance. When Ellis meets Natalie, Mary's nine-year-old daughter, she's ready to make tracks away from Mary as quickly as possible, but her bum ankle makes that impossible. Ellis stays with Mary and Natalie while she recovers. Little by little, Ellis develops a fondness for young Natalie... and develops something much deeper for Mary. Ellis and Mary work out a plan for building a future-and a family-together. Destiny, it seems, has other plans and throws major roadblocks in their path. Ellis is forced to reconsider everything she thought she knew about where she wanted to go in life, and Mary learns that even with the perfect traveling companion, not all journeys are joyous. No GPS can help them navigate the new road they find themselves on. Come make the trip with Ellis and Mary as they discover that when life sends you on a detour, the wise traveler finds a way to enjoy the scenery. Minimize

Just like dad! Big Wheel Bubble Mower shows "junior" the fu ... Read more

Just like dad! Big Wheel Bubble Mower shows "junior" the fun side of lawn duties! SAVE BIG! Instead of watching while dad cuts the lawn, get your child in on the action with this Big Wheel Bubble Mower! He or she can follow dad's footsteps in freshly mown grass, releasing fun bubbles instead of boring-ol' grass clippings. It's easy to use... just fill the tank with the included bubble solution, then the side lever turns to blow bubbles out of the "exhaust" pipe! Has a "play" gear shift, steering wheel and key to heighten the realism! Grass is greener on the bubbly side: Wide wheel base provides a stable support for kids while they ride; Includes 4 ozs. of bubble solution; Made for ages 1 1/2 to 4 years old; 4 AA batteries required (not included). Measures 21 x 12 x 10" and weighs 4 lbs. Tons of fun for any kid... get this Mower today! CHOKING HAZARD. Small parts.Not for children under 3 yrs. Big Wheel Bubble Mower Minimize

This exciting game presents a fun and educational approach ... Read more

This exciting game presents a fun and educational approach to grocery shopping that can be adapted to fit different levels and abilities. The goods on the included shopping lists and game board can be used for matching or can be sorted into categories. More advanced players can apply basic math skills to add up their lists, give discounts and apply coupons. This is a great tool for reinforcing daily living skills and independence, as players learn all about what to expect at the supermarket. Minimize

In his "Lives of the Artists", Vasari wrote: "While we may ... Read more

In his "Lives of the Artists", Vasari wrote: "While we may term other works paintings, those of Raphael are living things, the flesh palpitates, the breath comes and goes, every organ lives, life pulsates everywhere." In this extensively illustrated book featuring some 300 illustrations, the author takes a critical look at the life and work of Rafaello Sanzio, or as he signed certain paintings, Raphael Urbinas, in homage to his native city of Urbino. Described as "an artist touched by grace," he is considered, along with Michelangelo and Leonardo, to be one of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance. Raphael (1483-1520), whose birth and death were on a Good Friday, belonged to a family of merchants; aside from his training in the studio of Perugino, little is known about his earliest years. He arrived in Florence in 1504, where he studied the masters and produced magnificent paintings of the Madonna, as well as remarkable portraits. In 1508 he went to Rome, where he died a dozen years later at the height of his powers, after creating monumental works at the Vatican. De Vecchi re-examines the scholarship surrounding each of the major periods of Raphael's short career, dispelling the myths about him that have accumulated over the centuries. He reminds us that the most "profound" element of Raphael's art was his striving to express the dialectic between earthly and heavenly love, an important concern of his contemporaries. The coverage of the text extends beyond the paintings to Raphael's significant work as an architect and designer of interiors. Minimize

When he was born, Michelangelo Buonarroti was put into the ... Read more

When he was born, Michelangelo Buonarroti was put into the care of a stonecutter's family. He often said it was from them that he got his love of sculpture. It certainly didn't come from his own father, a respectable magistrate who beat his son when he asked to become an artists apprentice.But Michelangelo persevered. His early sculptures caught the attention of Florence's great ruler, Lorenzo de' Medici, who invited the boy to be educated with his own sons. Soon after, Michelangelo was astonishing people with the lifelike creations he wrested from marble--from the heartbreaking Pieta he sculpted when he was only twenty-five to the majestic David that brought him acclaim as the greatest sculptor in Italy.Michelangelo had a turbulent, quarrelsome life. He was obsessed with perfection and felt that everyone--from family members to his demanding patrons--took advantage and let him down. His long and difficult association with Pope Julius II yielded his greatest masterpiece, the radiant paintings in the Sistine Chapel, and his most disastrous undertaking, the monumental tomb that caused the artist frustration and heartache for forty years.With her thoroughly researched, lively narrative and superbly detailed illustrations, Diane Stanley has captured the life of an artist who towered above the late Renaissance--and whose brilliance in architecture, painting, and sculpture amazes and moves us to this day.Children's Books 2000-NY Public Lib., Books for Youth Editor's Choice 2000 (Booklist), Lasting Connections 2000 (Book Links), Best Books 2000 (School Library Journal), Top 10 Youth Art Books 2000 (Booklist), and Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001, National Council for SS & Child. Book Council Minimize

A young girl arrives at a creative solution for peaceful co ... Read more

A young girl arrives at a creative solution for peaceful coexistence with the creatures that enchant her but frustrate her father. Elizabeth treasures the rabbits who dance on the lawn in front of her family's summer cabin. On hot, sleepless nights, she goes out to the porch and watches a magical scene: gentle rabbits frolick in the grass to a chorus of evening sounds. But the rabbits are eating the grass that her father has cared for all summer, and Elizabeth must come up with a plan to protect the rabbits and help her father. Praise for NIGHT RABBITS: "Montgomery's detailed, dynamic paintings nicely complement the text, and capture the sense of place so well you'd swear you could hear the crickets chirping yourself." --The New York Times Book Review "There's a twist to this gentle tale: A child teaches her parent about the wonders of nature." --Sesame Street Parents Minimize

An all-star cast--including such A-list stars as Julia Robe ... Read more

An all-star cast--including such A-list stars as Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, and Meryl Streep--lend their voices to The Ant Bully. Social misfit Lucas gets bullied by the bigger boys in his neighborhood, so he takes out his frustrations on the only things around smaller than him: An ant hill on his front lawn. After being flooded and stepped on, the ants fight back when ant wizard Zoc (Cage, National Treasure) develops a potion that shrinks Lucas down to bug-size. But Zoc's thirst for revenge gets foiled when the beatific ant queen (Streep, The Devil Wears Prada) decrees that Lucas must learn to live like an ant, and Zoc's girlfriend Hova (Roberts, Runaway Bride) takes up the task of teaching the unhappy boy how to value others over himself. The animation of The Ant Bully makes good use of scale as Lucas grapples with the gigantic world around him, but the writing is not so imaginative; the name actors are thrown away on bland characters and lackluster dialogue. The lessons Lucas learns are admirable (and amusingly Communist in flavor), but the way he learns them feels contrived and uncompelling. It's too bad, because there probably won't be many other movies featuring the combined talents of Meryl Streep and Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness). Also featuring Ricardo Montalban (Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan), Lily Tomlin (Nashville), and Paul Giamatti (Sideways) as a sleazy exterminator. --Bret Fetzer Minimize

Penny Panda provides lots of practice in counting money. Fo ... Read more

Penny Panda provides lots of practice in counting money. Four main activities help children with counting a given amount, comparing amounts, presenting money to match a specific sum, and determining change accurately. Program Options: Choose to present activities in either English or Spanish. For each of the 4 activities, Count, Compare, Pay Exact Amount, and How Much Change?... select one of 24 levels beginning as simple as Pennies to 10 cents, Pennies to 20 cents, Dimes to 50 cents,... working up through Quarters, Dimes, Nickels, and Pennies to $1.00... and culminating with inclusion of $5 bill, $1 Bills, Quarters, Dimes, Nickels, and Pennies up to $10. Teachers may have students remain at the selected level, or advance automatically through each level based on your defined competency setting of a given percentage correct for N problems. An added option allows teachers to include the newer coin faces for quarters and nickels along with the older, more standard ones. Minimize

Outdoor Chess & Checkers. Outdoor Chess & Checkers This is ... Read more

Outdoor Chess & Checkers. Outdoor Chess & Checkers This is our Outdoor Chess and Checkers set, which includes a waterproof canvas mat, pieces for both chess and draughts, lawn stakes and a canvas carry bag to store it all in - perfect for family fun. Few games companies can claim to have been so influential in the world of indoor games as Jaques of London has been for the 215 years we have been manufacturing high quality sports and game equipment. In our two centuries of business, we have invented Ping Pong, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Tiddley Winks, Happy Families and Snap - not to mention our production of the Staunton chessmen, which has become the most commonly used set of chess pieces at all levels. We have decided to use this expertise to bring some of our favorite indoor games outside with our range of oversized models. Jaques Outdoor Chess and Checkers sets include a canvas waterproof mat with brass eyelets, wooden playing discs featuring gold blocked chess characters (for both chess and checkers) in a drawstring bag, lawn stakes and a canvas carry bag with shoulder strap. Perfect for family fun in the sunshine. Giant size: 55"L x 55"W x 0.125"H Magnum size: 35.5"L x 35.5"W x 0.125"H Minimize

When Alija Osmanovic, a Bosnian war orphan who is the prota ... Read more

When Alija Osmanovic, a Bosnian war orphan who is the protagonist of Knife, goes in search of the identity of his murdered birth-parents, a sense of thwarted justice motivates him, and expresses itself as burning passion for revenge. This is summed up by the novel's title. The opening chapter describes the massacre of a Serbian village by Muslim Ustase on Christmas Day (January 7) of 1942. The sole survivor is a newborn male infant, spared at the last moment and given to a Muslim woman who lost her husband in the raid. The boy is named Alija, and is raised as a Muslim, and later comes to believe that his family was killed by Serbs. Twenty-one years later, Alija, now a medical student in Sarajevo, discovers that the newspapers are interested in his story. An article about him is published in a Sarajevo daily, and he begins receiving mail. Most of it is sympathetic but unhelpful, although he does receive an enigmatic letter which reads: You are certainly not what you are, nevertheless, you are what you are not. Alija seeks out Sikter Effendi, an eccentric and reclusive Muslim cleric, to help him interpret the enigma. Sikter Effendi, an irascible outsider, is, nevertheless, considered to be honest, because he has suffered at the hands of each regime: Ustase as well as Communist. He has responded by developing a fine sense of disgust for the human race, and he steeps himself in history, trying to untangle the threads of misfortune. But when Alija enters the Effendi s life, a transformation occurs. Sikter Effendi finds a spiritual heir. Through Sikter Effendi s mentorship, Alija discovers the truth: that his heritage is Serbian; that he was born not far away but in the neighboring village; and that his adoptive family was guilty of murdering his birth-family. A crisis of identity ensues. Each possible course of action open to him is bad. How is he to go on? Minimize

The Bronsons were the first Jews to ever live in the small ... Read more

The Bronsons were the first Jews to ever live in the small town of Concordia, Tennessee-a town consisting of one main street, one bank, one drugstore, one picture show, one feed and seed, one hardware store, one beauty parlor, one barber shop, one blacksmith, and many Christian churches. That didn't stop Aaron Bronson, a Russian immigrant, from moving his young family out of New York by horse and wagon and journeying to this remote corner of the South to open a small dry goods store, Bronson's Low-Priced Store. Never mind that he was greeted with "Danged if I ever heard tell of a Jew storekeeper afore." Never mind that all the townspeople were suspicious of any strangers. Never mind that the Klan actively discouraged the presence of outsiders. Aaron Bronson bravely established a business and proved in the process that his family could make a home, and a life, anywhere. With great fondness and a fine dry wit, Stella Suberman tells the story of her family in an account that Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, described as "a gem...Vividly told and captivating in its humanity." Now available for the first time in paperback, here is the book that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said was "forthright. . . . not a revisionist history of Jewish life in the small-town South but . . . written within the context of the 1920s, making it valuable history as well as a moving family story." Minimize

Sort & Store your LEGO bricks. A fast and easy way to Sort ... Read more

Sort & Store your LEGO bricks. A fast and easy way to Sort & Store your Lego bricks! Tip your Lego Bricks into the Sorter. Shake gently and Lego Bricks will sort into small, medium, and large sections. Lift each section to reveal sorted Lego Bricks inside. Built in carry handle. Can hold over a thousand LEGO pieces. LEGO pieces sold separately. Minimize

-- Paperback original.-- First U.S. edition. British public ... Read more

-- Paperback original.-- First U.S. edition. British publication by Hart-Davis, McGibbon Ltd ('76).-- A companion to The Best of Myles, Further Cuttings culls more scathing selections from "Cruiskeen Lawn", Flann O'Brien's column in the Irish Times written under the pseudonym Myles na Gopaleen.-- This volume covers the years 1947-1957 and finds O'Brien's alter ego clashing with the law on numerous charges, including larceny, using bad language, and marrying without the consent of his parents. It also includes several bizarre obituaries, witty criticisms of George Bernard Shaw, Sean O' Faolain, and other literary figures, the return of the preposterous "Brother", and the first article ever ascribed to Myles (published in 1940). Minimize

Would you like to help your child go beyond singing the ABC ... Read more

Would you like to help your child go beyond singing the ABC song? When your child is three or four years old or whenever they are starting to realize that letters have names and sounds there is so much discovery! Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K helps you as a parent do more than just pass on a love of reading. We make it easy for you to play a role in helping your child understand the building blocks to reading itself all while having fun together! (And we ve got a new ABC song that solves the L-M-N-O-P problem...)Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K is based on research, approved by the Children's Reading Foundation and designed in conjunction with leading educators, renowned authors and most important, parents. Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K uses engaging phonics-based activities, music videos, and online games to give your child a strong foundation in phonemic awareness. Each unit concludes with a storybook you read to your child, specially written to support what your child just learned. Each lesson takes only about 20 minutes a day. Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K covers letter names, letter sounds, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and blending sounds. Learn to Read Pre-K includes: 6 original storybooks written to promote the skills your child learns in the program, including 2 books by the award-winning children s book author and illustrator, David McPhail2 reading workbooks that will guide you and your child through all of the lessons and many fun activities2 DVDs filled with music videos and engaging, animated introductions to each lesson, where letters come to life2 sets of stickers so a child can proudly mark their progress in the workbooks and celebrate their success4 sets of letter and picture flashcards designed to reinforce letter names and letter soundsQuick Start Guides1 bonus Reading Rainbow DVD, Stellaluna, exclusive to Amazon customers Now featuring a free online Learn to Read experience - In addition to what's in the box, Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K now offers unique online components to deliver a rich, multisensory learning experience for your child. Each level of Learn to Read comes with a serial number that lets you sign up for free online content. Simply register and you will be able to access online games, downloadable content, printables, and custom book recommendations. You will also be able to track your child's progress on their own personalized learning path. Online Games - Simple and engaging online games designed specifically to reinforce the subject matter your child has just completed in the lesson. Printables - Fun activity sheets you can download and print. Each activity is designed to reinforce the lesson your child has just completed. Custom Book Recommendations - Customized book recommendations specifically tailored to reinforce the unit your child has just completed. All are available for purchase on Amazon.com. Minimize

The title credit for Delicatessen reads "Presented by Terry ... Read more

The title credit for Delicatessen reads "Presented by Terry Gilliam," and it's easy to understand why the director of Brazil was so supportive of this outrageously black French comedy from 1991. Like Gilliam, French codirectors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro have wildly inventive imaginations that gravitate to the darker absurdities of human behavior, and their visual extravagance is matched by impressive technical skill. Here, making their feature debut, Jeunet and Caro present a postapocalyptic scenario set entirely in a dank and gloomy building where the landlord operates a delicatessen on the ground floor. But this is an altogether meatless world, so the butcher-landlord keeps his customers happy by chopping unsuspecting victims into cutlets, and he's sharpening his knife for a new tenant (French comic actor Dominque Pinon) who's got the hots for the butcher's nearsighted daughter! Delicatessen is a feast (if you will) of hilarious vignettes, slapstick gags, and sweetly eccentric characters, including a man in a swampy room full of frogs, a woman doggedly determined to commit suicide (she never gets its right), and a pair of brothers who make toy sound boxes that "moo" like cows. It doesn't amount to much as a story, but that hardly matters; this is the kind of comedy that springs from a unique wellspring of imagination and inspiration, and it's handled with such visual virtuosity that you can't help but be mesmerized. There's some priceless comedy happening here, some of which is so inventive that you may feel the urge to stand up and cheer. --Jeff Shannon Minimize

Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help ... Read more

Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - For some reason the desert scene before Lucy Bostil awoke varying emotions - a sweet gratitude for the fullness of her life there at the Ford, yet a haunting remorse that she could not be wholly content - a vague loneliness of soul - a thrill and a fear for the strangely calling future, glorious, unknown. She longed for something to happen. It might be terrible, so long as it was wonderful. This day, when Lucy had stolen away on a forbidden horse, she was eighteen years old. The thought of her mother, who had died long ago on their way into this wilderness, was the one drop of sadness in her joy. Lucy loved everybody at Bostil's Ford and everybody loved her. She loved all the horses except her father's favorite racer, that perverse devil of a horse, the great Sage King. Lucy was glowing and rapt with love for all she beheld from her lofty perch: the green-and-pink blossoming hamlet beneath her, set between the beauty of the gray sage expanse and the ghastliness of the barren heights; the swift Colorado sullenly thundering below in the abyss; the Indians in their bright colors, riding up the river trail; the eagle poised like a feather on the air, and a beneath him the grazing cattle making black dots on the sage; the deep velvet azure of the sky; the golden lights on the bare peaks and the lilac veils in the far ravines; the silky rustle of a canyon swallow as he shot downward in the sweep of the wind; the fragrance of cedar, the flowers of the spear-pointed mescal; the brooding silence, the beckoning range, the purple distance. Minimize

Outdoor Toys by Little TikesFill the backyard with the soun ... Read more

Outdoor Toys by Little TikesFill the backyard with the sound of childhood delight with outdoor toys from Little Tikes. We have outdoor playgrounds and playhouses that combine safety and durability with fun! There are several options for all ages, with or without a swing set. Also take a look at several outdoor picnic tables. Don8217;t forget the Classic Turtle Sandbox 8211; one of our top sellers. Make sure to get your child8217;s outdoor play toys from a trusted toy maker for over 30 years: Little Tikes. Indoor,outdoor table unlocks and folds for portability or storage. Features: Seats up to 6 children. Includes 2 cup-holders and a multi-purpose condiment,crayon tray. (Dishes not included.) Center hole holds a Little Tikes Market Umbrella (sold separately). No tools required for setup or takedown. Ages 2 to 8 years.Toys Made in the USASpecifications:Overall Dimensions: 19"H x 42"W x 39"D Minimize

Cluzzle is the comical game of Clay Puzzles where players o ... Read more

Cluzzle is the comical game of Clay Puzzles where players outwit their friends through bad sculpting, tricky questions and insightful guessing. The challenge is to create a clay sculpture that others will guess - eventually. The longer it takes for the other players to guess a sculpture correctly, the more points the sculptor receives. Many party games reward players for conveying a concept as quickly as possible, so those with an artistic ability have an advantage, but Cluzzle allows kids to do just as well as their parents, and lets art class drop-outs compete with the local Michelangelo. This fast-paced and entertaining game is fun for everyone.What in the World is a Cluzzle?The Clue is in the Clay!Cluzzle (kluh' zel)1. n. A clay puzzle2. v. To create a hilarious clay puzzles that can't be guessed right away.Cluzzlers (kluh' zel' erz)1. n. People so badat sculpting they might actually be good at this game.Cluzzle is about sculpting, but you don't need artistic ability to be good at this game. Each player sculpts a Cluzzle, then asks questions to figure out what the other Cluzzles are. Players are awarded more points the harder their Cluzzles are to guess, but no points for something that can't be guessed at all. So get your party started with this hilarious game of clay and creativity. Get Cluzzle where the clue is in the clay!Includes:- Personalized Cluzzle Cards created by such wonderful people as Alanis Morissette, Bruce Crapuchettes (the game designers father), and maybe even you!-950 Clay Subjects-High Quality Modeling Clay!! (It doesn't dry out, always soft and easy to mold, and does not stain your hands) Minimize

As the 2005 theatrical release of Serenity made clear, Fire ... Read more

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 On the Blu-ray discs Firefly has a picture that's a little softer than most Blu-ray discs (especially in the effects shots), but it is an improvement over the DVDs (even in an upconverting DVD player or Blu-ray player), and the punchy sound (DTS HD 5.1 compared to the DVDs' 2.0 surround) is a definite upgrade. In addition to the original bonus features, there are a couple new ones: a 25-minute conversation among Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Ron Glass, and Alan Tudyk in which they discuss the series and a number of specific episodes (Fillion recalls thinking he was getting fired after the first episode), and a new commentary track by the four fellows on "Our Mrs. Reynolds." And since it's easy to get sucked into watching multiple episodes, it's nice to have a Play All feature on the BDs. --David HoriuchiBeyond Firefly on Blu-ray Stargate: Continuum Blu-ray Sci-Fi Bundle Sunshine Stills from Firefly (Click for larger image) Minimize