Well, that was not what I expected.

It was better.

So, a couple of honest admissions up front. First, I was really afraid that the movie was going to lose a lot of the charm of the series because it had to introduce the characters in the first 20 minutes. That took at least 3 hours of TV episodes in the series. Second, when I read the Salon review, I was pretty concerned about some of the particulars.

In the end, though, all those fears were unfounded. I think the film tilted a little in favor of fans of the series, meaning that some details about the characters won’t seem as authentic to newcomers. That’s a tough balancing act, but I think Whedon and company chose well. There were some noticeable differences in the characters which I won’t go into now. It all makes sense and not much will ruin this series if it ever comes back to the little screen (please, pretty please, someone pick it up!).

By the way, if you’ve been watching the previews or the sneak peeks on the Sci-Fi channel, they didn’t give away much. Most of the funny lines your remember from the previews happen in the first 20 minutes or so of the flick and the rest is fresh. So, keep watching the sneak previews and the trailers… you’re not getting the best of the film.

The Salon review also mentioned that one character’s death will hit regular fans of the series pretty hard. That’s an understatement. Seriously, my jaw was hanging half open for a good five minutes after. It’s not just who dies, but how. It’s good, though, that they’re not afraid to kill off key characters… it was probably the least predictable moment in the film.

Speaking of predictable, let’s move on to some of my criticisms. The movie is as predictable as a TV episode because, well, it has to be. I mean, beyond the unexpected death or two, the good guys prevail, they have some great luck, a crazy clever plan, and, oh yeah, River does something spectacular. It’s not ho hum, so much as it isn’t all that suspenseful. In fact, it’s the Whedon style that keeps the movie entertaining: the quips, the little twists, and skillful usage of the full cast. It’s basically like the old James Bond movies, if you know what I mean.

Overall, though, this is highly recommended. Even Heidi, who wasn’t a fan of the original series, enjoyed it. It’s not everything I was hoping for and had some small flaws, but I loved it. Go see it.

Rating: 7.5/10

Update: If you want to be scared off, check out the photos on Flickr from folks that attended the many premiere parties.