Serenity - 7

The previews almost kept me from seeing this film. Because the film is genre-less, or rather a mash up of a few genre's the preview can't really get at what makes this film good. As someone who has not seen the show, Firefly, that it is based on, I still think it is good film (It seems the shows fans liked it even more). Part western, part noir, part sci-fi, part comedy, this film is about a small space crew that is basically trying to survive in a vast universe that is run by The Alliance. The plot development is very well done, just when you think its going to get boring a plot twist comes in that changes the whole story up to that point. What I found as the most interesting thing about the film was its use of good and evil. Most films of this sort can easily get away with a very distinct difference, showing evil in dark light and the hero looking all bright like an angel or something. This film on the other hand shows the gray area of each of the characters, some a darker shade than others. Rather than just sticking to the ying/yang view or that good prevails, well..."That sells more tickets, I think?", this film shows a battle where good might not be some abstraction in the fight, but in the characters along with their less admirable characteristics. One thing I noticed was the use of the idea of sin, which tends to be avoided by Hollywood. Sin implies some sort of personal responsibility. Evil is merely a cancer that takes over your entire body, which means death is better (that's why Arnold can get away with massacres, sort of nihilistic). Although sin is bad it points to the belief in some good that gives meaning and is worth living and dying for.
The acting is well done and it is nice to see a film that is not based on star power, no famous names to look for. The dialogue does a good job of staying between the serious and the hilarious. A film that is both fun to watch and good for discussion.