Director: Edgar Wright
Stars: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin (Full Cast)
Studio: Universal Pictures

The Plot: Layabout musician Scott Pilgrim (Cera) falls for the new girl in town, Ramona Flowers (Winstead), but in order to win her heart, he must defeat her seven evil ex-lovers.

THE BUZZ: Alongside The Expendables, Scott P. easily is one of the most anticipated (and hyped-up) summer movies. Awareness is high and the marketing here has been spot-on; what is unclear is whether the combined powers of Edgar Wright and Michael Cera can defeat the black hole that is the August box office. Even the toughest reviewers are rooting for this one.

Review:

The tagline for this film is “An Epic of Epic Epicness” and I couldn’t agree more. After waiting in line for 3 hours after last night’s Comic-Con and finally being sat in the gorgeous Balboa Theater, I didn’t know what to expect. I loved the comics and the previews looked faithful. The moment the movie starts (literally; the Universal logo and theme are 8-bit) you are thrown into a comic book atmosphere with video game references aplenty.

The plot revolves around Scott Pilgrim needing to defeat the 7 Evil Exes of Ramona Flowers in order to date her and it is a harrowing sequence of battles. Each fight is crazier than the last and some are used purely for comedy, not excitement. Almost every other line is a punchline and they all work. References to TV shows, video games and comics (just like a 20-something’s life would include) are everywhere and if you accept the concept of the plot, it all feels natural.

While the audience might’ve been biased (we held a 10-minute standing ovation for Edgar Wright when the movie finished) there’s no denying that it’s an excellent film. Edgar Wright has an uncanny sense of comic timing with edits and sound cues to make the picture tight and focused when it’s looking for laughs.

I can’t imagine a mainstream theater erupting in applause and laughter like ours did but make no mistake; this a crowd pleaser and the MOST enjoyable film I’ve seen in years. Don’t hesitate to watch this masterpiece in a theater near you.

review by imdb.com Author: Tom (Crys383-3) from Turlock, California