Beam me up, Buffy

Joss Whedon, the man behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, makes his film directing debut with this sci-fi adventure, and those who liked Firefly (his other cult TV series from which this is a spin-off) will leap on it with some avidity.

Set in a futuristic galaxy, it has the eccentric crew of a broken-down spaceship fighting a planetary alliance dedicated to inventing a system of government akin to paternalistic fascism.

The screenplay is couched in antiquated Star Trek-like dialogue, spoken by a cast that includes Nathan Fillion (and others from the TV series) in a way which suggests they really think it meaningful.

The only one who convinces is Chiwetel Ejiofor as the chief villain. The rest is special effects and action as the lumbering spaceship tries to survive the assaults upon it. Fans will be pleased and it might make a few converts.

Serenity
Cert: cert15