Soo... just watched Scott Pilgrim last night. Afterwards, I wrote this.
After just watching Scott Pilgrim vs. The World for the first time, only one thing can be said about it. It is made for nerds and gamers and as such might be one of the greatest movies of all time for said nerds and gamers. One would be amazed and awed at all the little references put in. Some are blatantly obvious, while others are slightly more hidden, much like collectibles in a video games. Now let’s get in-depth, shall we?
First off, the musical score. It’s a mix of hard rock, classic game tunes, and new chiptuned awesomesauce. It’s a mix that works beautifully together, and the transitions are top-notch between songs. On top of that, every song is well-suited to each scene. Also, since it’s a movie that heavily references video games, sound effects are also a major element. Whether it’s the secret passage revelation sound from the Zelda games or a generic 1up sound effect, these effects are well placed throughout the film to add emphasis to things that would otherwise be unappreciated.
Next up in this review are the visual effects. The average film has effects that have been used so much they’re quite generic now. Explosions, glow, you name it most films probably have it. What Scott Pilgrim has to offer is the type of effects more often found in the realm of gaming. Score tallies, extra lives, level names… these are what one will find in Scott Pilgrim. In addition, some scenes display a nice hand-drawn comic style, or just feature faces that are of that style. On top of that, other things that one wouldn’t see in the average movie are found such as enemies exploding into coins, random doors appearing out of nowhere, words describing sound effects comic-book style, and graphical indicators indicating the intensity of the music.
The fight scenes also display a style very reminiscent of comic books and graphic novels. No surprise there, as the movie is based on one. Regardless, it works extremely well for these scenes. These are also over-the-top with the fighting high into the air, signs that say VS or health bars, and even special moves! If any gamer wanted to see the love child of a Hollywood blockbuster and the latest video game, this would be it.
The tertiary review point is the story. Sure, it may be the generic love story at its core, but that’s after stripping away several dozens of layers. There is a lot more going on here than just the average boy-meets-girl story. This is boy-meets-girl-then-meets-another-girl-and-reluctantly-dumps-the-first-and-has-to-fight-the-second’s-seven-evil-exes-while-also-remaining-in-a-band-and-keeping-his-friends-in-the-process-among-other-things. As was said before, a lot more going on than the average story.
Lastly, since the movie is so similar to a video game, rewatchability will be discussed. That may not have been a word before, but it is now! With all the hidden little things in all the various scenes, this is a movie that can be watched over and over again. Not only that, but all the stuff that is a blatant thumbs-up to geek culture in general is awesome enough to show again. This is easily a movie that will see tens, if not hundreds, of plays in the future.
In conclusion, there are several categories that one might fall in, and if they are in these they have to see this film. Among them are nerd, gamer, comic geek, otaku, anime fan, cartoon buff, and manga reader. There are many more groups that one might fall under, but they should still see this film. It is easily one of the best movies in a long time, a refreshing change of pace, and a great watch. As such, it receives the highest of recommendations from this writer! Go see it as soon as you are able!! Until next time, game on!
Yeah, it's a copypaste article. Still, it's true.
