Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Okay this is pretty simple. Have you ever played a video game in your life? Go see this movie! Simple, right? Well it might not be that simple; you may have to be slightly more cognizant of video games to understand a few of the jokes, but that's not completely necessary. It's pretty accessible. This movie clinches me seeing any Edgar Wright movie in theaters for a long time. He has a helluva track record when it comes to cult classics, and this is surely destined to follow the footsteps of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz as an instant cult classic.

What I liked: The 8-bit nostalgia was a blast. Universal's theme music and logo were redone in the style of an old arcade game, which set the tone appropriately for the movie. The story was taken from the comic, but I'm not sure how much of the video game/cartoon/anime aspects of the movie were adapted over. It worked really well and it all came together in a really, really, really nerdy package. That's probably why it hasn't really broken it really big in the box office-- it's a nerdy movie. The characters were great and the effects were very fun. The world of Scott Pilgrim is certainly inspired by arcade games, which makes for a special blend of irony as no video game adaptation has yet to be of any quality at all, and Scott Pilgrim was first a comic book.

What I didn't like: I don't like how much my abs hurt from laughing at the hilarious parts to this movie. Really, it was good. I think that some parts may have dragged, but it was forgivable. Oh, the whole not using his extra life right away was kind of insulting to the nerdy audience; we know that it's coming, just use the *&)*% thing! It could have been done better, but that's one of the few things I didn't like in a movie that was eye candy for nerds.

Watch this if you liked: There aren't a lot of movies (like none) that this compares to. So instead, watch this if you think that all video game adaptations are missing out on a lot of the fun that the games they are based on have. I keep mentioning games, but don't think this is like watching someone else playing a game. Nothing of the sort.

Don't watch this if you don't like video games or haven't played any or haven't been exposed to any. It won't really be all that fun for you if you're lacking the nerd cred to see this movie. As a comic book/casual gamer/movie nerd I qualify if that makes your decision any easier.

Starring:

Michael Cera: An "Arrested Development" alum, he also stars in Juno, and Superbad. He plays awkward and he plays it well.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead: Live Free or Die Hard, Grindhouse: Death Proof, Bobby.

Kieran Culkin: Igby Goes Down, The Cider House Rules, The Mighty.

Anna Kendrick: She's In Twilgiht?!? Loses points there... Also, she's in Up in the Air.

The cast was pretty huge, relatively speaking, so I'll tell you why I liked them in nerdy ways. Sounds fun? Scott Pilgrim had to fight Captain America/The Human Torch(Chris Evans), Superman(Brandon Routh (Who got busted by the Punisher (Tom Jane), and one of the Romulans from Star Trek (Clifton Collins Jr.) for breaking the Vegan code)), Ann (Mae Whitman, who was Michael Cera's Ex-girlfriend from Arrested Development), and Jason Schwartzman, who, as a Wes Anderson and Rushmore fan, I enjoyed seeing playing Gideon.

Wow, lots of geeking out there. I think I'm going to review a classic action movie next. Which one? Come back to find out!