"Serenity" review roundup

South Florida.com: While Serenity will play like a masterpiece to devoted fans of Firefly, outsiders are likely to have a few problems with it. Most glaring is the dialogue, which tries a little too hard to be Old West. But in its own unassuming, self-effacing way, Serenity is the epic sci-fi adventure that the latter years of Star Wars could only dream of being.

Associated Press:...a spirited mix of the familiar and the futuristic, of fast-paced chase scenes and butt-kicking brawls, of witty banter and well-drawn characters.

Ohio State University Lantern: The adaptation of the TV show "Firefly" written and directed by Joss Whedon tries to cover all bases. The action/sci-fi/drama/adventure/comedy is much like a track star trying to run a 400, a relay, and poll vault all at once - it is just too much.

...a majority of the movie the audience is left wondering what exactly is the purpose.

Knight Ridder...sharp writing and well-drawn characters mean you can enjoy it even if you don't like those genres. And even if, like me, you don't have a history with the characters.

...There's lots of other stuff floating around in "Serenity," including an anti-mood-altering drug theme that is either an indictment of Prozac or a shout-out to Tom Cruise, a "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" joke and a speech about how one country shouldn't meddle in another country's business.

There's snappy dialogue, and the performances are sharp (Chiwetel Ejiofor, so magnetic in "Four Brothers," brings another villain to life), but Whedon is a better writer than director. Although he shapes individual moments well, he hasn't assembled them into a movie that will satisfy anyone who comes to "Serenity" without having seen "Firefly."

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