Serenity

Serenity opened last weekend and it's a fun film. Think space opera with wild west attitude. The movie has a built in cult following of fans of the TV series Firefly. The movie picks up where the cancelled television show left off, but can be enjoyed without ever having seen the show. I've never seen the TV show myself. The film has a lot of action and plenty of laughs. There's potential for a sequel built into the ending. I think creator Joss Whedon will find himself with a movie series or an offer to revive the TV show if Serenity does well enough. Let's hope so. 3 1/2 stars.

Also over the weekend I watched The Machinist starring Christian Bale. The movie is dark, disturbing, and in my opinion, okay, but not great. The most disturbing thing about it is Bale's emaciated character. The actor lost 63 pounds for the role, dropping to about 120 pounds stretched over his six foot frame. In the shirtless shots he looks like he has severe anorexia. In the movie you're basically watching his character, an insomniac who says he hasn't slept for a year, fall apart mentally. Many shots have a deliberately grey, washed out coloration and the depressing mood never really shifts. 2 1/2 stars, mostly for Bale's great acting.