Laura and I saw Serenity this weekend, and it was very good. Since we both loved Firefly when we watched the whole (criminally short-lived) series on DVD, our expectations were high. Joss Whedon certainly did not disappoint (which was by no means certain). I tore through seven seasons of Buffy DVDs because of his masterful ability to convey all kinds of ideas, feelings, and emotions in a very direct and moving way through his characters, and his willingness to look hard at anything and everything, without pulling his punches. I loved Firefly for the same reason. Serenity was that same approach distilled down into two intense hours.

I definitely recommend watching the series first, since character-driven stories are more powerful the better you know the characters and you simply can't get the same level of connection in two hours as you can in the longer exposure of the series. That said, I was impressed by the way he introduced everyone and their relationships quickly but without feeling rushed, so I have no doubt that it would stand alone quite well. It's Whedon at his best.

The only downside was that it brought a sense of closure that the aborted series never had, which severely dampened that small glimmer of hope that someday, somehow, Firefly would return to be the many-season show it so richly deserved to be.