Firefly

I was wrong. I’m a browncoat. (Serenity now.)

In this blog, I’m Trying to Like Joss Whedon, I expressed some hesitations on my part about Firefly.

Since writing that entry, I’ve finished watching the rest of the series on DVD and have seen "Serenity" in theaters.

I’ll admit it... I was wrong to doubt.

If you’re a fan of Star Wars, you really owe it to yourself to check out the Serenity movie. Unless, of course, you don’t like adventure, excitement, laughter and fun.

There were some bumpy parts, parts that felt a little small screen, and a handful of places that count on prior knowledge, but man... I don’t recall ANYONE having made such an attempt at the swashbuckling space western since 1977. Plus, this film is infused with humor and it took some serious, serious risks that made the last act far more impactful than one would expect.

I’ll take back the "everyone is Han Solo" comment too. Writing intelligent characters is very, very hard... and it’s done well here. The dialect adds extra layers and enjoyment.

My main complaint? I love the theme song from the TV show! It’s the reason I was willing to keep watching episodes. I had to wait until the very end of the credits to get a hint of it in a somber-ish accoustic guitar rendition. I know there were great reasons not to put it up front, but I’d have been grateful for the theme to appear in the score now and again.

Well done, Joss. You’ve earned a new fan.

(Now I have sooo many questions — What’s the deal with all the Eastern lettering and speaking?)