Where to begin, where to begin?
How about the Beginning? (Good Idea, Brooklyn)
There are few movies that when you see the company logo you are already geeking out. Star Wars with Lucasfilm Ltd., Watchmen with the WB/DC on yellow, and Scott Pilgrim with the 8-Bit Universal Logo. As soon as it started I began smiling, and thankfully that smile didn't fade for quite some time.
I am very pleased that the movie didn't beat aroudn the bush and establish each character with added exposition, like the books you are planted smack dab in the middle of Scott's first romantic arc, Knives. From there most of the plot is the same as the books, but perhaps viewed through a fun house mirror: Everything is there, but the way it is viewed is quite different. Scenes are kept mostly intact, but scenes like the Lucas Lee fight are editted to add MORE referencial humor (is that possible?) to the world of SP vs TW. As a rabid Warriors fan, this scene made me geekgasm a little. The Exes are faced and each are given sufficient screen time, like an episode of Seinfeld the background characters get equal screen time, but the movie is no doubt about Scott and his Precious Little Life.
I have no major gripes with the changes, unlike some that happened to another comic book movie this year (Jetpack anyone?) these changes don't overshadow the movie, change the tone, or ruin the realism (In that OTHER movie). These changes are like adding a garnish lettuce to a dinner platter, no change in the quality of the dinner, but the presentation only becomes that much better.
Now, to the characters and those who portrayed them. First up... Kieran Caulkin stole this movie. For me he didn't steal the books, but this movie was his. (Sorry Cera) [He'll get over it]. From the very beginning Kieran captured the cockiness and dry humor that makes Wallace wells the coolest Gay character ever (Other than Adrian Veidt) [That was never proven].
Michael Cera, it's hard to imagine it's only been three years since we saw him trying to deliver liquor to a party with Jonah Hill, (Longer still since he was George Michael... but... that's not relevant). since that time we've only seen young Mr. Cera play Young Mr. Cera, but I think he finally has changed that here. I will admit, I was on the fence when I heard Cera was playing Pilgrim, I hadn't read the books, but I doubted that he would be anything other than himself. He shows all the emotions that Scott does in the books, and plays that perfect blend of Innocent Asshole that is required to translate this character to the screen.
Also, I would fail in my duties as giving a review if I didn't talk about the movie's biggest bag of adorable crazy... Ellen Wong. Every body know's a Knives Chau, that high school girl who thinks she's mature enough to know everything about love, but in her ignorance she is little more than a stalker. To play a character like that still takes talent, much like Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder folly of going "full retard" Wong could have gone "full stalker" but she didn't. She had an edge of innocence, a pinch of sadness, and a cute likeability that helped her not be that creepy stalker chick, but a stalker chick you felt sorry for.
The rest of the cast was also solid, but I don't feel like they need full analysis. Winstead was what I expected Ramona to be, Pill made up for her (well, I don't know how to say this and not seem like a total ass) physical cuteness as Kim with her solid funniness and unique take on the voicing, I always thought Kim would be more on the emotional range of Scott, and not Data, but it worked. Like I said before, it was like a Seinfeld episode where all the background characters got their fair time, but Cera remained the focus.
Edgar Wright is a genius. Spaced shows that, every episode seems like a mini moive of amazingness. (Tiny Epics of Epic Epicness, if you will) Look at his visual knods in SotD and HF and you know he know's film. Even on the show Asylum his genius shines. I can't say anything that good that hasn't been said about this guy.
Overall, the movie works. The humor is very present. The quirky characters are shown in an amazingly vibrant Toronto. I say congrats to all involved, they made one hell of a movie, and one hell of a great adaptation.
Dr. Brooklyn Says: LIKE this movie (9/10) on the like scale
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