Reviews

I've seen many raving comments from fans of the TV series "Firefly" which this movie apparently is based on and figured one more balanced opinion from a non-fan would be of use to the IMDb community.

As we are informed in the opening sequence, this movie is set in a future in which humanity has left this solar system for a new one, having many inhabitable worlds. As is revealed throughout the movie, a war has been fought in which "The Alliance" emerged victorious. However, a divide still exists between Alliance worlds and those who would prefer independence. There is also an esoteric force in the system: Reavers, a tribe of space-faring "zombies".

The story picks up with the kidnapping of a girl from some military installation by her brother, the ship's doctor of starship "Serenity". We then follow the archetypal ragtag crew of "Serenity" as circumstances force them to take a stand against The Alliance.

The plot is nicely paced, picking up momentum at a comfortable rate with just the right amount of action sequences for an entertaining evening. Visual effects, which I find important for a sci-fi movie, don't push the edge but are sufficiently immersive. However, what makes this movie a gem is the intelligent and witty dialog which is unusual for the genre. The delivery of some lines is priceless. Furthermore, the characters are instantly likable and their interactions believable, particularly the crew's relationship with their captain, Mal (Nathan Fillion). Adam Baldwin's rendition of Jayne, the "dumb muscle" of the crew is flawless. Even the female characters are memorable which I find refreshing.

All in all, this movie is more action than sci-fi. The fact that it is set in space is secondary, stylistically it mainly draws on elements of the wild west. That being said, this is a movie that definitely will entertain.

This might quite possibly be the worst movie I have ever seen. I knew it was a B-movie before watching it (it was actually the reason for watching it), but I'd never thought it could be this bad. The title promises Dracula in space and does deliver, however, the story makes no real use of the fact that Casper van Dien's character is a descendant of Van Helsing. And watch out for the ending of the movie, it comes at you fast. I've never seen an ending scream out "And now we're over budget!" in a clearer fashion. Their resolution of the movie was rather comic though, the story had so obviously painted itself into a corner. If you feel you have to see it, watch it with a friend who shares your love of B-movies. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have made it to the end.

The story, which reminds me of awakening from a bad dream, makes for an interesting movie. The main character, Trevor Blackburn (Andras Jones), convicted for the murder of his fiancée, has been left in the care of psychiatrist Dr. Ek (Jeffrey Combs). As a result of Dr. Ek's treatment Trevor suffers amnesia. Viewer and main character alike are challenged with separating dream from reality as the main character pieces together his memories. There is an occult dimension in the movie but its significance is never elaborated in the open ended script. However, the script is elegant and leaves ample room for interpretation.

Rather disappointingly though, the atmosphere never builds dense enough to support the story. I blame this on the hallmarks of low budget production that shine through. Acting is wooden and the set decor and make up kitschy. There is not a single interesting camera angle throughout. However, the score is quite good, as was the opening credits.

Within the group of small budget horror movies I'd give this movie an eight, however, given that this is not a cult movie and there are so many better movies out there, I've settled on a 3.