In Tino's defense, there is a lot of awkward dialogue. I mentioned this in my review - I really didn't care for the faux western stuff, especially when spewed by Kaylee (an otherwise very likable character). I enjoyed the movie despite no Firefly background, but the dialogue was a turn-off for me...
I never saw Firefly before I watched Serenity, and all I knew about it is that it was a sci-fi series. I had no problem at all figuring out the story. Heck, the opening scene spells out the scenario, and it's not difficult to follow the rest of it. Newbies lose some of the nuances, but I thought...