SERENITY (2005) 3 stars out of 4. Starring Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, Adam Baldwin, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, Summer Glau and Ron. Glass. Written and directed by Joss Whedon. Rated PG-13. Running time: Approx. 120 mins.

       Fans of the short-lived Fox series Firefly will not be disappointed with Serenity, the big-screen version of Joss Whedon's science-fiction show.

        And fans of space operas in general will enjoy this rousing adventure that is laced with acerbic humor.

        Writer-director Joss Whedon has structured the movie so that even if you never watched the series, you can easily pick up what is going on, and who is who among the crew of the cargo ship, Serenity.

        The story is set in the future and centers around the Universal Alliance, which seeks to bring order to a group of planets settled by pioneers who left an overcrowded Earth years before.

        Of course many of the outlying planets prefer to govern themselves without Alliance interference, which led to war, rebellion and chaos.

        Amongst all this intrigue Capt. Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and the crew of the Serenity try to eke out a living as best they can — sometimes resorting to smuggling and other activities considered outside the law.

        Basically, the movie explains the origins of two of Serenity's passengers who are carry-overs from the TV series, Simon (Sean Maher), the ship's doctor, and his rather strange sister, River (Summer Glau), who possesses some unique abilities.

        Without giving away too much of the plot, the movie does explain the origins of the cannibalistic Reavers, and creates situations for movie sequels — or even a return to series television.

        Serenity is exciting. It moves at a brisk pace, and Whedon has a wonderful ear for dialogue — a fact already well-known to fans of this series, as well as his Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff, Angel.

        The movie is primarily escapism, overloaded with action. Mixed in, however, is a rich vein of humor, exemplified by the bantering between the various crew members.

        It is obvious that this small band of space travelers are a family; they argue, bait each other, snipe and fight, but when a crisis arises, they band together as one.

        The advantage Whedon brings to the movie is that these characters already are established, so the feature doesn't need waste too much time on exposition.

        Serenity is a blast, a fun space Western that offers a few surprises, some cliffhanging suspense and a galaxy of entertainment.

        Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bob@bloomink.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal and Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com or at the Internet Movie Database Web site: www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom