Movies: Star Wars and Serenity

Fate handed me a unique opportunity yesterday: the office was going to Star Wars on the same day as the Serenity pre-screening, so I could catch both in less than twelve hours. I must admit, Star Wars was better than I thought it was going to be. The actor playing the Emperor stole the show, and the last 45 minutes were pretty damn good (although the first 45 - I've seen better acting and dialogue in after-school specials).

Serenity I tried to approach with little expectation. The fans surrounding the show I used to consider cute and glad they were dedicated, but I'm beginning to realize their fanaticism is kind of scary. The movie - good, almost great. It played like a 2-hour episode of the show with more of a budget. I'm afraid that broader audiences just aren't going to get it, and the show won't go back on TV where it belongs. There were some great one-liners, and it reiterated my belief that the Serenity/Firefly universe would make an excellent RPG (cough cough), and all around I would certainly pay to see it again in the theaters, but I'm afraid it lacks what the common popcorn-munching moviegoer wants.