This was a clever story set in the 'verse that many of us Browncoats have come to know and love. While the movie had plot and technical flaws, it wasn't cheesy or unwatchable. And believe me when I say I can't watch bad acting. The script was written so as not to stretch the volunteer actors too far. And when they did get hammy the director was clever enough to have them refer to their bad scene as their character acting out of character. So the bad acting is made to work.
One of the problems with a fan movie like this is that the fans want to revel in the atmosphere of the source material. Where the original film, Serenity, and TV series, Firefly, only occasionally highlighted the culture, like companions and crew-as-family scenes, this movie is awash in both. There are companions everywhere and every scene with the crew is some kind of bonding or family support. This is what the fans loved about the series and in this film they overdo it.
The directing was effective. Almost every scene was done with a framed wide shot. A couple of lines needed close-ups so we could see the actor's expression to make the shot work. But every scene was in focus and the pacing was good. And a couple of scenes were downright high quality. The voice-over scene where the captain explains her motivations was excellent, for example.
The casting was excellent. The actors all appear to be cut from the same cloth as the characters they portray. The only mistake was casting the captain as a female tough guy. It just doesn't work. It's the same mistake they made in Cutthroat Island with Geena Davis. Without being too crude let's just say no one thinks that Heide Montag would be great in a street fight because of her overly developed upper body. We're asked to believe that here. (Just to be clear, there's no indication of plastic surgery on any of the cast.)
The special effects were well done. The pacing was good. The acting was acceptable, especially for volunteers. The story was an interesting addition to the Firefly 'verse. All in all a good and commendable effort. And especially worthwhile as a means to donate to some excellent charities.
