Throwback Thursday Review: 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'

Sorry for the delay on this review as it was originally supposed to be uploaded last Fall and was then set to be published last Thursday... Anyways, the initial intention of reviewing Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was to review all of Edgar Wright's films. My planned reviews for the rest of the month include Throwback Thursday Reviews of Blade and the 1990 It miniseries and reviews of recent/upcoming releases Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Early Man, Black Panther, Mute, and Annihilation. Some 2017 films I missed out on that I'll be reviewing in the near future are Colossal, The Boss Baby, The Lost City of Z, Wonder, and The Florida Project.

'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' Review

In Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Scott Pilgrim is a shy, awkward Canadian bass guitarist who plays with his friends in their rock band called Sex Bob-Omb. His current girlfriend is a seventeen year old Chinese Catholic School student named Knives Chau, and the two don't do much together aside from riding the bus, browsing CDs in a music store, and playing Ninja Ninja Revolution at the local arcade. Needless to say, Pilgrim's not content with his lackluster love life. It's then no surprise that he falls head-over-heels for the mysterious and alluring new girl on the block, Ramona Flowers, only to discover that he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to win her heart. 

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a film based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series, directed by Edgar Wright. Wright was also responsible for co-writing the screenplay alongside Michael Bacall, and the eccentric nature of the source material resonates throughout the film thanks to their contribution. Everything from awkward character interactions to the delightful dialogue feels in keeping with something you'd find in a graphic novel or a video game, which is something that's only further accentuated by the film's unconventional aesthetic. 

Visually, the film draws a lot of inspiration from video games and comic books with digitized sound effects and illustrated onomatopoeia accompanying every punch. This hyper-stylized approach lends itself well to the well-choreographed, energetic action, as it enables the fight sequences to stand apart from everything audiences are accustomed to. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World moves at a breakneck pace so the action sequences are quick and quirky, and this in large part to the frenetic editing from Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss. While I consider the lightning fast pacing to be a detriment to the story, I can't deny that it enhanced the action sequences. 

Where Scott Pilgrim vs. the World falls short of Wright's other work is that it moves by so quickly that the characters don't feel fully realized. Therefore, I've always found it difficult to completely invest myself in them because you hardly get to know them. For the most part, they're portrayed as one-dimensional individuals due to the constraints of the source material, and so you're more likely to be enraptured by the personalities than anything else. 

Front and center, Michael Cera plays Scott Pilgrim to be an incredibly awkward protagonist, and it works perfectly because it's the Michael Cera schtick. The role was tailor-made for an actor as intrinsically uneasy as Cera, so naturally he knocks it out of the park. Opposite Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead imbues Ramona with a tough attitude and enough intrigue to justify Scott's initial infatuation. However, when it's all over, she's still a closed book and you're left wondering exactly why Scott would think she was worth risking his life. I understand he's fascinated by her and the two have fostered a physical connection, but in reality, it seems like they hardly know one another. Ramona feels far more removed and less interested in the relationship than Scott is, and it really puts a damper on their chemistry. Meanwhile, Ellen Wong does an excellent job depicting Knives Chau as an obsessive, over-protective girlfriend. 

When it's all said-and-done, Kieran Culkin is the stand-out, as he probably steals every scene he's in with his sensational sarcasm. It's impossible not to laugh anytime he's putting down Scott. Scattered among the remaining ensemble are an interesting mixture of recognizable faces and actors I'm otherwise unfamiliar with including Aubrey Plaza, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, and Johnny Simmons. 

Ramona's seven evil exes, also referred to as the League of Evil Exes, are composed of Matthew Patel, Lucas Lee, Roxy Richter, Todd Ingram, Kyle and Ken Katayanagi, and Gideon Graves who are portrayed by Satya Bhabha, Chris Evans, Mae Whitman, Brandon Routh, Keita Saitou, Shôta Saitô, and Jason Schwartzman respectively. Each ex has their time to shine, but Evans and Routh are easily the most memorable of the bunch. 

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is undoubtedly Wright's wackiest and wildest film to date, but I can't help but consider it to be one of his weakest films as well... I'm well aware that most cherish it as their favorite Edgar Wright film, but I've never quite latched onto it like others have. Either way, it's still an absurdly entertaining arcade-esque experience.

Film Assessment: B+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'The World's End'

Sorry for the delay on this review as it was originally supposed to be uploaded in the Fall along with about seven other Throwback Thursday Reviews... Since January and February are a bit barren for major motion picture releases, I've decided to just review most of those films in that timeframe. You can expect most to go online on a particular Thursday, but some will crop up randomly as I view them. Anyways, this week I'm reviewing The World's End. As explained previously, it doesn't really tie into anything this week, but my original intention was to review Edgar Wright's entire filmography last year. Posts you should look forward to in the next four weeks include my Star Wars Speculation spoiler review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Throwback Thursday Reviews of The Shining, the 1990 It miniseries, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Blade, reviews of new releases 12 Strong, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Winchester, Peter Rabbit, The 15: 17 To Paris, Early Man, and Black Panther, and two posts regarding the upcoming Oscar nominations (this will make more sense Monday). Some 2017 films I missed out on that I'll probably be reviewing fairly soon are Phantom Thread, Mudbound, Colossal, The Lost City of Z, and The Florida Project.

'The World's End' Review

The World's End follows five friends as they're reunited by the immature adult Gary King to partake in the legendary Golden Mile and drink their way through 12 pubs in their hometown, Newton Haven. At the end lies The World's End, and King's willing to do whatever it takes to reach the final destination... Even if that means fighting an android army!

The World's End is the third and final installment in Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, an anthology series of parody films including Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Each entry in the trilogy is directed by Wright, written by Wright and Simon Pegg, produced by Nira Park, and stars Pegg and Nick Frost. There's virtually no connective tissue between the three films aside from the aforementioned talent and the prominent inclusion of Cornetto ice-cream, so you really don't NEED to see one film in order to watch the others. At this point, Pegg and Frost had taken on zombies and a psychotic neighborhood watch alliance... so what was next? Android aliens, of course!

Wright and Pegg have a great deal of fun with the politically correct nature of naming these extra terrestrials. You can't call them robots because robot means "slave," so the friends draw a blank... And naturally, that's what they come to be known as... blanks! Of course, the humor is overtly British and totally in keeping with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz's comedic sensibilities. Edgar Wright is easily one of the most distinct directors working today, and he once again manages to put a unique spin on a familiar premise as he'd already given audiences a zom-rom-com (zombie-romantic-comedy) and an ode to buddy cop comedies. The World's End is a story about middle aged men going on a pub-crawl during an alien invasion. Sound crazy? It sure is, but that's not necessarily to the film's detriment. 

In fact, the insanity makes things far more interesting. The action is considerably choreographed, well-captured by Bill Pope, and efficiently edited by Paul Machliss, enabling the film to move at a brisk pace. My main issue is that despite all the sharp humor and silly sequences to be found in The World's End, the film never quite grabbed my attention like the other Cornetto entries. The World's End is not an average ending so much as it's less inspired. On the whole, the story's a bit derivative of Wright's other work and seems to be made for the sake of ending the trilogy. 

Leading the flick, Simon Pegg lets loose as the absurdly irresponsible adult Gary King in stark contrast to his straight man archetype from Hot Fuzz. Since the character isn't written to be particularly likable, it's Pegg's responsibility to wield his natural charisma and ensure audiences can get onboard with King's juvenile behavior, and he nails it!

Pegg is given a slight boost from a strong supporting cast featuring the likes of Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, and Rosamund Pike in roles of varying size and substance. Frost plays it straight as the emboldened Andy Knightley, unlike either of his previous Cornetto roles, and while it works in the confines of the story, his serious character tends to fade into the surroundings on occasion. This is really more of a shame because I enjoy the eccentric nature of his other characters. Freeman, Considine, and Marsan are quite enjoyable in their respective roles and Pike elevates what could have simply been a lazy love interest. Pierce Brosnan and David Bradley each also imbue enough intrigue to their stock characters that you'll be hard-pressed to forget them when all is said-and-done.

After an enlightening abduction, The World's End proved to still be my least favourite of the Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy and Edgar Wright's filmography. I'm not sure that The World's End was the necessary or ideal end to Wright's diverse Cornetto trilogy, but it's sure to offer a good time regardless of if the world's ending or not.  

Film Assessment: B

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Hot Fuzz'

Yes, the Throwback Thursday Review of Inception and the Triple-R over Interstellar from three weeks ago are still not published. I'll do what I can to get both reviews online shortly, but in the meantime I'm continuing my series of Edgar Wright reviews with my thoughts on Hot Fuzz. In case you were not already aware, I'm alternating between reviewing Edgar Wright movies and Steven King adaptations for the next month or so. If you want an idea of what else I'm reviewing for the remainder of August, I intend publishing Throwback Thursday Reviews of Stand By Me, The World's End, and The Shining in addition to reviews of new releases Kidnap, Wind River, The Glass Castle, Logan Lucky, and The Hitman's Bodyguard. 

'Hot Fuzz' Review

Hot Fuzz escorts hot-shot London officer Nicholas Angel as he's reassigned to the small, humdrum countryside village of Sanford because he outshone the entire London police force. Angel has a difficult time adjusting to the quieter surroundings till he discovers a series of conspicuous killings that enables him to rock back into action.

Hot Fuzz is the second chapter in Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, an anthology series of parody films directed by Wright, written by Wright and Simon Pegg, produced by Nira Park, and starring Pegg and Nick Frost including Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End. The films that make up the Cornetto trilogy have virtually no relation to one another aside from director Edgar Wright helming each installment, some common cast members, and notable use of Cornetto ice cream. The Three Flavours signify the three different genres in the trilogy (Zombie romantic comedy, a buddy cop comedy, and an apocalyptic sci-fi comedy) and each film actually utilized a different flavour to represent these three genres (Shaun of the Dead- strawberry for gore, Hot Fuzz- the classic blue wrapper for the police element, and The World's End- green mint chocolate chip to represent aliens). 

Now that I've explained the fundamentals of the Cornetto trilogy, Hot Fuzz is Wright's take on American buddy cop action flicks. Only Wright blends the essential elements with an English environment and some good ol' fashioned British humour to mix things up. Pegg and Wright construct clever circumstances for the jokes to arise and this film never fails to grant me an incessant giggle. The deadpan dialogue's witty, the comedic timing's dead on, and the situational spoof's are ridiculously riotous. I challenge you to get through Hot Fuzz without cracking a smile. It's simply impossible, unless the humor's flying straight over your head. However, that's extremely unlikely.

Wright tips his hat towards American buddy cop features like Point Break and Bad Boys II with not only cheeky references, but in the film's structure. Hot Fuzz is shot and edited to lovingly tease the unnecessary jump-cut edits Michael Bay often employs and Wright even pokes fun at the over-the-top elements these action flicks engage with in their thrilling third acts. Hot Fuzz is a hoot from start-to-finish and you'd be hard pressed to find another spoof as ambitious and endearing as this one. I won't go into the insane shenanigans the film unravels, as to avoid spoiling these events for those who have not yet seen Hot Fuzz.

Simon Pegg plays the straight cop as try-hard, workaholic Nicholas Angel, a complete reversal of the slacker sensibilities he displayed in Shaun of the Dead. Nick Frost on the other hand offers another immature sidekick audiences won't be able to get enough of. Even though dynamic was dynamite to start with, Hot Fuzz proved a significant shake-up could only improve their interactions. An eccentric English ensemble featuring the likes of Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Edward Woodward, Martin Freeman, and Bill Nighy elevate the stock nature of their archetypal characters to stand as consequential characters by the time the yellow tape's been lain out. 

At the end of my investigation, I've found Hot Fuzz to be one of a couple comedies that I can watch endlessly and never grow tired of. The film is currently on Netflix, so sound your sirens and go check it out if you missed out on the hubbub. After a hard-pressed interrogation, I can say Hot Fuzz has locked itself in as my favourite of the Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy, and second favourite Edgar Wright film following Baby Driver. 

Film Assessment: A+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Shaun of the Dead'

You may notice that I've yet to upload the intended Throwback Thursday Review of Inception or the Triple-R over Interstellar from two weeks ago and I promise that is for good reason. An idea came to me when I started writing the Inception review that I simply had to deliver on and I only found time to watch Interstellar this Sunday and have found myself busy since then. You'll understand in due time and I'm sorry that this review is also delayed by about a week. In the meantime, my other reviews should be published around the intended schedule. Last week began my Edgar Wright review series that was initially intended to correspond with the announced release date of Baby Driver. Baby Driver got bumped up to June and I couldn't really find any alternatives to fill the gap so I decided to jump back and forth between reviewing Edgar Wright movies and Steven King adaptations for the coming weeks to tie in with the release of both The Dark Tower and It (2017). So to give you an idea of what else I'm reviewing in that span, I intend publishing Throwback Thursday Reviews of The Shawshank Redemption, Hot Fuzz, Stand By Me, The World's End, The Shining, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in addition to reviews of new releases The Emoji Movie, Atomic Blonde, Detroit, Kidnap, Wind River, The Glass Castle, Logan Lucky, and The Hitman's Bodyguard.

'Shaun of the Dead' Review

In Shaun of the Dead, the titular character Shaun is nearly thirty and lives a relatively regular life. He works at an electronics store, bunks with his lethargic best friend Ed, and makes routine visits to his favorite pub, The Winchester. This irks his girlfriend Liz, who merely wishes he'd get his life together, so when Shaun refuses to abide by her request, she calls it off. However when a sudden zombie apocalypse risks the lives of those Shaun holds dear, he races to win back his ex-girlfriend, save his mum, and wait it all out in The Winchester.

Shaun of the Dead is not your average zombie movie or even a run-of-the-mill rom-com, but rather the most interesting mixture of all those genres. For those familiar with the name Edgar Wright, this would be the project that truly jumpstarted his career and launched him to becoming the king of cult comedies. Wright previously had directed a number of television series and short films in addition to A Fistful of Fingers, a film I didn't even know existed till I perused through his IMDB page, but Shaun of the Dead put him on the map. 

Wright's direction imbues a sense of satire and suspense to keep the ongoing affairs fresh, while the script he penned alongside star Simon Pegg has plenty of excitement to maintain audience engagement. Both Wright and Pegg hail from England so British humour is inventively ingrained into Shaun of the Dead's DNA. The duo mock the monotonous routine of life by practically portraying ordinary citizens as lifeless zombies before any the living dead ever step into frame and then ensuring Shaun remains oblivious to the outbreak because he's too self-centered to notice anything awry. That's just one example of the social satire to be found in Shaun of the Dead, but I guarantee there's loads more!

One of the most impressive aspects about Shaun of the Dead is how well it rides the line between horror and humor.  There are moments of trepidation, but Wright and Pegg understand when it's time for a laugh. When the occasional opportunity arises, Wright and Pegg have a ball playfully parodying George A. Romero's classic zombie movies and interject their own social commentary. The two create instinctive outlets for the comedic relief to burst from, and these jokes land exceptionally well. Elsewhere, Shaun of the Dead succeeds in utilizing practical prosthetics to fabricate eerily realistic zombies, and more importantly investing you in these schmucks. 

Simon Pegg plays Shaun to be an unconventional leading man, he's just an an average guy thrust into an extraordinary situation. Pegg secures a nice niche in being incredibly immature alongside Nick Frost's egregiously lazy Ed, but still comes out as the more level-headed leader among the group. Alongside Pegg, Frost instills a charming demeanor in Ed that really resonates when he's at his silliest. When paired together, Pegg and Frost have a delightful dynamic with killer comedic timing and bang-up rapport that definitely drives the film forward.

Amongst the ensemble, Kate Ashfield's the disapproving ex-girlfriend, Lucy Davis and Dylan Moran are the tag along couple,  Nicola Cunningham is Shaun's dear old mum Mary, and Bill Nighy plays Shaun's despondent stepfather. On paper, the roles come across as caricatures but the actors imbue enough personality to click things together. 

Shaun of the Dead may revolve around the living dead, but it managed to triumphantly breathe new life into spoof movies by deftly handling the precarious balance between horror and humor. Once you evaluate all its accomplishments, it's no surprise that Shaun of the Dead helped position Edgar Wright to be one of the most unique creative voices around. 

Film Assessment: A-

'Baby Driver' Review

Nominated For: Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.

Baby Driver follows the antics of Baby, a gifted getaway driver, as he meets a lovely diner waitress and seeks a way out of the criminal world upon falling in love. Once he's payed off his debt, Baby's brought in for one last job that puts his love, livelihood, and freedom on the line.

Edgar Wright is one of my favorite filmmakers working today because he consistently puts out unique quality content and I can confidently say Baby Driver doesn't disappoint. Baby Driver is the first film to be written and directed by Wright following his departure from Ant-Man, so it's understandable that quite a bit of pressure surrounded Wright on this project. Thankfully, Wright proves he's not out of gas though as he rampantly revs his creative engine and shifts gears to bring audiences a heist film unlike no other.

Baby Driver differentiates itself from the rest of its genre by becoming a jukebox musical straight from the get-go thanks to a kickin' soundtrack. From beginning to end, Baby Driver is driven by music with marvelous meticulously staged set pieces and mere movements choreographed to near perfection. When the action accelerates, the music crescendoes with an encroaching accelerando that will have your heart racing. Wright's song choices not only suit the stunts but often times fit the circumstances of the story as well. The soundtrack featuring the likes of Queen and The Beach Boys enhances the events in a way I'm unsure an orchestrated score possibly could, even though Steven Price composes high caliber pieces for the transitional sequences. 

Every single frame of Baby Driver was conscientiously constructed with the intention of not only matching music but popping with a visual flair you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere else this summer. The editing's exceptional, the cinematography captures the pristine and grungy look of Atlanta perfectly, the color palette's as rich as La La Land, and the practical car chases have more hustle and bustle than any Fast and Furious entry. Also don't discount the auditory arena as I'm assured the sound design showcased won't be topped this year.

To top all of this off, Wright's script is roaring with heart, humor, and unpredictability. You'll think you know exactly how things are gonna play out but Wright will boldly blindside you time and time again till the story seems like it's spiraling out of control. Wright keeps a steady hand on the wheel though, taking audiences on a wild ride they won't soon forget. One element I was rather impressed by was how Wright naturally incorporated the rockin' tunes into his high flying narrative. I always admire when music is not only integrated in a film to sound cool but to serve a story purpose and Baby's funky playlist helps drown out the hum of Baby's tinnitus. But Baby doesn't just listen to these tracks to help him function. He has a clear appreciation for every ditty on his infinite iPods and they fully form Baby as a compelling character. There's a lot more under the surface of Baby than meets the eye and Elgort communicates it all with a poignant balance. 

Ansel Elgort portrays Baby with a cool-headed charm and straight-faced silence. Those may sound contradictory but Elgort makes it work. I believe Elgort is stepping into the leading man phase of his career and I can't wait to see what he has in store. Opposite Elgort, Lily James's Debora exhibits the attitude of the southern sweetheart and will delight the audience the second she strides in the background humming "B-A-B-Y." As for their chemistry, Elgort and James set off a spark the moment they step into frame together with their congenial connection.

The tactical team amassed to pull off the heist changes from job to job but the faces you'll see a majority of the time are Jon Hamm and Eiza González's lovesick Buddy and Darling alongside Jamie Fox's deranged killer Bats. Hamm demonstrates the most range of the bunch as he snaps from a calm, collected criminal to an unhinged psychopath in a matter of seconds. In the back seat, González disdainfully files her nails with troublesome thoughts crossing her mind and Fox is dripping from head-to-toe with shameless swagger.

Kevin Spacey delivers deadpanned dialogue like no-one else as the ringleader Doc, imbuing a cold, calculating demeanor while incorporating a sardonic wit when possible. You're never sure where his loyalties lie so he's a fascinating character in this crazy car chase movie. Filling out the ensemble, Jon Bernthal ensures Griff comes across as a gruff gangster and Brogan Hall cleverly quips his way into a memorable role as Doc's snide nephew Samm.

It's not too often I finish a film eager to watch it again right then and there, but I just knew I had to back up and see Baby Driver again after my first viewing a month ago so I naturally sped into the theater again premiere night. After seeing Baby Driver twice, I'd compare the experience to cruising down an unfamiliar street. You go in search of something fresh and exciting and are pleasantly surprised to discover everything you hoped for, never missing a beat along the way. That's why Baby Driver's now my favorite film from Edgar Wright in addition to being my favorite film released this year.

Film Assessment: A+