She's no good to me dead

Serenity is well worth watching. It's a better science fiction movie than the Star Wars prequels (not saying much I know.) It was written and directed by the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which should be enough for some of you. I liked it for a number of reasons. For one, the bad guys are realistic. As they put it, they pursue evil in order to achieve a worthy (to them) goal. The main guy is appealling (if evil) and reminds me of an Iain M Banks Special Circumstances Operative. The good guys are a bunch of rogues cast adrift after a war they lost. They end up helping a woman with a secret. Said woman is pursued by the evil operative. Chaos ensues. It's important to note that although the movie is based on a tv show, I have yet to see it, but enjoyed the movie thoroughly.

For another, the special effects are limited, which means people are walking around real places or real sets, as opposed to green screen sets. It's amazing how much of a difference this makes. There are of course some space fights and some chases, but these are also limited which prevents the mind numbing effect of the recent Star Wars movies.

Finally the dialogue is nice. The characters talk like real people instead of sounding like high schoolers in a drama production. When someone begins talking pompously, someone else deflates them. It's minor but it adds to the enjoyment.