Scott Pilgrim

I was lucky enough too see this film during a test preview to an audience that weren't told what we were about too see. I was honestly expecting some odd film that really needed a lot of help but i was pleasantly surprised with how great this movie was.

The movie had everyone laughing, and i mean everyone, I've been too almost every Wright film and somehow the audience wasn't as amused as i was, but this time everyone loved it. I've never heard so much laughter in one cinema.

The jokes were fast and although silly, they weren't stupid which made for quite an enjoyable film. Wright's trademark quick cuts, and simple comedy made this film, i personally think if it were directed by anyone else it wouldn't have had the same effect.

The characters were well written and performed, every individual character fitted perfectly. The film had many scenes that were quite pointless but still quite funny for example the Seinfeld scene.

Apparently its based on a comic book series? I've never heard of them before but i certainly will look out for them now. If you're a fan of Edgar Wrights films or just good silly humour you will love this film.

Great comedy, definitely the best of 2010 8/10 Morgan

"Scott Pilgrim" is one of the most creative, fresh and original films I have seen in ages, and because of that I was in absolute awe of the film. However, despite being a terrific film, I also understand that this is NOT a film that will appeal to everyone--in fact, it's probably one of the more polarizing films I have ever seen--you'll probably either love it or hate it. While I am NOT in the target demographic group (aged 15-30 and predisposed to loving graphic novels AND video games), I did enjoy it--and am probably the rare 40-something person who loved the film. What was different about me is that I am a geek (a definite plus), enjoy video games and have a rabid comic book fan for a daughter--so I understood many of the pop culture references throughout the film. But, if you are NOT a geek, hate video games and see graphic novels more as comic books, then the movie might be a chore to watch. Plus you might just feel ooky hanging out with geeks. Don't worry, they are almost all very nice people!

So what, other than originality, did I love about this film? Well, just about everything--and I seriously considered giving the film a 10--I liked it that much. Perhaps the best thing for me was casting of Michael Cera in the lead. Unlike the traditional super-hero, he is by far the geekiest and most likable main character I have seen. Seeing such a wimpy and unassuming guy become, out of no where, like a character from Mortal Combat was a wonderful juxtaposition--you just couldn't help but smile. And, despite his nerdy looks, he was winning as Scott Pilgram...and actually played the music his on-screen band played--now that's talent. Additionally, I loved the film's gentle sense of humor---I laughed harder at this film than any film I've seen in the theater in some time. I could try to describe these moments--you just need to see them for yourself. Odd references to games like DOA, Mortal Combat, Marvel Vs. Capcom and Zelda II were great--I caught on to those due to my own geeky background. And, my familiarity with anime/manga also made me laugh--as the hair, love for girls in school uniforms and style were often straight out of Japanese comics. And, I loved how the film made me love video games and was simply much, much more fun that the original "Tron" (which I always felt was too dry--perhaps the new version will correct this).

Clever, wonderful and strange, this film is the geek's dream come true...and not a film to be missed. However, if you aren't a geek or are perhaps too old to get the pop references, I say take along an interpreter--many comic book nerds and couch potatoes would be glad to go with you and help explain things...provided you pay for the tickets.

Among the nearly 9000 reviews I have now done on IMDb, this ranks in the hallowed ranks of a very small group of movies that transcended the pack due to its utter weirdness. It's surreal and weird--and I think this makes it very special. For other films that fall into this category, try "The Happiness of the Katikuris", "Delicatessen", "Yes Nurse, No Nurse", "Tatie Danielle" and "Tampopo"--all truly unique, surreal and fabulous films.

Teenager problems (find yourself, get real, etc.) might not give anything to people considering themselves mayor adults, but consider this is a movie built on arcade video gaming motifs, I don't think it concerns mayor adults at all in the first place. I for one did not necessarily long for dark moral drama in this particular movie at all, I think the story was just about right for this movie, but you decide, if this is childish watch Haneke.

Now for the rest: Surprisingly, Scott Pilgrim features the best martial arts scenes in years. Every fight is choreographed and executed in the most awesome ways and the fact that it's not Jet Lee pulling off these moves makes it even more fun to watch. And you get the fights absolutely frequently which is really, really satisfying. The editing is incredibly skillful as probably the most crucial element that makes this work. It gives the movie an incredible rhythm, reaching new levels of dynamism and the use of CGI and the visual design is plain fantastic. The amount of creativity put into this part is mind- blowing, resulting genuine and most original style. The cast is cool and I don't think anyone should look for academy material here. I liked these kids and they suit the movie.

So, all together I found Scott Pilgrim being one of the most original, exciting and fun productions I've seen in my life. As a huge fan of things like fighting games, comics, or martial arts anime I felt satisfied to a point of screaming 'awesome' out loud after 30 minutes into the movie. Though people who never played Street Fighter or kept crossing fingers for Goku and friends yelling 'kamehameha' as evil bosses get pulverized by energy beams might not really get what Scott Pilgrim is about, it's very hard to deny the originality featured and the creative and professional qualities of the way it's executed.

Fantastic! 8/10

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a twenty-something slacker living in Toronto, who basically leeches off his friends. Despite being in a "relationship" with Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), he keeps dreaming about another girl. He quickly finds out this dream girl, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), is actually quite real, and decides to pursue her. But before they can truly become the couple Scott hopes for, he has to defeat her seven evil exes.

I did not think it was possible, but Edgar Wright has fairly successfully brought Bryan Lee O'Malley's epic graphic novel series to the big screen in the most uniquely entertaining way possible. It is his first adapted work, but it feels every bit as fresh (I use that word very loosely) as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz did upon their initial releases. It deviates from the books a bit (much like Matthew Vaughn's excellent adaptation of Kick-Ass earlier this year), but the majority of the film stays true to the series and gives the fans everything they might expect from a Scott Pilgrim film. Right after the film opening with an 8-bit Universal logo and score, you know you are in for a treat.

What propels Wright's epic and inspired vision is the editing style. All of the little idiosyncrasies, background/foreground items and ideas, everything that made O'Malley's books so revered in the graphic novel community are all in full force here. Some shots in the trailers suggest the comic book-style feel of the film, with the sounds of the actions appearing as words on-screen and the video game-related pop-ups appearing the same way they would in the game. But that is only the start. The entire film is filled with them, and with references to numerous pop culture entities (specifically video games), to the point that it looks and sounds like a ridiculously enhanced motion comic or game. Add to that the quick cuts and multiple panel style of the format, and you have the closest film representation of a comic since Robert Rodriguez attacked Frank Miller's Sin City.

Even with all the nods and references to the original work, Wright's film still feels very much his own work. He makes Scott Pilgrim's epic quest to defeat Ramona's exes into an understated work you will likely not see replicated too soon. After seeing Christopher Nolan's Inception just under a week ago, I did not think that mainstream Hollywood would release something so blazingly original and something so astonishly unique so close together. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is not nearly as strong a film as Nolan's masterpiece is, but Wright has clearly given it his all here. He has sidestepped away from following the lead of other comic book/graphic novel-style films, and has created something he can truly be proud of. The visuals on display are simply remarkable, and are worth the price of a ticket all on their own. The musical choices are even better. If you have seen the trailers, you are merely only getting a hint for what Wright has in store for you here.

If I do have an issue, it is that the film is a little too exposition-heavy in the first half, and way too jumpy in the second. It never loses its tone or its style, but it becomes all too blatantly obvious where the books stop and the deviation begins. The pacing here is also a touch off, and on further research, thoroughly suggests there is material missing or altered from the final cut of the film. I understand that Wright and his co-writer Michael Bacall wanted to set-up the story and where it plans on going for the few who venture into the film without having read a single issue, but there is too much detail given in those early scenes, and not enough to pivotal moments later in the film.

Another gripe, although it is one I hope will be less bothersome on repeat viewings, is that a good chunk of the characters feel incredibly underused. The books are stacked to the brim with an eclectic mix of supporting characters, who are present in the film, but they feel very stunted and get absolutely no development. Kim Pine (Alison Pill) is a very important character in the books, but she merely appears in the background here and delivers some of the best dialogue. Wallace Wells (the absolutely incredible scene-stealer Kieran Culkin) is the moral centre and source of an incredible amount of exposition, but he is barely in the film after the first half. Envy Adams (Brie Larson) almost feels like an extended cameo as opposed to an indispensible figure in Scott's character development. But then, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh and especially Jason Schwartzman all deliver stunning performances as three of Ramona's exes, despite the lack of time on-screen.

Cera on the other hand, is perfect as Pilgrim. The character plays a little too close to his stereotypical neurotic and off-centre archetype, but it works out beautifully here. He makes the character real, and brings a depth to Scott Pilgrim that no other young actor could. He has the right look and the right sound down pat. It was a little weird to see him get so physical in some sequences, but this is a vintage fit for Cera. Although they are downplayed more than I liked, Winstead and Wong are great as Ramona and Knives. They both have a certain edge throughout the film, and even at its most ridiculous, deliver strong performances. It helps too that they have insanely good chemistry with Cera.

I jumped at the idea of an advanced screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and I do not regret seeing the film in the slightest. It is a bit of a niche movie, but it is one that is lovingly made through and through.

8/10.

(An extended review also appeared on http://www.geekspeakmagazine.com).

Honestly, I didn't even know what the story was about when I started the movie. At first it felt kind of random, like everything was happening all over the place with no clear reason, but then it started to make me laugh and I got into it. My favorite scene was when Knives came looking for Scott and he jumped straight out the window to avoid her, that moment really cracked me up.

It's a movie that doesn't take itself seriously at all, and I liked that crazy energy and style. The characters were unique and the editing was fast and fun to watch. Overall, it was entertaining and funny, even if it felt weird sometimes.