An Epic of Epic Epicness

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a story about Toronto resident Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) who is the bassist for the Sex Ba-bombs. He meets the girl of his dreams (literally) only to find out that he has to defeat her 7 Ex-Boyfriends in order to date her.

The movie is based off of a series of graphic novels and is a very highly anticipated film, so when my friend asked me if I wanted to go I was like "Hells yeah!" This movie has been on my radar for awhile now, even without having read the graphic novel beforehand. I knew Michael Cera was in it and with Edgar Wright as the director I had a hunch this movie would be good. I was not disappointed one bit.

The screening theater was not as packed as I thought it would be, but everyone in there was very excited. We were told right off the bat that the movie was not completely finished yet: the credits were still being created and wire-work was visible in some of the fight scenes. Luckily, it didn't take away from the film at all and a lot of the gaming and graphic novel related graphics were already included.

The movie opens just like you'd expect, with gaming music and a pixelated version of the production company's logo (I believe it was Universal). The audience applauded and laughed from the start and we continued like that for 2 hours. I was amazed at the detail that was put into the movie, from the music, to the graphics, to the text on screen detailing different aspects of each character - everything that was included gave that extra punch.

Each character was hilarious and the actor's portrayals were awesome. Michael Cera was definitely good (he's got the "weird" thing down pat) but the real scene stealer was Ellen Wong as the young and lovestruck Knives Chau. The moment she appears on screen she had us laughing and "awwwing" at the same time. She gets a tad crazy as the movie progresses, but remains cute throughout the story.

Brandon Routh and Chris Evans, who both played an ex-boyfriend, also stood out. Routh's character Todd Ingram derives his psychic power from his vegan-ism which is hilarious because of the relevancy to our time. Evan's character Lucas Lee is an action star whose one-liners are noteworthy and definitely "CSI: Miami cheesy".

Everything else about Scott Pilgrim vs. The Word was 4 star including the screenwriting (dialogue was spot-on "If I pee my pants will you pretend it was from the rain?") the editing (the cuts and transitions were phenomenal). Overall, I highly recommend this movie and can't wait to see it again in August.

I seriously cannot talk this movie up enough. The trailer was released on the same day I saw the movie and it does not do it justice.

Click for trailer

Movies I Really Wanna See

There are quite a few movies that are coming out that I really wanna see, including the following:


The Soloist Opens April 24th
Starring: Jamie Foxx and Robert Downing, Jr.
Plot: Journalist Steve Lopez (RDJ) discovers former music prodigy and now homeless Nathanial Anthony Ayers (Foxx) who dropped out of Julliard after developing schizophrenia. A unique friendship is formed as Lopez tries to help Ayers find his way back.
Why I want to see it: Robert Downing, Jr. has been giving his A game for the past few years and this movie looks like no exception. The film looks very moving and (hopefully) uplifting.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Opens May 1st
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schrieber, Taylor Kitcsch
Plot: X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine's crazy past. From his complex relationship with Victor Creed (Schrieber) to his involvement with the Weapon X program, we learn all about Wolverine's violent past while seeing his romantic relationships and some of the greatest X-Men characters (Gambit! Taylor Kitsch!).
Why I Want to See It: Because I am a crazy-obsessed X-Men fan and have been since I was young. Because Hugh Jackman was born to play Wolverine. Because Gambit will be in this movie. Because even I don't know everything about Wolverine's past!

Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian Opens May 22nd
Starring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria, Owen Wilson
Plot: Ben Stiller returns to the role of Larry Daley, this time at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. When the Museum of Natural History is closed for renovations, the museum pieces are moved to the Smithsonian for storage. Daley infiltrates the museum to rescue Jedediah (Wilson) and other characters who have been shipped there by mistake.
Why I want to See It: Because the firs tone was adorable! I think I'm gonna see this one on Imax.

Away We Go Opens June 5th
Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph
Plot: Away We Go is a story of an expectant couple who travels across the US to find a place to raise their family and along the way, find connections with old family members and friends.
Why I Want to See It: John Krasinski looks awesome with his beard. Nah, just kidding. I think this is going to be a good movie, with a great story and even greater acting. I'm a bit nervous about Maya Rudolph in a dramatic role, but I think she can pull it off.

500 Days of Summer Opens July 17th
Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Plot: A typical story of boy meets girl, however, when the boy falls in love with the girl who doesn't believe in true love, we are taken on a romantic journey into their year and a half long relationship.
Why I Want to See It: This movie looks like a refreshing take on the romantic-comedy genre. Not to mention Zooey Deschanel is ridiculously cute and I've loved JGL since 3rd Rock from the Sun.

Where the Wild Things Are Opens October 16th
Starring: Catharine Keener, Mark Ruffalo
Plot: An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.
Why I Want to See It: Because it looks awesome.


Honorable Mentions: Star Trek, Transformers 2, and other various summer blockbusters! Yay for mindless entertainment!

Cinema Week

This week I shall call Cinema Week because I will be going 3 times! Yikes! I am seeing Fanboys tonight and Confessions of a Shopaholic tomorrow night. On Tuesday I went with my friend to the IFC theater in the village and saw all of the Oscar nominated animated shorts. It was pretty cool cause I've never done that before and they were all really great. I have a hard time deciding which one I think should win. They also showed some other top contenders and past winners, but here are the nominees for this year:

Lavatory Lovestory Russia

The simple animation of this short which is done in mostly black and white, tells the story of a lonely lavatory attendant who dreams of romance. This one was very cute.

Oktapodi France

This short is animated in a vivid, Pixar style. The 3-D animation brings two octopuses to life. When one is purchased by a chef, the other leaps out of the tank to save her from the clutches of the skilled cook. Oktapodi was cute, but was over a little fast for my liking.

Le Maison en Petits Cubes Japan

I think this one was my favorite. The animation was done in a delicate hand drawn style which suited the poignancy of the story. Le Maison en Petits Cubes tells the story of an old man flashing back on his life after his village is flooded.

This Way Up UK

The Tim Burton dark style in this short complimented the story of two mortuary employees who go to great lengths to transport a body after their hearse is destroyed. It is visually playful and engaging and I loved the storyline.

Presto United States

This animated short has been seen by a larger audience already because, I believe, it preceded Wall-E. While more slapstick than the others, Presto, about a rabbit that turns the tables on his magician, was still endearing and full of heart and had my laughing a lot.

Because I have been going so often, I have been eating popcorn for dinner a lot, which is a bad thing, but also not.