Weekly Film Rec: Scott Pilgrim vs The World

It seems a bit too soon to be recommending this since it's only been out for a few weeks, but dammit, no one is seeing it! The only people I know who have seen it are the group that went with me. It's Edgar Wright! When has he ever gone wrong? Spaced? Shaun of the Dead? Hot Fuzz? Don't? All classics!

OK, so maybe Wright is still floating around the fringes of the mainstream as he deals in esoterica. While his films stand on their own, there are so many references geared to a specific audience that it'd be easy to feel left out (hell, the Spaced DVD comes with an "Homage-O-Meter" option that is sort of a Pop-Up Video for the pop culture references).

I don't want to get into why people aren't seeing Scott Pilgrim (I could right a few thousand words defending Michael Cera alone). The fact is, the movie was made and the only people who should care about the money are the ones who have money to lose in it. It's a bit disheartening to see Vampires Suck reaching more viewers, but that, too, is a discussion for another time.

The biggest reason I have to give for everyone to see it is that I can't remember ever leaving the theater thinking that I've legitimately seen something different. From the fights to the integration of the comic and references, Scott Pilgrim simply feels new (while paying homage to an earlier time). I wanted to applaud twice in the first five minutes. Once when the Universal logo came up in 8-bit graphics with an appropriate 8-bit Universal fanfare and immediately after the amazing opening credits. That the movie is funny as hell is a bonus (seriously, Chris Evans and Brandon Routh are unbelievable).

Despite any reservations you might have, trust in Edgar Wright. He is your friend in cinema.