Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a Solid 10

I cannot remember the last time I had as much fun at the movie theater as I did with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Venturing a guess, I'd probably have to say it was watching Hot Fuzz, which was a riot! What do both film have in common, aside from being absolutely hilarious? Well, they are both directed by Edgar Wright, for one. They are also both quickly climbing up my list of favorite films.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a great film on so many levels, but the one thing that strikes me every time I watch it is how much it resonates with my generation, which makes sense since creator Bryan Lee O'Malley was is only two years older than myself. The world he created and that Wright brought to life on the big screen is permeated with so many cultural references and overtones that it fits like a custom made shoe.

Without a doubt the biggest motif is the gamer (Nintendo) motif, which you can easily say is part of the frame to the Scott Pilgrim world. The film (and comic) are chuck full of Nintendo references, from the name of the band that Scott plays is (the Sex Bob Oms) to the coins Scott collects when he wins a fight. Yes, there was Atari and CalecoVision before Nintendo, but my generation literally grew up side-by-side with the home gaming system – Nintendo (NES) debuted in 1985/1986. Then right around middle school came the Super Nintendo (still awesome by the way), followed by the N64 my freshman year of high school and Goldeneye parties ruled the day. Then during college game the Nintendo GameCube and once firmly into adulthood came the Nintendo Wii. All those countless hours of game playing growing up pretty much assure that my my peers and I have a much greater appreciation for the video game references that litter the film's landscape that other demographics. In that sense, watching the film is liking hanging out with an old friend and the laughs come easily.

The story follows unemployed 22 year old Toronto native Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), who is getting plenty of grief from his band mates, roommate and sister about the fact that he is dating a 17 year old, Asian, Catholic high school girl named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Of course, they attribute this to him still not having gotten over being dumped by his ex-girlfriend who is now a hugely successful rock star. Then, quite suddenly, Scott runs into what he believes is the girl of his dreams, the enigmatic American Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). As Scott is warned early on, “She's got some battle scars, dude!”

Quite rashly (and with little thought for Knives) Scott relentlessly pursues Ramona only to discover that if he wants to be with her, he must defeat all of her seven evil exes, aka the “League of Evil Exes”, in mortal combat. Plenty of action and hilarity ensue. Will Scott be able to defeat them all? Will Scott learn some important life lessons about relationships? You'll have to watch.

Not only is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World a homerun for nostalgia, but as a comedy it is fast paced and sharp as hell! Just about every scene has a great line or bit of physical humor and the excellent casting only amplifies it. Unlike so many cheap comedies of today, the jokes hold up to repeat viewing because they are clever, well timed and well delivered, not cheap and predictable. I've seen it five times now and I find myself laughing every time. When it comes to comedy, when it is done well, it is timeless and that's how feel about this film.

Along with the comedy, this film also meshes in plenty of action seemingly without effort. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. The action is excellent, but once I watched the “Making Of” documentary on the DVD, I really gained a better appreciation for it. The actors did most of their own stunt work and the prep work that went into this film was serious, top notch stuff! As a final product, it's pretty evident that a lot of love went into making it, something that you only get when the cast and crew really care about what they are doing; that they weren't treating it as just another job. It was a job well done.

So we have an action comedy that plays to the Nintendo motif and that is entertaining. As great as all that is, I think perhaps the most impressive element to this film is the cinematography, visual effects and editing. The editing in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is phenomenal! I really cannot overstate how well it flows visually – it is a visual feast! It is beautifully imagined and richly populated, drawing you in almost immediately and never letting up until the credits roll. The action scenes are fast, furious and as much fun as any film you'll find. The color palettes make expert use of both subdued and vibrant tones creating an awesome hybrid of reality and fantasy, and it all works together flawlessly! The locations feel authentic and yet larger than life at the same time, very much like the comic book world on which it is based.

Ultimately the film comes across on the screen as hugely entertaining ride that you want to go on again very soon. Not surprisingly, I give Scott Pilgrim vs. the World 10/10!

Paging Dr. Bishop - You Need to Be Watching Fringe

Something awesome is happening on Friday nights on Fox. How much longer that will be the case is anyone's guess, but one thing is for sure – if you're a science fiction fan and you haven't been watching Fringe, you've been doing yourself a huge disservice! Fringe might be best described as the second coming of the X-Files, minus the space aliens and plus one enormously entertaining mad scientist in the form of Dr. Walter Bishop. It is an hour a week well spent!

The show deals with an FBI teams' struggle to contain the damage done by Dr. Bishop's scientific endeavors some three decades ago when he was working as part of a highly classified government program run out of a Harvard University basement. By damage we're talking about altered reality, polluted time line and inter-dimensional deterioration. Just the small stuff. Nothing that some serious sleuthing, suspension of disbelief and mind-altering drugs can't fix. Or so one would hope.

Pseudo or “fringe” science may be the plot vehicle for Fringe, but the story is really that of the personal struggle of Dr. Walter Bishop, brilliantly played by John Noble, to mend the damage his own pride, hubris and ambition has caused. However, there is one slight problem standing in the way of Walter simply cleaning up his mess – after 17 years of being institutionalized (following an accident involving the death of a test subject), he is damaged goods. Oh yeah and he has had large chunks of his memory stolen by his former lab partner, billionaire entrepreneur William Bell. Bell, unfortunately, is “out of the country”.

As everyone involved learns, it is hard to fix a problem when you can't recall all the elements to the cause. It also doesn't help when your best resource is so eccentric that only his estranged son can translate his ramblings. Walter's son Peter (Joshua Jackson) is called upon to accompany his father following his release from St. Claire's Mental Institution and suddenly finds himself in the middle of a very bizarre ride that is Walter.

Throughout all “the pattern” investigations and laboratory adventures, a real, if not somewhat dysfunctional, family is born that includes Walter, Peter and FBI agents Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) and Astrid Farnsworth (Jasika Nicole). Naturally there is sexual tension between Peter and Olivia, but also the caring friendship that develops between Walter and Astrid is genuinely touching and well executed and the strained father-son relationship between Walter and Peter provides for excellent drama week in and week out. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Everything appears to be intertwined.

Getting back to why you should be watching, John Noble's turn as Walter is brilliant! He delivers a nuanced performance that jumps between confident, frightened, silly, frustrated and remorseful at the drop of a hat... or in the case of events in Fringe, the other shoe. But above all, Walter's character is fun throughout. No wonder he is a fan favorite. I also give lots of credit to Joshua Jackson who does a great job as Peter in his dealings with both Walter and Olivia. Anna Torv has continually gotten stronger as Olivia throughout.

Now in it's third, very strong season, Fringe finds itself relegated to Fox's notorious Friday night “death slot”, faced with the threat of imminent cancellation. In response, Fringe has been getting lots of positive buzz from a grassroots effort being put forth by the fan base in an attempt to save it and gain in renewal for a fourth season. What I can say is that everyone I have introduced to the show enjoys it. This includes my sister (not your usual viewer of this genre) and my mother!

Beyond the threat of losing a high quality show, some industry experts also argue that the death of Fringe may indeed be the death of the science fiction genre on network television, as it would be just the latest victim in a litany of genre shows canceled during the past decade. So as a science fiction fan, you really do owe it to yourself to get involved with a great show and help preserve the genre for the future.

If we end up losing Fringe this spring, it will be a truly unfortunate loss but I will be happy to have enjoyed the ride from the very first episode. It is certainly a show I will never forget.

Tune in Friday nights at 8pm (Central) on Fox!!!

Matrix 4 and 5 Hoax A Close Call... TOO Close

So the story reported first at AICN and then over at IO9 today that Keanu Reeves said he was working with the Wachowskis on scripts for Matrix 4 and 5 films was quickly given the hoax tag. Apparently, someone with connections to the story did some follow-up only to be told that the alleged speech Keanu gave never happened at all. WHEW!

It is fairly amusing that someone would so quickly dig around to confirm/deny this story, but I think their motivations are perfectly understandable, since they reflect what a lot of other film-goers were collectively thinking - PLEASE, DEAR GOD, NO!

Quite frankly, the scenario in which the Wachowskis go back and make additional sequels just seems too plausible with today's Hollywood... you know, the one where anything is fair game for the sequel treatment? Let's put it this way - if George Lucas can go back and make a fourth Indiana Jones outing with a 60-something Harrison Ford, Shia LeBouf and space aliens, you know that anything is possible. And it isn't for the best. Hell, even Tron got the sequel treatment 30 years on and people aren't exactly singing its praises.

I am of the opinion that The Matrix didn't need sequels to begin with; it stood very well on its own. The Matrix Reloaded was "ok" but then came The Matrix Revolutions and any goodness of Reloaded was flushed away into a sea of convoluted, confusing and unnecessary plot. Maybe that is why RottenTomatoes had it rated at 36%. Most people I talk to don't have much positive to say about the sequels and even the steadfast fans need to work harder than they should to put a positive spin to them. So when rumors fly that more installments are coming to a theater near you, possibly in 3D, people cringe because the precedent certainly is there for serious disappointment.

Well, for now, crisis is averted! Audiences want more new, good ideas for movies and not necessarily more sequels and expensive 3D romps. If we're all good boys and girls, maybe that's what we'll get.

True Grit Surprisingly Unimpressive

Maybe it was inevitable. After absolutely loving No Country For Old Men, perhaps there was no avoiding a letdown with my next Coen Brothers film viewing. It really doesn't matter wondering in the end. The simple fact is that I was unimpressed. It may even be safe to say that I was almost uninterested as well.

I was interested in seeing True Grit. The early buzz I heard was positive, with plenty of praise for Jeff Bridges' turn as Rooster Cogburn; there is no denying that he was entertaining as the eccentric US Marshall. I was even pleasantly surprised by Hailee Steinfeld's performance as the young, yet determined Mattie Ross! I think that is why it was so surprising to me that with two strong leads, great directors and an intriguing premise it just felt so bland as a final product. It just didn't deliver for me.

Now I must admit that I have not seen the original version starring John Wayne, so it isn't that I am comparing it to that. No, the Coen's version just felt hollow somehow, as if the recipe of great ingredients just didn't gel. The tense moments never really felt tense, the punch was missing from dramatic moments and the action didn't stir any bit of excitement in me. To be perfectly honest, I found the final confrontation to be rather boring. I just didn't connect with these characters, despite the capable performances that were delivered (except for Matt Damon whom I just found distracting somehow).

Even as I write this review I keep wanting to like this film more, but I can't. Normally if I don't rate a film high I will really delve into the things that I didn't like and flesh them out and explain why I didn't care for it. With True Grit I can't really do it because there wasn't any one thing was technically bad. It just wasn't fun and at the end of the day, that counts for as much as anything. The phrase I keep using to describe this film to friends is "filmmaking by numbers". If you have a coloring book and you stay inside all the lines and the colors are well chosen, the final product may be technically well done, but it still isn't true art. In the case of True Grit, I think it was the "grit" that was missing. 6/10

System Back Online!

Ok. So I'm going to start doing movie reviews again. I realize that I have left this blog to wither and rot for quite a long time now, which is unfortunate because apparently comments came in after I took my leave. Turns out at least some people were reading this (and apparently enjoying it) and I left you with nothing. Dick move on my part. I got busy with other things, got apathetic towards it and, quite frankly, hit a lull in my movie watching. Well, stuff like that happens I guess, but I've had this nagging thought in the back of my mind for awhile now to start it up again. And since I have quit Facebook I suppose I need a new online activity. Writing like this is probably healthier anyway. It is fortunate, then, that this page still exists and I don't have to start over from scratch.

Hopefully, if you are reading this, you have also returned. I cannot make any statement at this time as to how frequently I'll post or even the format I'll use. I'm planning on continuing my standard reviews, but I'll probably also have more shorter posts that talk about various subjects in tidbits rather than entrees. It's probably easier that way and will help me better keep this thing current.

So, welcome back and I hope you enjoy the posts to come.