Serenity

First, as a response to the post below me, it's hard to understand the characters in the movie without having adequate experience with the show. The show is meant to be more a character drama, and the flick does a poor job of introducing you to the situation, so without this prior knowledge, it makes it hard to appreciate the plot. Serenity is of course the name of the ship, of type firefly. The Reavers are the mysterious enemy throughout the series, and until the film, we get no view of them, we only know that they eat people, and have no mercy or morals, and they are to be feared by everyone. This film is about knowledge. It parallels event happening in our world today. The alliance is trying to rule as an empire, while the space cowboys and pirates live under the radar and the rule. Sounds kind of like Star Wars eh? The finale is a commentary on how what we don't know CAN hurt us. Is it fair that a government make decisions about our welfare without our consent? How about going to war for reasons other that claimed? Trying to control an external population?

Read this: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html

Regardless of your political orientation, there are a few things worded in a such a manner that could allow the establishment of an empire, such as declaring martial law in a catastrophe, defined as an event of mass casualty that occurs anywhere in the world, or instating provisions for acquiring resources, i.e. take your money or land. The movie was done before this obviously, but things haven't changed much in history in how empires rise and fall, and any great piece of literature or media is timeless in comparison and utility.