way in a dangerous sky. It's something folks can relate to, although most of us won't be in a space battle or fighting psychotic creatures anytime soon. The point of the name Serenity is the name of the ship, though in a deeper sense that's what our characters are in search of. Finding freedom and a home, and that's what the ship represents to them, and to the fans. So you understand why so many are so excited about this dinky little scifi flick. The movie captures that beautiful feeling but takes us on a ride that there's no turning back from. In my opinion, the one thing that makes for a truly GREAT movie is if you walk out of the theater a different person than when you walked in. This movie takes you on such a journey I didn't know if I would leave the theater at all. Sure the visual effects are stunning, but even the unfinished effects I saw meant nothing to me because it was the characters I cared about and note that the digitally created ship itself is one of them, and I cared just as much for that than any of them . The humor is probably better than anything in the theaters this year, and the action is even greater. My screening actually came a week after Episode 3 was released, and I immediately washed my hands of Mr Lucas, and months later when I saw Fantastic 4... well let's not even talk about that one.This movie really does have something for everyone, and even in the core of the geek fandom, the range of people is total - men and women split it at least 50/50, uber-geeks and "cool" types, and a surprising amount of attractive people of all ages. Seriously though, don't trust the rants of the fans. Check out the movie for yourself. Give it an honest chance and I promise you will be taken on a journey that will turn you into a fan as well.

you saw Star Wars the original in the theater way back when, then this movie will evoke a similar feeling of awe. Once you see this movie, your perceptions of the movie-going experience will be changed. No other movie I've ever seen has hit me with the intensity of this one.

very special indeed.The movie itself has all the elements that make Joss Whedon's work so very unique. The sense of humor, the wonderfully realized characters and their strong interpersonal bonds, masterful dialogue and emotional pain, everything is present. I laughed, I cried, I pretty much went through the entire emotional spectrum watching this movie, and that's not something you might expect from 'just another sci-fi movie'.While I'm writing this, the release of Serenity is still a few weeks ahead, but I got to see the finished version of the movie with a selected group of Dutch Firefly fans in an exclusive pre-screening. Afterwards, the atmosphere was strange, subdued. It was almost as if everyone had survived some kind of big disaster together and we were too stunned to really say much. And I say that in the kindest possible way. Honestly.If you're not into Whedon's work, or even if you're not into sci-fi in general, this is gonna be a movie worth watching. Ignore the whole 'geekmovie' hype that'll undoubtedly surround the release. Ignore the hype created by Whedon-fans such as myself. Simply go see it with an open mind and be prepared to be blown away. Because when Whedon works his magic, everyone has to pay attention.This movie is truly a leaf on the wind. Watch it soar!

duh, it's a movie, not on TV , and we get some major revelations about the world which some who saw it with me already don't like . There are some MAJOR events that affect the characters, and I wasn't totally happy with them - shocked is the word. But this is Joss's world, and his characters, and he tells the stories he wants to tell. He doesn't get bound up in hurting our feelings; he just tells it like it is. I believe he did say that this was the hardest thing he'd ever had to write.At least one person at our screening was a "Firefly virgin," and he said that he liked it. I hope people who have no exposure to the show will be able to see this and enjoy it. Our big damn heroes come across well, and I hope this will get them some well-deserved exposure. This is a no-holds barred, big-time action/adventure sci-fi story, bold and raw, and set in a world unlike anything portrayed in SF before well, except for "Firefly" . And I hope it does really, really well, and we get to see the sequels.

mentally. Some are able to incorporate the new perspectives into their lives, while others call it "boring" or "seen it" when all they are doing is protecting their two fragile brain cells from expansion.How can I make such bold, perhaps even abrasive statements? Well, let's look at the movie itself. It starts off with a brief recap to get those people that had not seen the TV series up to speed. This was brief, and incorporated a look at River's past, which was well done. It then moves on to show the rescue, seen from the perspective of the Operative. I will concur with those that argue he is not a cookie-cutter villain. He is not a "black and white" archetype. He is a "believer," but is also exceptionally self-consistent with his beliefs. He is doing what he does for an altruistic in his mind goal, completely devoid of ego. There is no room for self-aggrandizement, we see no hubristic monologues, just a single-mindedness of purpose to create what he is told will be a perfect world.That brings us to the crew themselves. Let's get one thing straight, though many have said they are by default "good" because of their eventual choices, what makes them interesting is that they are, for the most part, amoral. They are Privateers, ex-soldiers from a cause that was just, true, and pure- and that lost to the "good guys." Each of them is a part of the crew because of their past- Mal, who used to have something to believe in, now just believes in his ship and his crew. The vacuum of space is cold, and there is no room for anything that does not keep his crew alive. Some have argued that he is good because he did not kick River and the Doc off on some backwater in the beginning, but I think it was mostly pragmatic. Here he has a doctor that can patch his crew, a valuable skillset, and a girl that is obviously worth something to the Alliance worth keeping on general principles . This is not to say that he is not conflicted. Mal is someone who WANTS to do the right thing, and we see that when he can, he does. But he is not some goodie-two-shoes paladin bunnies-and-duckies character that will ALWAYS do the right thing.The interactions of Mal and the Operative are interesting because they ARE both very similar. They are both living in the interstices of society- the Operative realizes that he has no place in the "polite" "fairplay" world that he is striving to resurrect while Mal is a scofflaw- neither are fighting or living for "normal" motivations. It also shows that both are capable of change, which pretty much knocks the normal Hollywood plot line off the tracks- in most movies, people will never change, and good defeats evil, then comes home and snogs the prom queen. Mal, and his crew, are given a choice, and have to each come to terms with what they are really fighting for. It requires them to strip off the veneer of being privateers, and allows them to recapture their original selves. I am simplifying greatly here.Ultimately when Mal defeats the Operative, he spares his life, showing us that Mal is not the typical hero, and that he also recognizes the bigger picture- the Operative is not the villain, merely another dupe of a huge machine that wants to control people because "it knows better." This is another non-typical outcome, and delves into another level of complexity.In closing, I want to acknowledge that this is not intended to sway those that don't like this movie. Barring a serious shift in perspective, they never will like it. And that is fine, wonderful actually. This movie did not compromise its core message to appeal to a wide audience, it did not focus on flash over substance. It simply told a story that makes you *think.*

beyond the frame of both the picture and the story. The characters do not merely perform narrative tasks but have fully formed histories and motivations, as well as their share of flaws to help keep things interesting. The story is a masterful blend of humour, romance, adventure, and genuine danger. And to boot, there's a truly top-notch villain.In short, you don't need to be a fan of the series, or even of science fiction, to enjoy this film. You just have to love good movies.

again giving it a second chance. It still didn't click with us. I was very confused.We were going to give up when a friend loaned us the Firefly DVDs. OK, I'll give it another shot since clearly we *must* be missing something! And that did it.After just a couple episodes I was really enjoying myself. When I re-watched Serenity again after seeing the TV series, I thought it was excellent. I really appreciated it. The characters were more 3D, the one-liners were amusing, the music didn't bother me a bit I was starting to like it , and I really liked all the nuances from the actors I changed my mind - not bad acting . I felt like I knew the characters and story so much better and I really loved how they tied some loose ends together. It was also nice to see the characters again after the series ended even on DVD .So bottom line - if you didn't watch Firefly, you probably won't get it, may not like it very much, and you might be confused why there are such great reviews. If you did watch Firefly first and liked it , you'll love Serenity and you'll have a great ride!

galactic war with the Alliance, try to eke out a living with shady deals.Even before opening credits conclude, we know and like the Captain, the lovely bad guy, the rebel without a cause. The woman we've seen since she was a victimised child has a temporary haven and our hearts; but she's such a big liability it's in everyone's interests to kill her. Futuristic settings look convincing, dialogue is sharp and gritty, and acting is played for adults. There's no shortage of excellent special effects and superb characterisation. Writer-director Joss Whedon's method of dry humour keeps it crackling – mostly by stating the obvious line and then turning it on its head. One fist-happy member of the crew remarks, "I'll kill a man in a fair fight," then adds, " . . . or if I think he's gonna start a fair fight." When a scene could look excessively reminiscent of a Star Wars light-sabres duel, the Captain pulls out the only weapon he has – a tiny knife – to do battle with an enormous sword. Sexual innuendos are fair game – one female crew member complains it's ages since she's had anything between her legs that didn't need batteries. For monsters, the Serenity crew face the horror of the Reavers, cannibalistic half-humans that attack with incredible frenzy.Having been knifed by Fox for making a superb TV series, Joss Whedon and the cast deserve a round of applause for getting Serenity made at all. Artistic freedom in America doesn't come cheap, and the original series was far too hedonistic for a family values USA. Fans bought up the DVDs in such numbers that studios couldn't afford to ignore the dollar signs. Whedon is a brilliant writer and his cast have done the characters justice. Serenity is a great sci-fi action film that is well worth seeing.Shortcomings? Firefly was a very ambitious project and is hard to live up to. It was low on special effects but high on emotional drama and moral challenges that kept you thinking. It wasn't just the 'sci-fi' angle that pulled people in. With Zoe and Wash, the 'couple' on the ship, she outranks him and is also much smarter, posing a challenge to his macho image. Inara Morena Baccarin is the most controversial character of all: she is a 'companion' – a highly trained, highly qualified escort, commanding respect and attention almost like ancient geishas. She is the 'VIP' onboard and gets the captain and crew into places they would not be admitted and out of scrapes for which they lacked the finesse. In Serenity, Zoe and Wash just call each other 'Honey' all the time any ranking is minimised and Inara's role is completely dumbed down – sadly I thought, as it was mostly the dilemma of her character that got me hooked. A passing remark is made but her job is never explained - if you haven't seen the series you probably wouldn't know she was a 'lady of the night'. There is no attempt to challenge deep seated beliefs and stereotypes in the way that Firefly did and probably killed by Fox, who preferred action over psychological drama . But are Universal the good guys? They're a studio, and they need to make money if they're investing wads of it, so a film that will upset the 'moral right' of the USA is needlessly cutting profits in half.I challenged Joss Whedon at the premiere about maintaining the artistic integrity and vision of the original over the next three years, but he replied that everybody had taken pay cuts just to get it made. I don't doubt their dedication too much, but I don't want to see a formularised part three just because it's gotten out of their control or they've had to lower their sights. Unlike Fox, I could manage with one or two less spaceships and big action sequences if anything needs to be cut from the budget and more drama. I want someone probably not Universal to give Joss Whedon the money to make part two as in-your-face as Firefly was. I want a movie that prompts more questions than it provides answers. I want science fiction that stretches my brain, not just my eyeballs, that challenges convention and, most of all, makes use of the incredible talent that Whedon and his fabulous cast have between them. If not, given what they can do, they should jump ship for more independent funders, the way Boyle or Tarantino or even Ridley Scott did when they started. Firefly set the hearts and minds of fans alight with one of the best science fiction stories ever made, a story that asked questions without giving simple answers, a bold excursion that breathed life into well-worn starwars tales, adult drama that wasn't afraid to upset people. Serenity has more action, more battles, more spaceships, but manages not to ruffle the waters of universal conservatism. Ironically, given the ultimate plot, one wonders if the civilising influence has not been overdone. It's such an enjoyable and well-made movie that it's nitpicky to say this, but in the welter of enthusiasm it could get lost. Keep fingers crossed and fanmail pressure up, to ensure a trilogy not only sees the light, but lets the light of inspiration shine stronger than studio doctrine.

series, but if you enjoy well-made sci-fi, then you'll love this cool little movie.