Day 77: 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'

'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'

So I was supposed to see Suck here at Comic-Con on Day 77, since it was the only full Con screening I'd heard about prior to today, and practically the only movie I hadn't already seen within the San Diego city limits. Due to logistics (for some reason, it was still playing 7.2 miles away from the Convention Center), timing (running late as usual) and the good graces of Universal, I was able to see the highly anticipated (at least for fans of the comics and Shaun of the Dead) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World instead - three weeks prior to its wide release.

I'm not sure if reviews are embargoed, but, since I only have good things to say about it anyways, what the heck, how about a mini-appraisal...it's been a long day of fanboy shenanigans and awesomeness, perfectly capped by the screening of Scott. If you hoped that one day someone would throw "Guitar Hero," Mortal Kombat, Superbad and Some Kind of Wonderful into a blender, your prayers have been answered. Director Edgar Wright, stars Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and the rest of the team have crafted an intoxicatingly creative, frenetically paced adventure that's unlike anything you've ever seen before - and built for speed for those with the most severe cases of ADD.

It took me awhile to get a handle on what was happening onscreen, but by the end...I think I got it. The concept is simple. Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Boy must fight the league of evil exes (a.k.a. her seven ex-boyfriends). Oh, and boy is a rocker. Or at least he plays bass in a band that aspires to be rockers. Anything else in the story should be discovered. If you know the source text, and most of the Con preview crowd seemed fully in touch with it, then you're going to have a ball. If you're a typical layman, well, you'll still laugh and have your head spun. Cera's Cera, Winstead's winning, and Wright adds a lot of his jolt cola editing and quirky bits of humor - which hit and miss...and still hit.

A few more things on just the manic experience known as Comic Con, too, before I decompress from my claustrophobic headspace and journey back to the comparatively calmer grounds of Los Angeles. I've seen a lot of crazy stuff at the Con the last few years, but the mania only seems to be pitching ever upwards with each new season. It's always a mix of energy and exhaustion - but if you love comic books, fanboy flicks or just entertainment at its most frenzied - you have to see the Con at least once in your lifetime. This year was another rush, and among the things most etched in my fried brainwaves...Con-ers dressed up as Walter Hill's The Warriors (finally!), Michelle Rodriguez and Danny Trejo serving tacos to the masses at the Machete food truck, and most of all, Jeff Bridges kicking total ass in 8 minutes of never-before-seen footage of Tron: Legacy. Classic stuff. Con on, Comic-Con-ers, Con on. Now let me get the hell out of here before I faint.

Comic-Con folks and all others in the movie fandom universe - ready for Scott Pilgrim? Think it can live up to Wright's Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz? Or completely over Michael Cera's brand of absurdism? I love him and Zomblieland/Adventureland's Jesse Eisenberg, but I could stand to see them stretch some from their usual sensitive, wacky screen personas...

Tags: Michael Cera

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Day 77: 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'

By: cwalton on July 23, 2010 at 12:47AM Comments (14)

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