"Serenity" - 2005
Written and Directed by Joss Whedon
Rated Pg-13 for sequences of intense violence and action, and some sexual references.

Acclaimed by critics and loved by fans, Joss Whedon's love it or hate it sci-fi epic, Firefly, gets a second chance at life. In his big-screen, directorial debut, Whedon tries to stake a claim in the post Star Wars market.

In Serenity, Captain Mal (Nathan Fillion) and crew run guns and steal goods in order to keep their prized vessel, the Serenity, in flight. Set in a future dominated by an oppressive government, the crew finds itself the target of a mysterious assassin. Meanwhile, River (Summer Glau) begins to understand her purpose, prompting Mal to make a choice that will decide the fate of the Serenity.

Joss Whedon is obviously quite skilled at two things: casting and dialogue.

First of all, the cast assembled ranks among one of the most homely and believable in recent sci-fi memory. There's no external baggage to bring you out of Serenity's fantasy universe. And except for a few excusably hokey lines, the essentially unknown cast performs fine in this expanded medium.

Though such fine performances are helped to be made possible by a very well written script. About as far from the debatable dialogue in this year's hit, Revenge of the Sith, as possible, Serenity features honest and believable character interaction. Which is good, too, because despite the action extravaganza appearance given in the trailers, Serenity is very much a talkative, thinking-man's sci-fi. That's not to say that it's boring--far from it--but I feel that much of its success is due to the crafted interaction between characters.

As long as I'm making parallels to Star Wars, I think a big point to raise is in special effects. Again, choosing the opposite path, Serenity takes a minimalist approach to CGI. As opposed to the increased dependence on green-screens, it was good to see real sets, props, and stunts. And of the computer animation used, it focuses mainly on space battles--an aspect well suited to CGI. A giant battle sequence near the end stands out as not only a fine example of computer animation done right, but also as evidence of the high production value of Serenity.

When a TV show is adapted to movie format, it's a challenge to give it the refined appearance of cinema. But as with other show-turned-movies franchises like The X-Files and Star Trek, Serenity stays true to its television roots, while still providing the aesthetic charm expected in a full-length film.

My biggest quarrel with the film is with it's ending. Either Whedon holds out hope for sequels or he just doesn't want to see his brain child forever altered, but a very tacked on scene basically admits the entire film had little impact on its fictional universe. There are some risks taken (perhaps too many for seriously die-hard fans), but personally, I would have liked to have seen the movie format be a means to really try out some new things.

A touching mix of great characters, exciting action, and a unique setting, Serenity is every bit as good as the beloved Firefly. Although it may not be enough to warrant a series comeback, it is certainly a fine piece of science fiction. For those turned-off or disappointed in the latest Star Wars, Serenity makes a fine alternative.

Rating: 4/5