Shiny.

I like a man who grins when he fights.
– Winston Churchill

Serenity's a curious creature: equal parts love letter and thank-you card to the legions of devoted Firefly fans who supported the franchise through thick and thin, it simultaneously aspires to and fears mainstream acceptance. While box-office success (which never materialized) would have rejuvenated the franchise's chances at a second life, the creative steps necessary to achieve that kind of success might have compromised the integrity of the project. Given that it was, in a very real way, the love and devotion of the fan community which held this project together, it's no surprise that Whedon & co. chose to remain 100% faithful to the source material.

Serenity is essentially a two-hour, high-octane episode of the show and functions as a rapid-fire summation of roughly a season-and-a-half of material. Whedon could be forgiven for glossing certain things over and omitting a few plot threads in his frantic attempt to tie the series up but it's a testament to his skill as a writer that the story not only coheres but unfolds in a precise, poetic way. The scenes are dense and layered with meaning, but never feel cluttered.

IMDb voters have ranked Serenity as #46 on the "Top 50 Sci-Fi movies" list, right behind E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Appropriate, since both movies are sheathed in a certain kind of magic and are myths unto themselves.