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So, with Serenity serving so well as a season finale for Firefly, will viewers unfamiliar with the 'verse even get it? I believe so. The story is well explained and complete. The special effects are spot-on. The action is well done and the pace is fast moving and relentless. While pleasing fans, Serenity is also a solid sci-fi film that stands on its own. But still, non-fans may at times feel like they're viewing a season finale without having seen the rest of the season—not because they won't get the story but because they won't know the characters.

This is comparable to how I've felt about Star Trek films—I get the movies and enjoy them, but I know that there are jokes and poignant moments that would mean more if I knew the characters as well as fans do. However, that's just the way it has to be because Whedon only has two hours to deal with nine characters. Some of them get pushed to the sidelines as one-dimensional caricatures and cameos. This means new viewers may not understand why we'd care so much about these people. And that caring is key when the film drops them into an Aliens-like meat grinder and asks you to care about what happens next.

When River (Summer Glau) begins behaving oddly, strange events develop

As the crew of Serenity (the ship, not the movie) tries to figure out what is wrong with River and discover what the Alliance wants with her, the film tackles some poignant themes such as: What makes us human? Would a world without sin be any better? Can you ever do good by doing evil?

When it comes right down to it, this is a movie about a leader who has to make tough decisions—without really knowing if they are the right ones or not. Like Han Solo, Mal pretends to be heartless, but his heart gets in the way every time. He loves his ship and his crew, but he also knows what has to be done for the greater good. In these times, he sticks to his personal honor—the only moral code a man angry at God has. He believes he is doing the right thing, and the film seems to tell us that as long as you are true to that belief, all is well.

While God is mostly absent in all the film's talk of sin, leadership, evil, and belief, the story does have enough thematic weight to lead to good discussions. It also has enough "wow" moments to keep you thinking, smiling and getting jazzed up long after viewing. However, the one thing it doesn't have is the TV show's theme song. That means—you guessed it—no sing-alongs.

Talk About It

1. What does Mal's example in this film say about leadership? What core values seem to dictate the decisions Mal makes? How does Mal's leadership on his ship resemble a pastor's role in a church?
   
   
2. What do you think the movie is saying about what makes us human? Do you agree? Why or why not?
   
   
3. Mal seems to maintain that a "sinless world" is impossible because of what it would mean for our humanity. What do you think of that connection? Would a sinless world be a bad thing? Would it mean we would be less than ourselves? And what does this mean for heaven—a place of no sin?
   
   
4. What do you think the movie is saying about belief? What role does belief have in the character arc of Mal? Of the unnamed operative? What do you make of Book's line, "I don't care what you believe. Just believe in it." Do you believe that?
   
   
5. Do you think the unnamed operative is evil? Why or why not? Can we do evil as long as our intentions are for eventual good?

The Family Corner

Serenity is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense violence and action and some sexual references, but it should be treated as an R-rated film because of the level of disturbing and shocking violence. The barbarian Reavers, while not much worse than the Orcs from Lord of the Rings, do make the film at times brutal. Lots of people are killed—even by the good guys. The "sexual references" include explicit comments from a woman about her sexual frustration and one scene of a couple kissing and then falling to the floor off-camera.

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