Serenity (2005)
Don't know how much I missed, having never seen the TV show "Firefly," but Joss Whedon's cinematic debut seemed fine to me. I'm sure that a passing familiarity with the characters may have filled in some of the narrative choppiness in the opening half-hour, but once the waters settled Serenity turns into a solidly entertaining sci-fi yarn, leavened with both the snark and the heart that have become Whedon's stock in trade. The committed ensemble (including guest star Chiwetel Ejiofor, skewing his natural sardonicness darker than usual) helps matters; the 'leaf on the wind' scene is arguably superior to any setpiece in the three Star Wars prequels, probably because it maintains its unassuming nature even as it thrills.
Grade: B
Don't know how much I missed, having never seen the TV show "Firefly," but Joss Whedon's cinematic debut seemed fine to me. I'm sure that a passing familiarity with the characters may have filled in some of the narrative choppiness in the opening half-hour, but once the waters settled Serenity turns into a solidly entertaining sci-fi yarn, leavened with both the snark and the heart that have become Whedon's stock in trade. The committed ensemble (including guest star Chiwetel Ejiofor, skewing his natural sardonicness darker than usual) helps matters; the 'leaf on the wind' scene is arguably superior to any setpiece in the three Star Wars prequels, probably because it maintains its unassuming nature even as it thrills.
Grade: B
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