Agree completely on the dialog. The home-spun-ness of it was more noticable on the big screen. Great lines, as we expect from Joss. It was wonderful to spend more time with those characters.

Story tied up a lot of plot-lines while avoiding the typical clumsiness in a tying-up-plotlines kind of movie (see SW 1, 2, & 3.). Masterful synopsis without-looking-like-a-synopsis in the beginning.

Joss's explanation of what this place is and where it is, does not bother me a bit. Obviously, terraforming is a lot easier to them (including gravity adjustment!) than it is for us. Joss declines to give us the technical specs because it is the story he is interested in (me too). (Hey: Verne was pretty vague on what powered Nemo's sub, as I recall. Something to do with the sun, and you could look at it.)

Maybe he killed off some characters because it is pretty unbelievable that they wouldn't lose anybody while going through what they go through on a regular basis. Just a thought. I really doubt that Joss did anything to promote his reputation as "serious director".