Serenity

Where: Theaters everywhere.

When: Opens today.

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense violence and action, and some sexual references.

Running time: 119 minutes.

Bottom line: The scruffy crew from TV's "Firefly" gets a second chance to be heroes in this movie follow-up.

I only saw one episode of the science-fiction series "Firefly" during its brief run in 2002 and 2003 (15 episodes were produced, but only 11 aired). I liked what I saw, between the rugged "space Western" attitude and the always-kicky dialogue of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon.

With that in mind, I feel I can judge Whedon's movie continuation of the "Firefly" story, "Serenity," from the vantage points of the novice and the dedicated fanboy - and this energetic space saga works exceedingly well from both perspectives.

Whedon begins by cleverly setting the scene in several directions at once. He orients us to the overarching political landscape (the "civilized" Alliance planets, colonized by earthlings, trying to rein in the rebellious Independents on the outskirts of a solar system) and introduces a pivotal character, River (Summer Glau), a mentally disturbed teen with psychic abilities and the combat skills of a small army.

River is busted out of an Alliance military lab by her brother, Simon (Sean Maher), and the two hide out on board the rebel spaceship Serenity, with Simon paying their way by offering the crew his services as a doctor. Serenity's captain, Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds (Nathan Fillion, who could easily be the next Harrison Ford) begins to doubt the wisdom of that deal when he discovers that a ruthless Alliance operative (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, the charismatic star of "Dirty Pretty Things") is trailing River - and that River carries a dangerous secret that may bring down the Alliance.

For newcomers, "Serenity" offers a solid science-fiction story with plenty of twists, a salting of good humor and a crew of engaging characters. For people familiar with the show, the development of the characters - like Mal's tempestuous relationship with the courtesan Inara (Morena Baccarin) - feels natural and authentic, and there are some surprises along the way.

Everybody from the series - including Mal's second-in-command Zoe (Gina Torres), her navigator husband Wash (Alan Tudyk), plucky engineer Kaylee (Jewel Staite), musclebound mercenary Jayne (Adam Baldwin) and enigmatic preacher Shepherd Book (Ron Glass) - is back, and the actors' season together on TV has honed their rapport neatly.

Whedon's two great talents are in creating a believable mythology for his characters and in writing whip-smart dialogue. With "Serenity," Whedon gives us a ragtag crew looking for a mission after being on the losing side of a civil war, and provides fearsome enemies in the oppressive Alliance forces and the cannibalistic Reavers. The dialogue is particularly compelling, as Whedon replaces "Buffy's" pop-culture savvy (it is 500 years in the future) with a retro-futuristic lingo that's somewhere between Buck Rogers and Huckleberry Finn.

Whether this is your first trip or you're a charter passenger, "Serenity" is a wild ride - and, if things work out, not the last.

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