Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Wright, 2009)

[Ezee E]

:sigh: So I'm the first detractor?

This movie uses up all its energy and comedy in the first half, and reuses it all in the second half, and it just becomes tiresome, no matter how "unique" it is. I had a huge sigh of relief when the result of the Nega Scott battle ended because I just didn't want to see another one again.

I also feel like this is something that would only work for those born in the 80's-early 90's, but that's besides the point.

Chris Evans was the highlight though. I'll jump on that bandwagon now.

[soitgoes...]

:sigh: So I'm the first detractor?
Not to get in a ratings discussion (actually I guess I do), but wouldn't 2½ stars be positive? Feel free to ignore this question.

Anyways your problems were pretty much my problems. I still enjoyed the experience, but it was getting a smidge repetitive, annoying. That's why I'm somewhat shocked that no one has come down hard on this yet. I think repeat viewings will only bring my rating down.

[Ezee E]

I think repeat viewings will only bring my rating down.

Its creativity and the first half make me like it just enough to where I won't say that it's a bad movie per se, but I just know that if I watch it again, I'll get bored quickly. ** 1/2 for me is basically as average as it gets to me.

But as I think about it more, the less I like it. The energy at the beginning is just so much fun though, and I loved the way they brought in the opening credits.

Winstead gives way more to her role then what was available to her, looking forward to her future.

[Watashi]

I think all the fights were varied enough and based on certain video games that it never got repetitive. The Chris Evans battle is competely different than the Todd Ingram battle.

[Ezee E]

I think all the fights were varied enough and based on certain video games that it never got repetitive. The Chris Evans battle is competely different than the Todd Ingram battle.
Eh, sure the fights themselves were different, but the leadup to the battle was the same for almost every single one minus the last, and even the way the battle progressed was the same except for the doubles that Evans' provided. Two of the battles were both "band battles" as well. The girl battle was predictable and easily the worst of the bunch. I much preferred the interaction between the friends and Winstead.

[eternity]

Eh, sure the fights themselves were different, but the leadup to the battle was the same for almost every single one minus the last, and even the way the battle progressed was the same except for the doubles that Evans' provided. Two of the battles were both "band battles" as well. The girl battle was predictable and easily the worst of the bunch. I much preferred the interaction between the friends and Winstead.These are all acceptable complaints.

The movie is 50% action/fights. The book is about 10%. There's a reason the books work so much better.

[Sven]

E is right about the battles. They get real exhausting.

[Robby P]

Yeah, I was enjoying this for the first hour or so but it really drags toward the end and the constant fight scenes become tedious rather quickly.

[Sxottlan]

So is this a cult movie yet? I mean, it's already passed the first hurdle: Box office failure, despite a relatively small number of passionate admirers. Now all we need are midnight screenings full of weirdos dressed as the characters. (Ramona Flowers in particular seems destined to be a Halloween costume, despite her lack of charisma.)

There you go (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=71445).

[Henry Gale]

I will say that though I do love the movie, its humour really feels like it relies too much on having characters simply repeat things back in different ways for comedic effect. It still has its share of laughs from outside of just that, but so much of the dialogue does it. But in having seen it 3 or 4 times now, I guess it's not too bad if that's the one thing I find slightly annoying with it.

Otherwise, the film is so jam-packed with call-backs and references to other things, that every time I see it there's a handful of new bits I pick up for the first time, and then proceed to smile about.

[number8]

I love Guillermo del Toro.

[[ETM]]

I've only seen part of the film, but - isn't Ramona supposed to be a knockout? How on Earth did they manage to completely cover up Winstead's natural charm and beauty with that stupid hair and costume and make her sompletely bland? I think she's absolutely adorable, yet I would never have guessed it was her in Pilgrim.

[number8]

Hipster knockout.

[Watashi]

I love Guillermo del Toro.
I was at that screening.

[[ETM]]

Hipster knockout.

That's what I meant. She's not even mildly interesting in the film.

[Sxottlan]

The Best Buy and Target near me were both sold out of the blu ray of this just two days after it came out. I had to go to a third store to find it.

I think this will do well on disc.

[number8]

I'm listening to an old interview with Wright and O'Malley, and it's kind of interesting to know how they practically wrote the movie and the last two books together, with O'Malley stealing stuff from Wright's script.

[Spun Lepton]

Charming and enjoyable for a while, but by end the video-game schtick had worn out its welcome. Michael Cera needs to expand his range, too.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I thought they kept the final couple battles (FINAL battle excluded, obviously) brief enough that it didn't feel too repetitive. Had some very funny moments, and the frenetic approach to the material was perfect. If I have one complaint, it's that the film didn't do enough to establish Ramona as an appealing love interest. You know something is wrong when the film is concluding and I'm actually hoping Scott ends up with Knives (who is just gorgeous, by the way). Still, this was a very pleasant surprise.

[[ETM]]

You know something is wrong when the film is concluding and I'm actually hoping Scott ends up with Knives (who is just gorgeous, by the way).

This.

[Raiders]

I retain my reasoning for the acceptability of Ramona's almost-assumed appeal to Scott that it is a video game motif that there is a lady to rescue/goal to be reached, so it isn't a matter of chemistry but video game schematics. I think the issue is they shouldn't have really even had the Knives character, or rather maybe she should have been gone after the first act.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I retain my reasoning for the acceptability of Ramona's almost-assumed appeal to Scott that it is a video game motif that there is a lady to rescue/goal to be reached, so it isn't a matter of chemistry but video game schematics. I think the issue is they shouldn't have really even had the Knives character, or rather maybe she should have been gone after the first act.

But without Knives, Scott has no significant arch. It may be a video game schematic, but that doesn't mean her character needed to be so bland. She could have needed "rescuing" while remaining an engaging, alluring love interest.

[Raiders]

But without Knives, Scott has no significant arch.

Not sure he had much of one anyway.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Not sure he had much of one anyway.

I think he did. She gave him insight into his lack of self-awareness and self-respect. Without his casual discarding of her, and their "relationship," he just spends the entire movie beating exes and moving on until he wins Ramona. I'd make the argument that Knives was the most important character in the film. Without her, it truly would have been a dull, repetitive experience.

[eternity]

There was no excuse for Knives having an increased significance in the story. All it did was throw off the equilibrium of a fine-tuned story more than the switch in mediums already was going to do.

[Kurosawa Fan]

There was no excuse for Knives having an increased significance in the story. All it did was throw off the equilibrium of a fine-tuned story more than the switch in mediums already was going to do.

I'm not familiar with the comic, but with the story presented in the film, Knives was an essential component to the growth of Scott. Again, without her presence in the second and third act, the narrative would have been a total bore. Maybe that fight and flirt and fight and flirt format would work in a comic, but not in a two hour film. There needed to be more.

Now, if Wright made other significant changes to the story during the transfer, perhaps the problem was his own making. Like I said, I'm not familiar with the comic.

[eternity]

I'm not familiar with the comic, but with the story presented in the film, Knives was an essential component to the growth of Scott. Again, without her presence in the second and third act, the narrative would have been a total bore. Maybe that fight and flirt and fight and flirt format would work in a comic, but not in a two hour film. There needed to be more.

Now, if Wright made other significant changes to the story during the transfer, perhaps the problem was his own making. Like I said, I'm not familiar with the comic.
After Scott and Knives break up, she's reduced to being sad and making out with girls while drunk.
. The weight and significance is on Ramona and Kim Pine, and it's much better that way. There IS more in the comics, but yeah, the movie could either be the first half hour for the entirety of it, or it could be fight-n-flirt. Time constraints only allowed one, and Edgar Wright got a good enough balance to make the film not suck, and that's really all we can ask for.

[ledfloyd]

there is a lot of downtime/hanging out/character building stuff in the comics that got necessarily axed. i think the knives character was kind of used to replace that substance and give the ramona/fighting stuff some substance.

[number8]

Fun fact: Bryan Lee O'Malley originally wasn't going to have Scott and Ramona end up together at the end of Vol 6, but then they test screened the movie in February and he saw the mixed reaction and decided to change the ending of the book. When Edgar Wright was told, he immediately went to Universal and asked for more money so he could shoot a new ending that has Scott and Ramona end up together.

[ledfloyd]

Fun fact: Bryan Lee O'Malley originally wasn't going to have Scott and Ramona end up together at the end of Vol 6, but then they test screened the movie in February and he saw the mixed reaction and decided to change the ending of the book. When Edgar Wright was told, he immediately went to Universal and asked for more money so he could shoot a new ending that has Scott and Ramona end up together.
this makes a lot of sense.

[Henry Gale]

The other ending is actually included on the DVD/Blu-ray. It has its own sweet take on things, with a different bunch of scenes used to wrap up things in its own effective way.

EDIT - Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79SxL85wHkA

I do agree that without thinking too much into it, many would have found the story pointless if he let the girl he was fighting for the whole time leave at the end. I would assume that's why they reshot a line of Knives saying that. I'm fine with the final ending, but either one has its own beautiful, over-the-top, animated shot of Toronto to close it out.

I've seen this way too many times from all sorts of points and chronology now, even with different commentaries and other features. But the thing is, it holds up really well.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Yep. I like that ending better.

[Rowland]

I'll back up KF about Knives being the most important ancillary character in the movie. Note what a self-absorbed creep Scott was while dating her. One of the movie's finer tricks is how unlikable it makes him as a character, so Knives' maturation forcing Scott to quit being such a narcissistic dweeb in the final act was one of the film's most satisfying moments.

[Watashi]

Yep. I like that ending better.
I think I do too.

[ledfloyd]

add me to the list of people that likes that ending better. it fits the film better.

[Ezee E]

Eh, same affect on me.

[eternity]

But she is so annoying, you guys...

[angrycinephile]

How is it even humanly possible to find Knives annoying? She's so adorable.

[Watashi]

How is it even humanly possible to find Knives annoying? She's so adorable.
Seriously.

Plus Ellen Wong is hot.

[Sven]

I think I was more "mildly annoyed" with Knives than anything. I think that was her function, no?

[Raiders]

I think I was more "mildly annoyed" with Knives than anything. I think that was her function, no?

Yeah, pretty much. I think the film nicely brought me to the point where I would have been satisfied with either ending.

[Henry Gale]

I do think, like a lot of people, they could have done a bit more to show that Ramona had a bigger personality, even if was just something as small as her admiring something geeky of Scott's, like the X-Men patch on his coat. I still think the story supports that his journey of defeating the exes made him able to clear his head, his own past along with Ramona's, allowing them to start their future relationship baggage-free and in a fairy-tale ideal way for the both of them.

If they actually went with Knives, I think it would have been better if they downplayed all the stalker/immature parts to her that mostly take up her character in the second half. Plus, there's very little given to support that Scott ever really liked her aside from the satisfaction of having a (fake) high school girlfriend after his break up with Envy. To me, Knives letting him go finally shows that she actually matures by the end. It would felt awkward to me if she was the one he chose, as it would have seem to have rewarded her for her faults she had just seemed to realize instead of the ones we had watched Scott slowly overcome for the whole film.

But I mean, if we're rewriting things, Envy seemed to have some sense put back into her by the end too, and after that performance of Black Sheep, getting back with her would have been an equally wise option, f'sho.

But seriously, just watch Larson's bit in the costume tests on the Blu-ray that doesn't not have everything. Amazing.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I think I was more "mildly annoyed" with Knives than anything. I think that was her function, no?

Well, since I've been arguing against that, I'd say no, no?

[Sven]

Well, since I've been arguing against that, I'd say no, no?

Well, you know better than I do what you would say, so I'll let you answer that one.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Well, you know better than I do what you would say, so I'll let you answer that one.

Right. I already did. It's a few posts above you.

[number8]

I don't understand why anyone would want Scott to end up with an obsessed stalker groupie that he was playing and wisely cut loose when he matured. Why would you want your protagonist to regress?

[Kurosawa Fan]

I don't understand why anyone would want Scott to end up with an obsessed stalker groupie that he was playing and wisely cut loose when he matured. Why would you want your protagonist to regress?

Because I don't take either romance seriously. I think Scott's personal journey is far more important than any romance taking place in the film. Neither of the women seem like longterm options for Scott, mainly because they're both so underdeveloped. This is the main reason I think that Knives is so integral to the film, because she does more for Scott's personal growth than Ramona, who just sort of exists on the periphery, all cold and apathetic. Not only that, but I think Knives' stalker tendencies are just a symptom of her age, not a personal defect. She presents no harm for Scott, she's just young and "in love" and overreacts. It's played as humorous, not dangerous.

[Sven]

Right. I already did. It's a few posts above you.

Right. I was responding literally to the question that your statement had become due to your echoing of the "no?" from my post. A confusing joke based on a confusing callback. Let's pretend it didn't happen.

[Watashi]

Someone over at RT said this:


I like the alternate ending better... it also reminds me of the film Two Lovers which basically has the same ending.

It rings true to me. Ramona was the girl who Scott was stalking, idolizing and fighting for all along. But the story never really sheds much light on why he is infatuated with Ramona. He goes through such effort to win her and even breaks Knives' heart in the process.

I think a lot of young people (including myself) have a tendency to go after the girl of our dreams. Believing that if you just work hard enough and prove your devotion you will win that girl you're seeking... but often this is irrational and even harmful. It has the potential to hurt the girl that genuinely likes you already. It also has the potential to harm the guy in this situation as well, who is setting himself up for regret.

There were several times in my young life when I simply wasn't interested in girls who were interested in me, thinking naively that I could win over the girl I really wanted. Looking back on my life now I realize how foolish I was in these situations. If I could do things differently I would.

Which I agree with 100%. I wish there was a way to put the alternate ending into the actual film.

[BuffaloWilder]

What a great film - the amount of pure, dynamic visual inventiveness on display in any one of the film's fight sequences (or elsewhere, for that matter) is mind-boggling.

Admittedly, Ramona did feel a bit more off-putting than she did in any of the books - a little bit more cold, maybe. But, that's a relatively small complaint. It's also surprisingly how well the film survives without a lot of the meat-and-potatoes prolonged character moments that filled out most of books three through four - it comes out feeling very concise, still.

[number8]

I dunno, I always figured that Ramona's cool aloofness is what's supposed to make her the attractive hipster type.

[Ezee E]

I really have no problem with Winstead either. The "love in first sight" angle was played, even with special effects, and the young love idea always works. Plus, Winstead played it mysterious enough that I wanted to know more about her anyway.

Knives was giggly and obnoxious. I'm surprised many are in love with her.

[Fezzik]

I think Scott's personal journey is far more important than any romance taking place in the film.

This x 100.

Its why getting the sword after earning the "Power of Love" got him killed, but getting the "Self Respect" sword after using his extra life helped him win.

I was as subtle as a brick. KF has it right.

[BuffaloWilder]

Also, as far as Knives being purposefully annoying goes - being a guy who, at just barely twenty, still has a fairly good number of high school girls within his circle of friends, I can tell you that Ellen Wong is almost pitch-perfect.

I actually had the pleasure of sitting in on a rant pretty similar to the "she's just a fat-ass hipster chick" thing the character does later on in the film just last week. Complete with bedroom histrionics. :lol:

[Irish]

I can't decide what to make of this one.

On one hand, Wright's direction and choices were superb. He works overtime making thin source material entertaining. The visuals, the fights, the music were all top notch. This is a better "comic book" movie than most, because on some level it really captures the casual fun of comics and the visuals really help the material.

On the other hand (and get ready to collectively groan), I really. fucking. hated. the representation of women in this film.

Yeah, I got the themes about dating people with baggage. Understood that. Scout's honor. But why is it so lopsided?

I couldn't help but cringe every time the camera settled on Ramona. Not only is her sexual history on public display (in a figurative and literal sense), she's judged for it in nearly every scene. Her choices and her history impact everybody (going back to, holy shit, grade school).

What's worse is that she has no control and input into any part of the plot, puts up no protest, even standing idly by during the final battle when the final villain asks Scott, "You want to fight me, for her?" Sorry Edgar & Bryan. Women aren't a carnival prize that you can "win."

The other female characters don't fare much better. Their value in this world is mostly dependent on whether or not they've dated Scott or whether he wants to date them. Most of them are acerbic shrews like Envy or Julie, or they're bubbleheaded syncophants like Knives. Worse, they have no individual voice (not that the supporting male characters do, either). You could swap lines of dialogue between Julie, Kim, and Stacey and not tell the difference.

Then let's take a look at Scott. His entire life is a sociopath's fantasy. Friends, family, and even casual conversations revolve completely around him, his life, his needs and desires (this is a big problem I had with the comic). With Knives, he's close to committing a sex crime in most US states, yet nobody really judges him for that, or, for that matter any other choice he makes. The big difference is that all of his relationship baggage is kept entirely private and is treated with more or less earnest sincerity.

Yeah, I did find the film funny. And entertaining (at least when it wasn't making my skin crawl). I think that's 100% due to Wright's direction and the choices he made with the visuals and the music.

But underneath, I found some of the messages it sends to be disturbing, especially when you consider the core audience for this is probably teens.

[balmakboor]

I should give this another look now that it's on DVD. My first impression was of likeable and interesting characters trapped in a boringly repetitive plot.

[ledfloyd]

the comic doesn't shy away from the fact that scott has been a complete inconsiderate ass to girls in the past. which the film only addresses in passing.

[BuffaloWilder]

I couldn't help but cringe every time the camera settled on Ramona. Not only is her sexual history on public display (in a figurative and literal sense), she's judged for it in nearly every scene. Her choices and her history impact everybody (going back to, holy shit, grade school).

...except that all of this sheds a more pathetic light on the ex-boyfriends than it does on her, most of the time. Like the Indian guy, who was a middle-school crush - his reaction to having their short history revealed is far more spiteful and vitriolic than hers is, primarily because she was able to move on, and he wasn't, among other things.



What's worse is that she has no control and input into any part of the plot, puts up no protest, even standing idly by during the final battle when the final villain asks Scott, "You want to fight me, for her?" Sorry Edgar & Bryan. Women aren't a carnival prize that you can "win."

Well, I think the point wasn't that the film treats her as a video-game prize - rather, that she was literally tethered to Gideon in a way that she can't quite let go of. He's a piece of her history that she's tied to, just like Scott was with Envy, something that's also referenced pretty heavily throughout the movie. They even reveal it to be a cartoonish literalization at the end, and when she consciously frees herself, she begins to take action.

Also, what about when she takes on her girlfriend later on in the film, hand-to-hand, or even Knives and Gideon later on?


The other female characters don't fare much better. Their value in this world is mostly dependent on whether or not they've dated Scott or whether he wants to date them. Most of them are acerbic shrews like Envy or Julie, or they're bubbleheaded syncophants like Knives. Worse, they have no individual voice (not that the supporting male characters do, either). You could swap lines of dialogue between Julie, Kim, and Stacey and not tell the difference.

Man, your view of the female characters in this movie was a lot more negative than mine was - and, maybe it's because I know a Knives (or eight) and a Kim, and even a Ramona, but they all seemed to hit relatively close to the mark.


Then let's take a look at Scott. His entire life is a sociopath's fantasy. Friends, family, and even casual conversations revolve completely around him, his life, his needs and desires (this is a big problem I had with the comic).

...but, that's the whole point of the character. He's a self-centered, kinda-sketchy jerkass who can't really see outside of himself.


With Knives, he's close to committing a sex crime in most US states, yet nobody really judges him for that, or, for that matter any other choice he makes.

...a twenty-two year old dating a seventeen year old? Not really that unusual.


The big difference is that all of his relationship baggage is kept entirely private and is treated with more or less earnest sincerity.

...what? What about the whole of the relationship between himself and Knives, which is a more prolonged example of his effect on women and other people? Or, Envy? That's like a reasonably big part of the film

I will say that I do miss some of the quieter moments from the books, though - that whole story takes place over the span of about a year, and a lot more emphasis is put into the constantly evolving and revolving relationships between the characters. They really did a great job of condensing everything down to it's core elements, but some of that stuff would've been interesting to see on film - the gay Stephen Stills subplot, for one thing.

[Irish]

@BuffaloWilder - Good post. I'm not sure how much more I can add without repeating myself, but here's a go:


...except that all of this sheds a more pathetic light on the ex-boyfriends than it does on her, most of the time. Like the Indian guy, who was a middle-school crush - his reaction to having their short history revealed is far more spiteful and vitriolic than hers is, primarily because she was able to move on, and he wasn't, among other things.
Except no other character save Ramona has little animated monologues justifying and explaining their sexual past (which are only so detailed enough as to avoid threatening the male egos involved). This is a centuries old idea, one where a woman's value is based mostly on her sexual history. I wouldn't have minded so much (outside of silently rolling my eyes at the screen) if there had been any attempt at gender balance. If Scott judges and demands explanations, so should Ramona. Where are Scott's little animated monologues about his past with Envy? There aren't any.


Well, I think the point wasn't that the film treats her as a video-game prize - rather, that she was literally tethered to Gideon in a way that she can't quite let go of.
It's particularly facepalming that at the end of the movie, Ramona is rendered literally mindless.


Also, what about when she takes on her girlfriend later on in the film, hand-to-hand, or even Knives and Gideon later on?
You mean when Scott says "I can't hit a girl," delivering more condescending horseshit and half baked chivalry? Or when Knives and Ramona fight and the villain, watching offside, turns to the hero and says, "Can I put on a show, or what?" (When Scott fights it's life and death, but when two women fight, it's a show, a catfight, that doesn't have any stakes outside the entertainment value for the men watching).


..but, that's the whole point of the character. He's a self-centered, kinda-sketchy jerkass who can't really see outside of himself.
I think you can do narcissistic characters -- Hawkeye Pierce, Sam Malone, and Barney Stinson come to mind -- without setting up an entire story to be sociopathic. And that's Pilgrim. Not just the character, but the way the entire story is written. Nobody is afforded much chance to talk about anything but Scott. It takes navel gazing fantasy to an entirely new level.


...a twenty-two year old dating a seventeen year old? Not really that unusual..
Ew? It was unheard of in my peer group. At that age, you're a year+ out of college and coming into your first real money on the job. Dating a highschool girl? Creepy at best and predatory at worst.

[Watashi]

17 years old is perfectly legal in Canada. They weren't having sex or anything, just holding hands and playing video games and stuff.

You're weird if you think that's creepy.

[BuffaloWilder]

Except no other character save Ramona has little animated monologues justifying and explaining their sexual past (which are only so detailed enough as to avoid threatening the male egos involved). This is a centuries old idea, one where a woman's value is based mostly on her sexual history. I wouldn't have minded so much (outside of silently rolling my eyes at the screen) if there had been any attempt at gender balance. If Scott judges and demands explanations, so should Ramona. Where are Scott's little animated monologues about his past with Envy? There aren't any.

Well, actually twice the film delves into Scott's past - three times if you count the animated segments they included on the DVD. And, they reveal him to be kind of an insecure cock - when he lies dejectedly about his break-up with Envy while the film fills us in with both voices overs and visual captions, or when he gives a minor monologue to Ramona about Kim after she points out the number of wounded, hurt ex-girlfriends that he, himself is racking up in a pretty prolonged scene.

Also, Knives serves as an example of this in action, running throughout the film.



It's particularly facepalming that at the end of the movie, Ramona is rendered literally mindless.

Yeah, you mean like when she breaks free of Gideon's mind hold and kicks him in the junk, right?



You mean when Scott says "I can't hit a girl," delivering more condescending horseshit and half baked chivalry?

"...they're soft." It's supposed to be funny, good god. And, then his girlfriend makes him fight, resulting in both her and the ex-girlfriend calling him a lazy asshole for not fighting his own battles.

Also, are you like one of those guys who thinks it's a bad thing to hold open a door or pull a chair out for a woman?


Or when Knives and Ramona fight and the villain, watching offside, turns to the hero and says, "Can I put on a show, or what?" (When Scott fights it's life and death, but when two women fight, it's a show, a catfight, that doesn't have any stakes outside the entertainment value for the men watching).

...are you sure that wasn't meant to point him out as a kind of a douchebag? You know, the kind of guy who would say something like that?

Also, later on in that sequence it's revealed that Scott two-timed both of them. So -



I think you can do narcissistic characters -- Hawkeye Pierce, Sam Malone, and Barney Stinson come to mind -- without setting up an entire story to be sociopathic. And that's Pilgrim. Not just the character, but the way the entire story is written. Nobody is afforded much chance to talk about anything but Scott. It takes navel gazing fantasy to an entirely new level.

Yeah, you mean like how most of the characters - when talking about him - are constantly calling him a lazy, whiny loser asshole?




Ew? It was unheard of in my peer group. At that age, you're a year+ out of college and coming into your first real money on the job. Dating a highschool girl? Creepy at best and predatory at worst.

Really? Hell, when I was in high school, more than a few of the girls I hung around with went out with twenty-five and thirty year olds. No idea why, but it was pretty common. Hell, one of my own buddies who is actually twenty-eight is going out with an eighteen year old, at present. It's going well.

And, I live in Texas, by the way - where seventeen is also legal.


Where the hell do you live, anyhow?

[Ezee E]

17 years old is perfectly legal in Canada. They weren't having sex or anything, just holding hands and playing video games and stuff.

You're weird if you think that's creepy.

Disagree.

[ledfloyd]

yeah, dating a high schooler once you're out of college is definitely creepy.

[Kurosawa Fan]

That's if you're out of college. Scott isn't the type who's moving on to a career after college and becoming an adult, so to attribute that mentality to him is unfair. I'm not saying it's all peaches and cream, but I know several guys who, in their very early twenties, dated seventeen and eighteen year olds. One of them was my best friends, and the relationship lasted four years. I'm not saying it's something to strive for, but when you're an immature 22 (i.e. Scott Pilgrim) it's significantly less disconcerting to date a girl who is 17.

Though your friends are allowed to tease you mercilessly and play Winger whenever you enter a room.

[eternity]

"Well in my group of friends..."

Other groups exist. Lots of 22 year olds date 17 year olds. If you don't like it, fine. Still happens. A lot.

[number8]

I don't really have an opinion whether or not it's appropriate, but it's certainly very common.

[balmakboor]

It's interesting how age differences matter less and less over time. We get bothered by a 22-year-old man dating a 17-year-old woman. But we aren't bothered by a 50-year-old man dating a 40-year-old woman. And that's twice the age difference.

Heck, my dad remarried to a woman 30 years younger and everyone just sort of rolled their eyes for a moment and then lived with it.

I'm 48 and my wife is 46 btw. Just for a frame of reference.

[Derek]

I'm 48 and my wife is 46 btw. Just for a frame of reference.

Cradle robber.

[KK2.0]

I'll back up KF about Knives being the most important ancillary character in the movie. Note what a self-absorbed creep Scott was while dating her. One of the movie's finer tricks is how unlikable it makes him as a character, so Knives' maturation forcing Scott to quit being such a narcissistic dweeb in the final act was one of the film's most satisfying moments.

I agree with both of you, Knives character was brilliantly used by Wright, i missed Wallace´s more crucial role in the comics though. But aside from that I think it was a great adaptation.

This film was a joy to watch, and the Paul Robertson game is also a blast, Scott Pilgrim is one of the rare cases where crossmedia actually suceeded, everyone involved nailed the essence of the original work.

[eternity]

When you get an English teacher to play the film in a high school class, you realize just how far this movie pushes the PG-13 rating. Bravo, Edgar.

[Bosco B Thug]

EDIT - Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79SxL85wHkA Ew. Nah. Theatrical ending is much much better as it actually extends and fulfills each character's arc (Scott's, Ramona's, even Knives suddenly has one, as we see her mature before us).

Wright does great work, and I've generously rated it accordingly. I was still hopelessly confused by this, being totally unfamiliar with the comic, but by the close it's sweet enough and emphasizes the thematic goals, being about relationships and their difficulty and whatnot, wrought into exagerrated fantasy.

[[ETM]]

It's interesting how age differences matter less and less over time. We get bothered by a 22-year-old man dating a 17-year-old woman. But we aren't bothered by a 50-year-old man dating a 40-year-old woman. And that's twice the age difference.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_koxwtyZyOc1qzy54co1_500 .jpg

[Morris Schæffer]

Haha, it looks like that's really true.:D

[eternity]

On one hand, Wright's direction and choices were superb. He works overtime making thin source material entertaining.
Stop right there. The movie is a whole lot more thin than the source material. That's...that's not even something to argue.

[BuffaloWilder]

Indeed. As much as I might love the movie, out of the six-volume, two hundred-page-each, series of books, it really only gleaned about maybe 40% - the emphasis in the source material is so much more dedicated to watching the relationships of the characters develop and fluctuate over the course of a year, and by the end, even though it's still a primarily cartoony world, there is a real breadth and depth to most of the characters.

Except for Wallace Wells, but he's perfect already.

[Derek]

Stop right there. The movie is a whole lot more thin than the source material. That's...that's not even something to argue.

Stop right there. That's not what he was saying. He was calling the source material thin and saying that Wright took it and made it entertaining, not that he added any depth.

[Qrazy]

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/display/1a8667b2-59a7-461c-ac46-2208f4b8611e.jpg

[DavidSeven]

Fun filmmaking. Wright pulls off that aspect better than I would have even imagined. I wish the story was engaging enough for this to be a great film. I really liked Knives; it's too bad her presence sort of undermines this whole thing by her being likable. It's compounded by Ramona's blandness and Pilgrim being Michael Cera. Their attraction seems rather shallow, and the protagonist's perceived self-involvement (by virtue of his relationship with Knives) made his "self-respect" fulfillment rather risible. Shouldn't Knives be the one battling for her self-respect?

Overall, I'm still positive on the film because Wright's filmmaking still has that invigorating feel and the humor and supporting performances were enough to hold my attention. Just wish the dynamic among the leads was more carefully considered and the plot more dynamically drawn.

[Dukefrukem]

Wright's best movie?????? Loved this. 42 out of 45 on MC Database. Highest fresh rating percentage ever on MC???

[Ezee E]

Wright's best movie?????? Loved this. 42 out of 45 on MC Database. Highest fresh rating percentage ever on MC???
I think Mother went 20 for 20 or so.

[Spinal]

Dogtooth - 29/29

[Dukefrukem]

I think Mother went 20 for 20 or so.

So did HTT and DOGTOOTH, but those are all in the 20s. Movies in the 40+ is impressive. (I should have said 40 viewings)

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - 42 out of 45 (including me)

Other movies with 40+ viewings:

INCEPTION - 47 out of 56
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - 42 out of 49
SHUTTER ISLAND - 38 out of 54
TOY STORY 3 - 39 out of 41
TRUE GRIT - 35 out of 44
BLACK SWAN - 39 out of 45

[Kurosawa Fan]

I thought trans was a nay for Dogtooth? Or did he not get his vote in before the thread was closed?

[transmogrifier]

I thought trans was a nay for Dogtooth? Or did he not get his vote in before the thread was closed?

Yes, I was nay on it, but I think I put it in the thread after it was unstickied. Not sure if my vote was counted.

So 29/30.

[transmogrifier]

Just to prove I'm not just naying it to be different:

MOTHER - yay
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - nay
INCEPTION - yay
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - yay
SHUTTER ISLAND - yay
TOY STORY 3 - yay
TRUE GRIT - nay
BLACK SWAN - nay

[Dukefrukem]

Just to prove I'm not just naying it to be different:

MOTHER - yay
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - nay
INCEPTION - yay
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - yay
SHUTTER ISLAND - yay
TOY STORY 3 - yay
TRUE GRIT - nay
BLACK SWAN - nay

I do not understand your taste.

[transmogrifier]

I do not understand your taste.

You mean, how someone can like some well-known movies but not others? I know, it perplexes me as well.

[Dukefrukem]

You mean, how someone can like some well-known movies but not others?

No.

[Lucky]

Yes, I was nay on it, but I think I put it in the thread after it was unstickied. Not sure if my vote was counted.

So 29/30.

I would also Nay Dogtooth, but I saw it way after the thread closed.

[Ezee E]

I wonder what will be the first movie to get 30 views this year.

[Winston*]

I wonder what will be the first movie to get 30 views this year.

The Tree of Life, probably.

[Ezee E]

The Tree of Life, probably.
Good one. Depending on the amount of theaters it gets. It doesn't look like it's getting a mega release. Otherwise I'd guess Super 8.

[EyesWideOpen]

I just rewatched for the first time since getting it on blu-ray and it's still awesome. I watched the alternate ending for the first time and I think that definitely would have felt truer to the film then the one they used.

[eternity]

It would have been truer to the film, but that was probably the film's biggest problem. Knives is not a particularly interesting character, and Edgar Wright significantly increased her involvement in the story and somehow made her even less interesting in the process. What a buzzkill.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Knives was the most interesting character in the film. You're blinded by the source material, eternity.

[Dukefrukem]

Knives was the most interesting character in the film. You're blinded by the source material, eternity.

What made her interesting? Her being young and obsessed with Sex Bob-omb isn't doing much for me.

[DavidSeven]

She was the only character in the entire film played with any sort of emotional gravity and not with the hipster indifference that characterized everyone else in the movie. Of course, she gets shat on through the final frame. So yeah, her reintroduction is a buzzkill in that sense, but it's not because she's not interesting.

[EyesWideOpen]

It would have been truer to the film, but that was probably the film's biggest problem. Knives is not a particularly interesting character, and Edgar Wright significantly increased her involvement in the story and somehow made her even less interesting in the process. What a buzzkill.

Scott Pilgrim is one my favorite comic book series and I've read through it multiple times and Knives is a pretty significant part of the story in the comics also.

[Kurosawa Fan]

What made her interesting? Her being young and obsessed with Sex Bob-omb isn't doing much for me.

She's the emotional compass of the film. She has a complexity that no other character possesses. Without her heavy involvement in the story, it would be even more cold and detached, and the film would suffer.

[MadMan]

She was the only character in the entire film played with any sort of emotional gravity and not with the hipster indifference that characterized everyone else in the movie. Of course, she gets shat on through the final frame. So yeah, her reintroduction is a buzzkill in that sense, but it's not because she's not interesting.I agree with this. And without her, Scott wouldn't have defeated the last evil ex boyfriend.

I thought this was a near great movie, and I'm not sure what I would rate it on the **** scale. A 9.0 or a 9.5 would be close enough, I suppose. I'll admit that early one I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but that was because I still haven't read the graphic novels.

[Mara]

I pretty much disliked this film, but the only moment that I hated it was when Knives got punched in the face.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I pretty much disliked this film, but the only moment that I hated it was when Knives got punched in the face.

See? Point proved. Also, Knives is a major impetus for Scott's maturation process.

[Raiders]

I'll chime in and say I watched it another two times recently and am pretty sure it's ridiculously awesome. I gotta say, "emotional involvement" with the characters, inasmuch that they are "well rounded," just seems so unimportant to viewing this film.

[eternity]

Scott Pilgrim is one my favorite comic book series and I've read through it multiple times and Knives is a pretty significant part of the story in the comics also.
She goes from "fake high school girlfriend" to "stalker" to "making out with Kim Pine" to "non-existant" pretty quickly.

I wouldn't consider myself to be blinded by the source material, because even though her involvement in the story is greatly increased in the movie, there isn't any more introduced to her character. In fact, I feel as if the depth possessed by her character is lessened considering how her ninja parents are thrown out of the equation, leaving her to be a naive little girl who shouldn't be around any of this yet keeps sticking around until everyone looks worse than she does.

[Bosco B Thug]

I like Knives and agree she is the most sympathetic and welcome character, but I still do not get the preferring of the original ending.

[Rowland]

Asian fetish.

[Bosco B Thug]

Asian fetish.
So transparent.

White girls need intellectual attention, too.

[Kiusagi]

I actually like the ending they went with better for Knives.
It just seemed like she had grown to believe in herself or something when she told Scott to go after Ramona. The line "I'm too cool for ya anyway" shows this perfectly. It was better for her to get out of her obsession with Scott than it was to get back with him.
But that's just my interpretation.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I actually like the ending they went with better for Knives.
It just seemed like she had grown to believe in herself or something when she told Scott to go after Ramona. The line "I'm too cool for ya anyway" shows this perfectly. It was better for her to get out of her obsession with Scott than it was to get back with him.
But that's just my interpretation.

This is a very good point.

[Raiders]

I actually like the ending they went with better for Knives.
It just seemed like she had grown to believe in herself or something when she told Scott to go after Ramona. The line "I'm too cool for ya anyway" shows this perfectly. It was better for her to get out of her obsession with Scott than it was to get back with him.
But that's just my interpretation.

I agree with this. I never thought her last line was meant ironically but factually. The filmmakers realized she was in fact a better, "cooler" character than everyone else.

[number8]

Fun fact: Brian Lee O'Malley came up with that line when Edgar Wright told him they're ending the film that way.

[Bosco B Thug]

Yeah. Kiusagi is totally right. Plus, the whole "And so it had come to pass, that he had learned to like her..." deal would feel the opposite of ingenuous when it comes to the self-admittedly jerkhole-ish Scott Pilgrim character.

[StanleyK]

I was worried going in that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World would be either too pandering or too condescending to geek culture; thankfully, the movie manages to strike the right balance between being critical of the immaturity inherent in the style and embracing its uniqueness. Scott Pilgrim himself is a surprisingly well-rounded character, and his arc, even if obvious and over-explicated, fairly compelling. Wright's direction is even more inspired here than in his two previous films, and even if I did find its relentlessness a bit exhausting, it's undeniably highly imaginative and it elevates the material (haven't read the comics, so by that I mean the screenplay). Still, this is a movie that I admired more than I actually enjoyed- the humor itself is lacking, and the undercurrent of heteronormativity is off-putting. Very good, but not something I feel will hold up particularly well.

[BuffaloWilder]

I don't know, I mean isn't Wallace Wells the most emotionally mature and self-supporting character in the film?

[StanleyK]

I don't know, I mean isn't Wallace Wells the most emotionally mature and self-supporting character in the film?

He also cheats liberally, has a history of 'stealing' Scott's sister's boyfriends, and some dialogue about the 'gay code' makes this not just his characteristic but part of his gay nature or something. But what actually bothered me most was the film's handling of Ramona's involvement with Roxy. A very big deal is made of it, and she justifies this relationship the hardest, making absolutely clear that she has no homosexual inclinations anymore. And of course, Scott doesn't actually have to fight her, because she's a girl.

[B-side]

Yeah, I did find the film's approach to homosexuality kinda disappointing. Doesn't hurt the quality of the film for me, I just found it kinda at odds with the film.

[Raiders]

He also cheats liberally, has a history of 'stealing' Scott's sister's boyfriends, and some dialogue about the 'gay code' makes this not just his characteristic but part of his gay nature or something. But what actually bothered me most was the film's handling of Ramona's involvement with Roxy. A very big deal is made of it, and she justifies this relationship the hardest, making absolutely clear that she has no homosexual inclinations anymore. And of course, Scott doesn't actually have to fight her, because she's a girl.

I don't recall her having to justify it any moreso than a couple of the others that Scott expressed disbelief over. I know a bigger deal was made of it mainly because Scott kept assuming they were all "evil ex-boyfriends" and she kept repeat "evil exes" and so it was made out as a revelation. I think the realization that your girlfriend/boyfriend either was or is attracted to both sexes will always play out as an "oh really?" moment. Such is the social normativity that will always exist. Doesn't mean it is a negative or viewed as such.

Also, the film has no problem hitting a girl, Scott does.

[Irish]

A very big deal is made of it, and she justifies this relationship the hardest, making absolutely clear that she has no homosexual inclinations anymore. And of course, Scott doesn't actually have to fight her, because she's a girl.

To me, this just goes back to the awful way this movie depicts women (http://match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=302092&postcount=305). The gender bias here is screamingly lopsided.

Loved the direction, the music, the visuals. Hated the movie.

[eternity]

To me, this just goes back to the awful way this movie depicts women (http://match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=302092&postcount=305). The gender bias here is screamingly lopsided.

Loved the direction, the music, the visuals. Hated the movie.
I think I probably already responded to that post way back when, but I'm going to again anyway.

The source material is a whole lot meatier than the film. Calling it thin is ridiculous. The book also has one of the best and most fair depictions of women of any book I've read that doesn't specifically focus on gender as the dominant theme.

[Irish]

The source material is a whole lot meatier than the film. Calling it thin is ridiculous. The book also has one of the best and most fair depictions of women of any book I've read that doesn't specifically focus on gender as the dominant theme.

True, I've heard the books get progressively better (I read the first two and didn't see much evidence of "meat." They seemed just as juvenile and emotionally backward as the movie).

[megladon8]

I really liked this a lot.

Unbelievably inventive. That it was made for so (relatively) little an amount of money makes me shake my head all the more at films like Avatar and Spider-Man 3.


Not sure I understand the criticism of the "you want to fight me for her" line (and the implication that women are a prize to be won). I mean, wasn't it pretty clear that this was a film version of Mario fighting Bowser to save Princess Peach?


It seemed like everything in the film that bothered me slightly (the first evil ex fight, uneven pacing, the most interesting evil exes getting less screen time) is balanced out by 10 things I loved.


Also, holy crap, who knew Edgar Wright could direct action like this? This guy should be making kung fu movies.


Really enjoyed it, with surprisingly rich characters and quite an affecting story.

[Dukefrukem]

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - 43 out of 46 (including Meg)

Other movies with 40+ viewings:

INCEPTION - 47 out of 56
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - 42 out of 49
SHUTTER ISLAND - 38 out of 54
TOY STORY 3 - 39 out of 41
TRUE GRIT - 35 out of 44
BLACK SWAN - 39 out of 45

!!!!!!

[eternity]

True, I've heard the books get progressively better (I read the first two and didn't see much evidence of "meat." They seemed just as juvenile and emotionally backward as the movie).
I read them all in one big .pdf, so I can't really speak for each book individually, but as a whole, it's certainly "meatier" than the movie. The first two books are featured in the film without anything really cut out, so that's where the differences start and the books become more worthwhile than the movie.

[megladon8]

I'm really surprised that so many here liked this one.

I was expecting to come on here and find lots of hatred. Cool to be in the majority here.


I'm really liking this semi sub-genre of films that are like live-action cartoons. This, Speed Racer, Kung Fu Hustle, Sin City to an extent.

I like the focus on visual inventiveness.

[BuffaloWilder]

He also cheats liberally, has a history of 'stealing' Scott's sister's boyfriends, and some dialogue about the 'gay code' makes this not just his characteristic but part of his gay nature or something. But what actually bothered me most was the film's handling of Ramona's involvement with Roxy. A very big deal is made of it, and she justifies this relationship the hardest, making absolutely clear that she has no homosexual inclinations anymore. And of course, Scott doesn't actually have to fight her, because she's a girl.

He doesn't cheat - it's obviously an open, polyamorous situation, evidenced by the fact that he and all of the other guys are in the same bed, at the same time. Him stealing Scott's sister's boyfriend - well, I don't know why that has anything to do with him being gay. He's rogue-ish, and just the type of guy who would do that, because he can. Meaning, if that were, say, Stephen Still's girlfriend or whatever other inconsequential character, the action would still have the same narrative ramifications that it did, on him. And, I don't remember anything about a 'gay code' in the film.

But, women ( and men ) do go through experimental phases - that's a big part of college life, even. I don't see why that's such a big deal, or why this is such a complaint for you when some of Roxy's anger in that scene comes from the fact that Ramona has discarded their relationship so flippantly.

Also, like Raiders mentioned earlier, the film's got no problem with Scott having to fight her. Scott does, and it's something that both Ramona and Roxy call him out for, in that very same scene. The film is, in basic terms, "on their side," as far as that goes.

[megladon8]

There are so many little moments in this movie that made me cackle with laughter.

When they're in the battle of the bands with Crash and the Boyz, and they introduce themselves (and their female drummer), and Kieran Culkin shouts from the balcony "is that girl a boy, too?" :lol:


When the Vegan Police (Thomas Jane and Clifton Collins, Jr.) do a jumping high five and "YEAH!" while running away after Scott defeats Todd :lol:


"That's actually hilarious." :lol:


"I'm in lesbians with you." :lol:

[megladon8]

I partake in not the meat, nor the breast milk, nor the ovum, of any creature...with a face.

[MadMan]

Most of the movie's one-liners make me laugh.

"You made me swallow my gum! That's going to be in my digestive tract for seven years!"

"You're pretentious, this club sucks, I have beef. Let's do it."

"We are Sex Bob-Omb and we are here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff."

"This song is for the guy who keeps yelling from the balcony and it's called "We Hate You, Please Die."-Probably my favorite moment, as the band decides to make up a song on the spot just because Wallace won't shut up.

[Spun Lepton]

Not sure I understand the criticism of the "you want to fight me for her" line (and the implication that women are a prize to be won). I mean, wasn't it pretty clear that this was a film version of Mario fighting Bowser to save Princess Peach?

It's also a mistake to assume any piece of dialogue uttered by any character is meant to reflect the attitude or opinions of the filmmakers. If I recall, too, the character that said it was the antagonist.

[megladon8]

It's also a mistake to assume any piece of dialogue uttered by any character is meant to reflect the attitude or opinions of the filmmakers. If I recall, too, the character that said it was the antagonist.


Yes, and he's shown as a sexist, selfish douchebag.


But I thought the whole final boss / rescue the princess thing was pretty clear.

[StanleyK]

Very good, but not something I feel will hold up particularly well

I was wrong about this, yo. I watched it again last night and I liked it even more. While I still have mostly the same complaints, it was more entertaining this time around, and its biggest strength is so good. That's Edgar Wright, of course. The man knows the right way to make a movie with super-fast editing: it's not fast to pander to the ADD crowd, it's fast because in conjunction with its carefully crafted images, it provides just the right rhythm for unfolding Scott Pilgrim's story at about his own pace. I offer this analysis of a scene (http://bigother.com/2010/08/26/scott-pilgrim-vs-inception-for-the-future-of-the-cinematic-imagination) as an example.




And, I don't remember anything about a 'gay code' in the film.

I would agree with the rest of your point now; however, there definitely is such a line:

"Hey, I didn't write the gay rulebook! If you've got a problem, take it up with Liberace's ghost"


Also, the film has no problem hitting a girl, Scott does.


Also, like Raiders mentioned earlier, the film's got no problem with Scott having to fight her. Scott does, and it's something that both Ramona and Roxy call him out for, in that very same scene. The film is, in basic terms, "on their side," as far as that goes.

I do think that the movie has problems with Scott fighting a girl. If it didn't, he actually would have, you know, fought her, instead of it being Ramona fighting her (seriously, what?), and him being given an easy way out (hilarious as her final line was, it's problematic).

[KK2.0]

I'm really surprised that so many here liked this one.

I was expecting to come on here and find lots of hatred. Cool to be in the majority here.

Does anyone here not like any Edgard Wright movie? I'm curious.

[transmogrifier]

Does anyone here not like any Edgard Wright movie? I'm curious.

Me.
This one.

[Spinal]

Does anyone here not like any Edgard Wright movie? I'm curious.

Hot Fuzz is not good.

[Pop Trash]

Hot Fuzz is not good.

What? That's his best one.

[Raiders]

Hot Fuzz is not good.

Weirdo.

[Spinal]

IMO ... emoticon ... lol ... etc.

[Raiders]

IMO

Oooooh. Why didn't you say so?

[Thirdmango]

Hot Fuzz is in my top 5 of all time. :P

[EyesWideOpen]

Hot Fuzz is not good.

I wouldn't go quite that far but it is his weakest by a big margin.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I wouldn't go quite that far but it is his weakest by a big margin.

I can get on board with this statement. I moderately enjoyed it, but have no desire to see it again.

[Boner M]

Hot Fuzz is his best by a wide margin, you fucking sillies.

[Derek]

DISAGREES!

Scott Pilgrim is his best and Sean of the Dead is the weakest. Take that internets! *runs*

[Bosco B Thug]

Hot Fuzz has the best premise/story/thematics, but it's the most uneven and isn't as stylistically captivating as the other two?

[EyesWideOpen]

I can get on board with this statement. I moderately enjoyed it, but have no desire to see it again.

I even rewatched it recently to see if I would feel differently and I felt exactly the same. It's moderately entertaining but nothing like Shaun or Scott.

[transmogrifier]

1. Shaun of the Dead
2. Hot Fuzz






3. Scott Pilgrim

The end.

[Sxottlan]

Scott Pilgrim is his best and Sean of the Dead is the weakest. Take that internets! *runs*

Agreed. I think he's getting better with each consecutive film. Makes me very curious about Ant-Man.

[Fezzik]

I guess I am in the minority. I liked Hot Fuzz a lot more than Shaun of the Dead.

Not that i disliked Shaun, i just found Fuzz to be quite a bit funnier.

[number8]

I'm sure Armond White can settle this debate.

[Dukefrukem]

Hot Fuzz has the best premise/story/thematics, but it's the most uneven and isn't as stylistically captivating as the other two?

This.

1. Scott
1. Shaun
3. HF

or

Scott = Shaun > HF

[NickGlass]

Shaun is fun genre-spinning amusement. Hot Fuzz is sort of brutal and resembles Wright's worst need to incessantly and tediously allude without actually making a compelling, autonomous film. Scott Pilgrim matches Wright's fast-flying-ideas style the best and ohgoditssofunandinnovativeandi loveit.

[number8]

By the way:

http://i.imgur.com/JGn1E.jpg

[Raiders]

I think they are all equally awesome. So there.

[megladon8]

DISAGREES!

Scott Pilgrim is his best and Sean of the Dead is the weakest. Take that internets! *runs*


Misspelling the main character's name in the title doesn't do a whole lot validating your opinion.

Can't wait for your thoughts on The Dark Night Rises.

[Spun Lepton]

Misspelling a the main character's name in the title doesn't do a whole lot validating your opinion.

Can't wait for your thoughts on The Dark Night Rises.

I love Chauncy Noran.

[Spinal]

I guess I am in the minority. I liked Hot Fuzz a lot more than Shaun of the Dead.

Not that i disliked Shaun, i just found Fuzz to be quite a bit funnier.

Probably because you don't watch horror movies.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I think they are all equally awesome. So there.

Pick a favorite, you cowaaaaard!

[Boner M]

Probably because you don't watch horror movies.
I watch more horror movies than you and I liked HF more than SofD. Nyah.

[Fezzik]

Probably because you don't watch horror movies.

You know, that's something i hadnt even considered. A valid point.

10 points to Gryffindor! :lol:

[Spinal]

I watch more horror movies than you and I liked HF more than SofD. Nyah.

Wouldn't you agree that a working knowledge and appreciation of horror movies is helpful to enjoying a satire of horror movies?

[Boner M]

Wouldn't you agree that a working knowledge and appreciation of horror movies is helpful to enjoying a satire of horror movies?
Yeah, but I dunno in the case of SotD. It's really just a funny zombie film to me; none of the best parts have much to do with genre satire.

[Spun Lepton]

1. Shaun
2. Scott Pilgrim
3. Hot Fuzz

tah-dah

[Derek]

Misspelling the main character's name in the title doesn't do a whole lot validating your opinion.

True. You showed me.

[Dukefrukem]

1. Shaun
2. Scott Pilgrim
3. Hot Fuzz

tah-dah

I don't know why, but I laughed out loud after reading "tah-dah".

[Yxklyx]

"I'm in Lesbians with you" > Shaun of the Dead

[Dead & Messed Up]

Saw this today. Occasionally put off by its too-rapid pace and insane level of abstraction (the film is essentially the fever dream of Scott Pilgrim), and I wasn't impressed by Cera (it's funny how poorly he holds the screen against Routh and Evans), but Wright's energy...it's really hard to not get swept up in the spirit of the film, which is so confident and alive.

I was wrong. The pace is a virtue. The abstraction the entire point. Cera is very good. And this movie is fucking phenomenal.

[Spun Lepton]

I was wrong. The pace is a virtue. The abstraction the entire point. Cera is very good. And this movie is fucking phenomenal.

Yeah, it really grew on me the second time around.

[MadMan]

For some reason, despite having viewed the trailer before seeing the movie, I was still surprised when the first evil ex-boyfriend busted out into a song and dance number. I guess I should have known better, but I will admit I still have not read the comics. Does this movie almost count as a musical? I'd say it comes close, to a degree.

Also now that I think about it, Cera's as Scott>Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg. There's just something more interesting about Cera's performance as opposed to Eisenberg's. They are practically the same kind of actor, however.

[eternity]

Scott Pilgrim the character in the book is much more interesting than Cera as Scott in the film.

Pretty sure Eisenberg's Zuckerberg doesn't have that problem.

[KK2.0]

Hot Fuzz has the best premise/story/thematics, but it's the most uneven and isn't as stylistically captivating as the other two?

Although I love all three movies my opinion on HF is pretty much the same.

I've read the SP comics prior to watching it so it spoiled me, for better and for worse, since the film is enjoyable and well done, true to the spirit of the original i liked it, but it fell short in certain aspects in comparison.

And I absolutely adore SOTD, i've watched it several times.

for me SOTD > HF=SP