Serenity offers what the Star Wars prequels failed to deliver

I am blown away. I knew I would like Serenity if only the movie held mostly true to the show. But this reincarnation of Firefly truly deserves to become the next great sci-fi franchise.

It offers everything the Star Wars prequels lacked in abundance:

1. Characters to care about.
   I know I was supposed to care about Anakin and Amidala and the rest, but ultimately I couldn't give a rat's hinney. I loved Leia, Han, Luke, Chewie, and the rest in the originals, and I wanted to love the new gang, but I was never given a reason to. Not so with Serenity. These are lovable characters with strengths and flaws and honest sympatheticness. Their choices have consequences that make them important. They are the regular folk, just trying to keep flying, not wanting to be heroes, not wanting to change the universe (anymore). But they're put in those 'verse-changing situations and are forced to make hard choices.


2. Real-life grit.
   Remember in the original trilogy how the Millenium Falcon was dirty and half the time failed to jump to lightspeed? Lucas forgot the tactile grittiness when he made the prequels, but Joss Whedon didn't. Serenity, the ship, stays in the air with spit and love and the talent of a natural whiz mechanic. There is grease and grime and tangibility because of it. It feels real. And that goes for the rest of the 'verse. It is engrossingly realized. There's none of this one planet, one ecosystem simplicity of, say, Hoth or Dagobah. Joss' vision never lacks complexity. It feels homey and lived in.


3. Good writing.
   There's nothing like Joss dialogue. It's witty and real and intelligent. It mixes the old with the new and the invented. It feels natural, unlike the heavy-handed dialogue of the prequels. Even the original Star Wars films were critiqued for their clunky writing. Serenity sparkles in its writing, and the characters shine because of it.


4. High excitement and tension.
   Maybe it was just me, but I was falling asleep during the prequels. The opposite was true with Serenity. The second time I saw Serenity, the film seemed to fly by me. I tensely held my husband's hand both times, holding my breath during particularly gripping scenes. The fact that there are real consequences for our crew mean that the tension holds true. It builds to a point where I truly wondered whether my beloved heroes would make it out of this.


5. FUN.
   The movie's just plain fun to watch. It's a helluva ride, there are a number of surprises, and no shortage of humor.

Go see it. It is worth every penny. It is the most engrossing pulp adventure since 1980's The Empire Strikes Back. I should know. That was the last time I fell in love like this.