Serenity

Thanks to television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, writer/director Joss Whedon has burst onto the big screen with an already established auteur status (one of the few from television). That's not to say that he's an established or serious artist yet, but a few films down the line with a more mature aesthetic, it's not beyond the realm of possibility. Whedon's primary strength, which is formidable, lies in his dialogue which crackles with more humor, wit, and sarcasm than any I've heard in a film in years. Based on the short lives series, Firefly, the begins and proceeds as if its world and characters have already been established -- perhaps a flaw in the film's design in that if one has not seen the show, then most of the characters come off as cleverly wise-cracking though superficial. Nathan Fillion is Capt. Mal Reynolds, a roguish scoundrel in the vain of the early, mercenery Han Solo. He's a principled atheist whose ethic consists of shooting first and asking questions later (if at all). He leads the crew of the space ship "Serenity" against the Allies -- an Imperial force with misguided, utopian dreams, as expressed by the film's interesting antagonist known as "The Operative", a self-professed ruthless murderer who crimes in the name of a better future. Also of note is River Tam, a young psychic girl who doesn't always have everything together (mentally speaking), though on ocassion bursts into martial arts moves the likes of which leave the entire patrongage of a local bar unconscious on the floor. It's a space western, that's easily one of the most enjoyable films of the year, or last couple of years for that matter. Ocasionally, Whedon shows some visual flair in his direction, but the film is rarely carried by its visuals, and mostly carried by its dialogue and interesting band of characters. I now want to go back and finish Firefly to see if adds to my appreciation of the film.