Serenity, a Western-esque sci-fi flick replete with comedic one-liners, inspirational speeches and mediocre special effects – all from the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – should have been an absolute disaster.

Instead, it’s funny, sophisticated and extremely entertaining.

Based on the failed TV series Firefly, Joss Whedon’s Serenity features the entire original Firefly cast, flying once again as the crew of the spaceship Serenity some 500 years in the future.

Apparently our future is a Western one, in which Capt. Malcom “Mal” Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his crew of rag-tag mercenaries are determined to keep a mentally unstable 17-year-old psychic away from the Alliance, a mega-authoritarian organization.

Sound complicated? It is, but Whedon’s brand of intricate and outrageous storytelling works beautifully. The wealth of detail is never boring and the often fast-paced action is never overwhelming. Especially impressive is the movie’s opening sequence, in which the narrative takes some truly creative turns.

The characters are complex, funny, and sophisticated. Mal is the perfect action hero: a charming cowboy who is just conflicted enough to be interesting. Kaylee (Jewel Staite) is hilarious as the ship’s earnest, caring, and apparently sexually frustrated mechanic. It’s the great chemistry among these actors that is most notable, though.

But aside from being a truly good and smart movie, Serenity is also just incredibly fun to watch. The special effects, while nothing special, are convincing enough to support some legitimately thrilling moments. A fair amount of artistic camera play does well in enhancing some of the movie’s climactic moments.

Serenity is not just any action-adventure movie – it’s sure to become a cult classic.

– Theresa Bowman