Firefly

Whether running from one threat to another, hanging on for dear life in the film’s numerous outer space skirmishes or arguing back and forth with pithy banter, the cast is clearly having a lot of fun with their respective roles and it shows on-screen.

In one scene early in the film, Reynolds and his crew are in the process of robbing a bank safe associated with the Alliance. After forcing their way into the practically empty safe, Zoe, Reynolds’ long-standing first mate, quips, "At last, we can retire and give up this life of crime."

These exchanges of terse, but genuine, comedic wisecracks are sprinkled throughout and lend a charming personality to the film. The characters in "Serenity" could easily have been written into any number of different genres and been just as endearing and memorable.

Whedon, who pulled double duty on the film as both the director and writer, is a creative genius. Juggling nine principal characters is no easy task, especially in a two-hour film. But Whedon’s script is so captivating and so balanced that not a second is wasted, especially as the tension is ratcheted up with each ensuing scene.

With witty dialogue, charming characters and captivating action scenes, "Serenity" accomplishes more than anyone thought it could. Whedon, his cast and his crew have served notice that, given a chance, their little film can sufficiently fill the void left in the science fiction genre.