Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a heart-warmingly funny love story, but it’s unlike any other you’ve seen before. All the main elements are there: boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy has to fight the girls’ seven evil ex’s to be able to date her, wait… what?
Based on the cult six volume comic by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is Shaun of the Dead director, Edgar Wrights’ most imaginative and visually delightful offering to date.

The Plot

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a 22-year old jobless layabout barely passing off as a bassist for the utterly abysmal Toronto 3-piece grunge band “Sex Bob-Omb” (Super Mario reference anyone?). Quite happy to share an apartment (and bed) with his gay best friend (played by a scene stealing Keiran Culkin), Scott attempts to deal with his painful year old break up by dating high school girl, Knives Chau (Ellen Wong).

It isn’t long however, before Scott falls for the mysterious Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), the new Amazon.ca delivery girl from New York; and that’s when things start to get a little crazy.
No sooner does Scott court the young lady, and her first evil ex-boyfriend crashes through the ceiling during the Battle of the Bands, challenging Scott to a showdown.
Scott soon learns that in order to be able to date the illusive Ramona Flowers, he must first defeat the League of Evil Ex’s; a group comprising of seven of Ramona’s past partners put together by her most recent and evil of ex’s, Gideon Gordon Graves (Jason Schwartzman).

What follows is a non-stop riot of comic humour, quirky characters, and brilliantly inventive fight scenes between Scott and his new nemeses. But the question is, can he defeat them all and win the right to date the captivating Miss Flowers?

The Thoughts

Being a huge fan of the comics, I had doubts at how O’Malley’s masterpiece could possibly be visually represented on the big screen. I feared that the bizarre humour which I had come to love so much, and gaming references (there are plenty of those) would be lost in the transition from page to screen. There’s always an element of risk involved when adapting any book for cinema, but somehow it felt increased when it came to Scott Pilgrim.

Needless to say, my fears were laid to rest in the opening moments of the film when I saw a tacky looking, old game style blocky graphic of the Universal logo spinning around accompanied by midi music. After that it just got better.

Michael Cera played Scott Pilgrim wonderfully. Although he looks completely different to the illustrated Scott, his comic timing is impeccable; and the bumbling, confused, post teen acting he does so well is perfect for the role. More impressive though, is his quick change to ‘fighting-mode’ when in battle. If you’ve seen Youth in Revolt, you’ll know this kid can do more than act nervous.

Most of the other cast members both looked and acted like their comic counter-parts. The most standout for me were Wallace Wells (Keiran Kulkin), Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza) and evil ex Todd Ingram (played by the latest ‘Superman’ Brandon Routh).

What blew me away was the choreography of the fights, and the soundtrack. Music is integral to the Scott Pilgrim comics, with many character names taken from songs or in reference to artists. O’Malley even gives the reader words and chords for some of the songs. To see and hear Sex Bob-Omb, and the other fictional bands, actually play on stage is true indulgence.

With regards to the fight scenes… well… I think ‘epic’ is the only word I can use to do it justice. How else do you describe a fight against a floating fire wielding Indian dude? Or a bass playing vegan with super powers?
In the comics, a fight lasts only a page or two; but Edgar Wright used the screen as a playground to transform those few pages into colourful, visual treats of awesome ass-kicking.

The entire film in fact is a perfect example of how cinema can help to enhance the reading experience. It’s something other directors should look to learn from.  Don’t adapt for the sake of adapting… but bring something new to the table. Show the viewer the world they wish to explore whilst staying true to the source material.

Of course things had to be altered, how else do you fit 6 graphic novels into 115 minutes? But I am happy to report that even the changes were not disappointing. I gladly welcomed the longer fight scenes in place of the somewhat confusing storyline of the 6^th book. Whatever changes were made were done so for the good of the film, and hopefully it will get more people to read the comics and be able to appreciate both stories.

You don’t have to be a fan of video games and comic books to watch this film. Don’t get me wrong, being a geek will certainly help you to appreciate it more; but anyone can enjoy it, whether you’ve read the comics or not. In fact, when I saw it with friends, only two of us had read the comics, and all five of us loved it.
Die-hard fans of books maybe disappointed at the loss of depth or lack screen time of supporting characters, but how much can you fit in to just under two hours? In the case of Scott Pilgrim, allowances should be made.

People keep talking about wanting ‘fresh’ and ‘innovative’ ideas to change cinema. They crave something truly original and never-before-seen. Scott Pilgrim will certainly give them that.
In a time when every book or comic is being turned into a film for the sake of it, Edgar Wright shows that with a lot of passion, and the right cast, there is still a reason to go to the cinema and be surprised.

The Film Buzz Rating: *********½ (9.5/10)

UK Release Date: 25^th August, 2010.

Director: Edgar Wright

Writer’s: Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright. Bryan Lee O’Malley (comic).

Based on the amazing true story of American mountain climber Aron Ralston who goes to extreme measures to free himself after 5 days stuck under a boulder.

James Franco (Spiderman 3) stars as the climber Ralston in a story, that if anything like Boyle’s previous work will have me hooked and unable to turn myself away.

Danny Boyle is one of my all time favourite directors. 28 Days Later is one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen (and if you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to put it on your must-watch list).

127 Hours hits theatres late 2010, I know I will definitely be seeing this – will you?

The Plot

The original toys return for a third adventure when their beloved owner Andy (John Morris), now seventeen years old, prepares to leave home for College. As he bids farewell to his childhood, he packs all of the toys – with the exception of Woody (Tom Hanks) – and intends to store them in his family attic.

Their lives turn kaleidoscopic as Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the team find themselves on an epic journey to return home after Andy’s mother inadvertently leaves them on the kerb to be collected as waste. Woody, not content with being separated from his friends, slips out of his box and attempts to rescue them from their doom, only to end up altogether at a day-care centre as donations.

While the new surroundings appear colourful and welcoming at first, the group become increasingly homesick as the other toys at the centre headed by “Lotso” (Ned Beatty) – an enemy in a warm, huggable disguise – manipulate and entrap Andy’s toys as prisoners. A crestfallen Woody leaps to his greatest endeavours to outsmart the treacherous Lotso and thus successfully take the companions back home.

The Thoughts

Admittedly I am not an eager fan of animated films, however those bearing the ownership name of Walt Disney are certified exceptions. Throwing out the original VHS tapes of the classics from our household was indeed sorrowful, only until they were replaced with newly restored, updated DVD versions which I feel have still managed to capture the “magic” within the discs.

Although the Toy Story franchise may not be considered as one of the timeless Disney “classics”, it certainly attains the sheer entertainment factor along with convincing, relatable characters which audiences of all ages and backgrounds grow to admire. Working with Pixar, the CGI animation is as impressive as anticipated, yet effectively retains its “childlike” imagery with Disney’s typically exaggerated features, excellent voice-overs and a remarkable range of bold, vivid colours.

I chose to watch the film in 2D because I did not want the (sometimes irritating) visual effect of the new craze of 3D cinema to distract me from what I believed was going to be a superb storyline.  I could not agree with the thought of a highly-anticipated Disney animation in 3D, so I listened to my own “Jiminy Cricket” and settled down to watch it in its original format.

The first five minutes were slightly confusing, nevertheless when the camera revealed it as a memoir of a young Andy playing with the toys, I considered it as an appreciative and very effective opening; particularly because that memory acts as the main motive of the toys’ characters throughout the film.

The personification of the toys was unquestionably the height of the film: from the start to the very end. This was a prime example of Disney’s clever manipulation of incorporating “real-life” themes and situations in to each of their motion pictures – one of the traits that makes them appealing to adults as well as children. Inside the theatre l I couldn’t help but notice the infants clapping and giggling on sight of the bright colours, dramatic sounds and inflated facial expressions; while the young adults and parents smirked, laughed out loud and even cried at the occasional innuendo and poignant human emotions portrayed throughout the whole 103 minutes.

Having heard that many adult viewers had wept, sobbed (including twenty-something-year-old males), or felt sincerely moved during Toy Story 3, before I had even watched it myself, I subconsciously remained on the edge of my seat, anticipating a battle with my sentiments but sneaked a few sheets of Kleenex in my pocket, should I surrender.  Soon enough my eyes found themselves shamelessly competing with the Niagara Falls; particularly during the infamous ‘furnace’ scene, where the consistent notions of family, loyalty, courage and acceptance reached their breathtaking climax.

I was creeping towards the shocking realisation that it was the dramatic end of the lovable toys, but I owed my sigh of relief to director Lee Unkrich who saved me from such sadness. I felt my heart strings being “toyed” with as I struggled to convince myself it was no more than a tale of fiction and the characters were mere productions of CGI, yet the emotions that the story had stimulated  were satisfyingly more potent than I had expected. The ending I felt was a suitable one – not quite a tale where everyone “lived happily ever after”, but it reflected the general message of progression and acceptance, almost as if it was a lesson. Reminiscing about it even now stirs many different emotions and thoughts, as I admit defeat to Disney who have yet again created a masterpiece.

The Film Buzz Rating: ********½~ (8.5/10)

UK Release Date: 19th July 2010

Director: Lee Unkrich

Writer’s: Lee Unkrich, Andrew Stanton, John Lasseter (screenplay), Michael Arndt (story)

Se7en and Zodiac director David Fincher will take up the director’s chair, with Jesse Eisenberg playing Facebook billionaire owner Mark Zuckerberg. Justin Timberlake stars as well as Max Minghella and Andrew Garfield. The Social Network hits UK theatres at the end of this year.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: ******~~~~ (6/10)

UK Release Date: Autumn 2010

]]> http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/the-social-network-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/when-in-rome-2010-official-review/ http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/when-in-rome-2010-official-review/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:00:22 +0000 Maz http://www.thefilmbuzz.com/?p=1679 Continue reading →]]> I like Kristen Bell, she’s a young, fresh and talented actress, I’ve enjoyed her work in the past, and I’m sure she’ll continue to make a few more decent movies. Unfortunately When in Rome is one film that I just cannot get on board with.

The Plot

Beth is a young, ambitious New Yorker who is completely unlucky in love. However, on a whirlwind trip to Rome, she impulsively steals some coins from a reputed fountain of love, and is then aggressively pursued by a band of suitors.

The Thoughts

From the opening scenes we get what could be a promising movie, but everything goes downhill from when Bell actually enters Rome for her sister’s wedding. Everything up to this point could well be believable but from the point all those ‘Italian’ losers (played by well-known American actors) fall in love with Bell, I wondered if this movie could ever gain back it’s credibility.

When in Rome is full of unintelligent slapstick beginners comedy that we really shouldn’t call comedy – it’s all been seen before and was quite honestly scraping the bottom of the barrel. I lost count at how many times I’d seen ‘that’ joke in a movie.

When in Rome has a host of well known actors who I just didn’t care for (not even Bell who I usually find somewhat charismatic) in fact some of the characters I hated so much I found myself groaning in annoyance at the sight of their very presence in this movie. Josh Duhamel (Transformers) as Bell’s love interest Nick, looks uncomfortable, like the words that are coming out of his own mouth he himself can’t quite believe them. Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), who plays the magician Lance, cannot act in this role. Danny DeVito (One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest) though sweet, made me want to projectile vomit with his cliché sad-old-man-that-wants-to-be-loved character. Bell tries hard to gel this movie together but everything else is just working against her – good and respectable actors are let down by a bad predictable story.

Only see this if you have to – you know like if someone is holding a gun to your head.

The Film Buzz Rating: ***½~~~~~~ (3.5/10)

UK Release Date: 25th June 2010

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Writer’s: David Diamond, David Weissman

Links: IMDB, Official Site

The Bandit, Flynn Rider voiced by Chuck’s Zachary Levi is running from the law and ends up taking refuge in a mysterious tower, he’s then taken hostage by Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) and her 70ft long golden hair.

I haven’t really been interested in many Disney flicks of late, but this one looks like it could hold my attention, looks like mighty impressive with plenty of laughs for the whole family.

Tangled is directed by Nathan Greno & Byron Howard who between them have worked on the movies: Bolt, Pocahontas, Lilo & Stich, Meet the Robinsons and more, let’s see if Tangled will meet the same great standards of some of their earlier work.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: *******½~~ (7.5/10)

UK Release Date: December 2010/Jan 2011

Director’s: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard

Writer’s: The Brother’s Grimm

Links: IMDB, Official Site

Set in New York, Wahlberg plays detective Holtz who is stuck with his partner detective Gamble (Ferrell) – a cop who would rather do paper work than hitting the streets. Holtz and Gamble both idolize Danson and Manzetti, the city’s two top cops played by Jackson and Johnson. Finally an opportunity presents itself for Gamble and Holtz to finally step up their game, but unfortunately things don’t go as planned.

The Other Guys

This looks pretty good, Ferrell and Wahlberg both have hits and misses with me when it comes to their films and I wouldn’t have necessarily put them up as a likely pairing – I guess that’s the point! This looks as though it’s a fun movie. Oh please don’t let all the funny bits be in the trailer.

The Other Guys hits UK cinemas in September 2010.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: 7/10

UK Release Date: 2 September 2010

Director: Adam Mckay

Writer’s: Adam McKay, Chris Henchy

Links: IMDB, Official Site

Richard is a washed up writer and never grown up kid, who develops a friendship with teenager Abby played by Emma Stone. Both have imaginary super hero friends who they let guide them through their lives.

Paper Man

I’ve never seen Reynolds in a role like this and it will be most interesting to see how he does as a ‘super hero’, I say this as Reynolds will be playing the Green Lantern in the upcoming film adaptaion of the super hero.

So far Paper Man is on limited relase and no word yet on a UK release, that may mean unfortunately that we never get to see this on our small shores but we can hope.

The Film Buzz Anticipation Rating: 7/10

UK Release Date: N/A

Director’s: Kieran Mulroney & Michele Mulroney

Writer’s: Kieran Mulroney & Michele Mulroney

Links: IMDB

I cannot wait for this to hit theatres it looks fantastic. Unfortunately we have to wait around a year or so to see this, but make sure you book your IMAX tickets as soon as readily possible, because this looks like one of those movies that has to be seen on a big ass screen.

Tron Legacy stars Oscar fresh Jeff Bridges, John Hurt, Michael Sheen and Garrett Hedlund.

So far Iron Man 2 looks like it’s shaping up to be the flick of the summer. If you remember the ending from the first film, you’ll know that Stark revealed to all that he was Iron Man, so it looks as if we’re going to see the backlash of Stark’s revelation in this sequel.

Robert Downey Jnr

Is it just me or is Downey Jr looking a little bit worse for wear? It’s probably all those movie’s he’s making, the dude needs to get some serious shut eye.

Iron Man 2 hits UK cinemas on April 30th 2010 (not soon enough).

You should follow us on twitter here!