Firefly

Serenity (2005)

The directorial debut of pop genius Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel"), this big-screen adaptation of his "Firefly" series is the best space opera since the first two Star Wars movies and one of the most criminally neglected entertainments of the last decade. Had it been cursed with a gluttonous budget, a raft of "stars," and the requisite McDonalds tie-ins, it would have made a quarter-billion dollars. Instead, it made about a tenth as much—but is a much better movie for it.