Streaming Now - DREDD(2012) : 5 Reasons Why Missing It In Theatres Was A Mistake

Boy, did we really let genre cinema down last year.

 When the modestly budgeted DREDD 3D was released to theatres with something of a lightweight, 3D-centric ad campaign, so many of us dismissed this new take on the 2000 AD classic without heeding the ravings of many a lucky viewer. And even as it has become something of a home video hit, the welt of so many of us not heading out to support this grungy, pared-down actioner has yet to heal. And now that it is streaming for all to see via your friendly neighborhood Netflix, we have zero excuse.

Still not convinced? Well here are some really big reasons for why this pretty much obliterates memories of the mid-1990s piece of Mouse-produced malady.,


5. No Origin. No Problem.

One of the biggest pieces of storytelling that has come to plague recent comic book adaptations, is a near-mindless reliance upon retelling the origin stories of characters that are best explained through their actions. Dredd is the kind of "product of his environment" character that is best explored on a move, and Karl Urban's take on the character is well handled by a script that is comfortable enough in its own skin to just let things play out. From the opening scene, he is on the job, and despite the fact that we never see his face, we gather enough to understand that he is the very ideal of what his society has become. Cold, detached, all business, and unexpectedly laced with a hint of sadness. Once we are in the thick of the action (which is right from the getgo), the film never lets up, and allows us to view him from multiple angles by way of his trial-day rookie partner, Psy. Judge Anderson(Olivia Thirlby). It's a device that has been used in many adaptations before, but here, we have a thematic one-two punch served within a deceptively simple action setup.





4. The Power Of Simplicity.

By setting a majority of your film in a confined space ( in this case, a skyscraper-sized apartment complex), your film is allowed to make the absolute best out of a limited budget. Strangely enough, my initial impressions of the film took me back to my childhood, and the stripped down favorites I grew up with. That's right, much of Dredd is ostensibly a John Carpenter-esque piece of hardcore. With the judges trapped inside a building, surrounded by hapless tenants, as well as an army of gang members toting some serious hardware, there is an almost reverse Assault On Precinct 13 air about the film.(It doesn't hurt that the pulsating electronic score by Peter Leonard-Morgan evokes mental images of Assault, and even Cameron's original Terminator) And even as many make parallels to Gareth Edwards' The Raid, there is an astonishing amount of attention to detail, and imagery here that perfectly compliments the nasty side of this dystopian hell in which these characters reside. Old saws truly do apply to this instance, as the film plays it wholly straight, and without terrible one-liners or a desperate need to over explain. It does what it does, and will not make excuses.




3. Frightening & Fascinating Villainy

It's pretty hard to make a mark with an action vehicle heavy, but Lena Headey does so with the assured poise of a pro. Her "Ma Ma", is a broken, terrifying piece of work. A one-time working girl, who has seen far too much, and can only see a bloody way out of a life of pain. Even as the film rarely makes caveats for us to feel sympathy considering her often vile acts, there is a tragedy to her overall speech, posture and gait that imply far more than is on the page. It's pretty clear that her more recent life as gang leader, and possible future kingpin has been one of sheer survival. And she will resort to anything to maintain her standing - even murdering innocents. All in the name of saving what small piece of the city she has attained for herself. It's a remarkable, sneaky performance that adds surprising depth to the themes that hover ever-so carefully around the siege narrative.

2. Themes Of Perception Vs. Desperation

One of the movie's most unexpected elements, is perhaps a favorite of mine in that Dredd himself as an icon of intensified moral authority, is placed under just as much a symbolic microscope as the villains. In fact, I wonder if that was perhaps the entire goal this time around with Danny Boyle's occasional collaborator, Alex Garland on the screenwriting duties. There is much to be mined here through the eyes of rookie Judge Anderson, who goes into the fray without a helmet, and soon is reminded of her own background as an impoverished child - unfettered by the cynicism that seems primed to absorb every single person in Megacity One. She sees all sides of the conflict cornered into a world of binaries. She sees the questions lingering all about the bursts and the blood, and becomes the human center of the piece. There is even a representative on Ma Ma's side in the form of an appointed security monitor, who is clearly doing this out of fear of death - or worse. In a society that has been pushed into a world of black and white, oversimplified "right" versus "wrong", there is only carnage. When all is assessed, it is Anderson who might very well represent an unspoken quantity in a world obsessed with fighting over scraps of the dead. She is the eyes of what has been lost, and hopefully represents a more even-handed future. Not bad for a movie rife with almost balletic gore & bloodshed.




1. A Truly Adult Action Piece

We are living in the era of the PG-13 action film. Sad to say, but this carries a lot of truth. We have been lulled into expecting most action fare to either cater to teens, or to adults with lessened visual and thematic raucousness. (IE - lessened visceral impact) Thank goodness to director, Pete Travis, and company for sticking to their guns and delivering a rarity outside of straight to video fare; a mean and nasty action film with thought and vision to spare. A wild reminder of just how good movies like this can be when made in the hands of inventive and resourceful craftspeople, looking to reclaim what has become a long lost genre relative. Marketing can only be blamed so much. The rest is always..on us.

Nice to sense that relative around, even if for a little while.

Again. It's now at Netflix

Movie Review: X-Men: First Class (2011)

 

The year is 1962, and a world weaned off of several decades of conflict is once again reaching a divisive brink, as the United States and the U.S.S.R. spiral towards irrevocable conflict As The Age Of The Atom has dawned, humanity must now grapple with a newfound possibility of nuclear holocaust with casualties in the realm of the incalculable, and no likely winner. And yet beneath this cacophony of tension, another rift is brewing that could shatter the very reality so many seem to be fighting over.

Young professor-to-be, Charles Xavier(James McAvoy), just finishing college and ready to hopefully expand awareness of gifted human beings by way of genetic mutation is called upon to assist the CIA who have run afoul of a nuclear plot of unimaginable proportion. A plot spearheaded by rogue scientist, Sebastian Shaw(Kevin Bacon) who also harbors the revelation that he himself is a powerful mutant, and in the company of several "enabled" accomplices. It is within the belief of CIA agent Moira MacTaggert(Rose Byrne) that in order to thwart Shaw's plans, it is time to look toward similar individuals with their respective abilities. Little do they know that somewhere else in the world, a young & vengeful Erik Lensherr(Michael Fassbender) is on a neverending quest to track down and destroy every last remnant of the Nazi contingent he feels responsible for his painful past during the Holocaust, and is zeroing in on Shaw who in fact was once known as Dr. Schmidt, the man directly responsible for murdering his mother before his very eyes when he was a child, and unable to display his frightening magnetic power on call. With the open and empathic Charles, and the broken & angry Erik's ideologies on a collision course, the greatest conflict has yet to begin.

As a general rule, I tend to intensely dislike the very idea of a prequel as it implies not only a bit of laziness on the part of studios, incapable of looking anywhere but backward as a means to cannibalize profits from a well-worn property, but also almost always fall on the lazy side by nudging at how cool it is by referencing instead of operating freely as its own film. One doesn't even have to think very hard to see why this has become something of a bad word in certain geek circles. But there have been the occasional third base hit that not only stays true to the franchise that inspired it, but offered exciting new avenues for the franchise to breathe, and I'm happy to report that Matthew Vaughn's X-Men: First Class fits hand in glove with Bryan Singer's first two installments in what can be considered to be one of the most universal of superhero properties.

So this is where I reiterate that enthusiasm notwishstanding, I am by no means a superhero comics fan. But the most exciting possibilities of comics that hit home with me are one with a certain tether to our reality. Ones that reveal often undermentioned truths, and perhaps explore these themes in a visceral, entertaining manner. Which in many ways is why the X-Men franchise has been one of so much potential since it's early days in the latter 60s. In fact, one could go so far as to say that the mythology of X-Men was one of the medium's master strokes implicit of the time in which it was made. And when Bryan Singer took to bat with the first film in 1999, it was clear that audiences were at long last ready to embrace the civil rights angle, as well as the CG-laden spectacle one would only expect. But what noone expected, was the attempt to ground the film in a wholly new realm of verisimilitude that has remained a powerful influence in adaptations of comics since. Even if Stephen Norrington's BLADE was a precursor of comic-to-film-ad-nauseum to come, it was Singer's rough and ready event that changed the outlook of the comic book movie forever. And then Singer & Co. took it a huge step further with X2, and it was as if the prayers of not only comic book fans, but of genre geeks of all backgrounds were answered. The bar was raised, and it seemed like the craft could only fly higher....

And then came X-Men 3...And then Origins...It was as if Fox never seemed to have a clue what they had on their hands, and decided to single-handedly destroy what goodwill had been gathered by those first two entries.

But then, it also stands to reason that one of the biggest strengths Singer brought to the first two films is not only great thematic filmmaking, but sharp use of ensemble, which is in no way an easy task for a two-hour film filled with massive special effects. The films grasped the debate between both mutant factions, as well as the human reaction to the conflict which only serves to raise the stakes against Charles, and his school of mutants in their quest for greater acceptance in the world. The writing and directing need to perform a tricky balancing act in order for us to see both Charles & Erik's points of view without reducing either's validity, and Singer's films struck that balance nicely.

Based on a story by Sheldon Turner & Bryan Singer, and a script handled by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, and Vaughn, one could only be wary by so many hands, and yet an overwhelming amount of it works seamlessly as the film adopts an almost Bondian sense of globetrotting, mixed with a classy early 1960s edge ala the legendary secret agent.

Of the many effective touches in the film, one that hits home as an admirer of the early films is the relationship between Charles & Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), a shapeshifter who's unusual appearance serves as a counterpoint to his ability to read minds and use telepathy, which cannot be outwardly seen by average people. There is a lingering sense of melancholy throughout this as those familiar know of her future role in the mythos, and knowing what they go through here only makes the first two films that much more painful. One would think that Charles' and Erik's relationship would be enough to fuel an entire film, and the fact that this is in here as well, only makes the inevitable that much more emotionally pummeling. From the initial meetings between Charles and Raven, and onto the first time he runs across Erik, it is clear that he is longing to be something of a den mother to many who feel so alienated by some uncontrollable twist of fate. There is a sincerity to McAvoy's performance that serves as a potent setup for things to come, and do they come in torrents.

As Shaw's plans with the Hellfire Club begin to advance aggressively, the CIA ( with the help of McTaggart & an open and curious Man In Black, played by Oliver Platt) open up the ability for Charles & Erik to seek out fresh & skilled mutant recruits to help stop what eventually becomes distorted history in Cuba. We are introduced to a number of young exceptionals such as Angel(Zoë Kravitz), Darwin(Edi Gathegi), Banshee(Caleb Landry Jones), Havok(Lucas Till ) , along with the already invaluable help of youth prodigy, Hank McCoy(played with awkward aplomb by Nicholas Hoult), who's own personal arc could easily have been the focal point of an entire story. And yet the overarching plot featuring our heroic few against those who would destroy us, and possibly impact historical events is handled well enough to carry several subplots that cement the classically universal themes of the original comics and films.

Which leads us to the flourishes that Vaughn's film brings to the table. As the central theme has always been one reminiscent of not only the civil rights movement of the era (which again, only makes the film's possibilities stronger), but of any great struggle for equality, the film brings its own unique stamps to the desk by going for some of the more obvious, but not as often stated struggles of the past; particularly of women in a so-called "man's world", and seething memories of enslavement. The era itself being something of a central character in the film is perhaps its masterstroke.

Division, and unification are at the core of the piece which is clearly reiterated by way of Charles as advice to Erik. The yearning for a place between rage & serenity is a difficult place to find, and this is where Erik's ultimate choice lies in view of everything he sees around him.

 In no way is this oversold throughout the film, but it is there just enough to make for some sly commentary on the era, as well as a means to bolster what comes to be Erik's ultimate calling in the film. Again, the man who would be the infamous Magneto may be seeing the other side of the argument from Xavier, but he is not merely driven by impulsive emotion. It is easy to see why his influence could be so strong, and in the hands of Fassbender, this works far better than the films first half almost implies. Vaughn's film lets us know where he stands from the beginning, and never lets us forget that even as he is elated to know that there are others out there like him, he still refuses to accept a notion of humanity ever accepting them despite all they're doing to potentially save the world. Seeing the 1960s through Erik Lensherr's eyes, division seems inevitable, with only a just purging being the reasonable option.

And what of Mr. Sebastian Shaw & Hellfire? Looking at Shaw, we can see quite well the man who would shape Erik's life by painting the vision of a charismatic, debonair monster in disguise. By making him possibly a greater ideological threat than what would come later can only conjure up horrible thoughts of what caused this man to envision an improved world with mutation reigning supreme. And yet the unexpected casting of Kevin Bacon is terrific. There is a mixture of cool-handed intelligence, Bond villain-esque humor, and ultimately simmering rage to his performance that helps us even better understand the origins of what would be the Brotherhood. Along with him are Emma Frost(January Jones), a telepath capable of deflecting another's ability to read by way of forming crystalline skin. Azazel(Jason Flemyng): a teleporter, and Riptide(Álex González), an air manipulator make up the remainder of Shaw's A-team, and are formidable as a Brotherhood prototype. With perhaps a hint of progressiveness just a stone's throw away, it feels reasonable to accept certain late additions to the team, even if it moves too quickly to feel truly earned.

Which is perhaps one of my only real issues with the film as a whole. Vaughn, fresh off of his no-studio daredevil stunt via last year's Kick-Ass is a director who embraces the general, and can move incredibly fast from plot point to plot point, which in many ways succeeds. But there are times when the whole could likely have been improved by letting the viewer breathe in the world for a little extra time. Two good opportunities lie with the early days between Charles and Erik. It is efficiently told for sure, but at times it feels as if there is one more good philosophical conversation missing between the two. And this is made up for by a great moment in the second half which is almost marred by an overbearing score by Henry Jackman.(I'll get back to that in a tic)And this also happens after the death of a character. There is a need for our young recruits to truly clock the stakes at hand, and it all passes by too quickly. Again, this is minor, but to have gone any faster would have undermined the film's already loaded storyline, and thereby hurting the inevitable payoff, which inevitably works in a lovely fashion. Vaughn and company deftly dodge that, and offer a solid thesis on how we came to be in the universe we have seen in the more standout films of the franchise to date, finally making this a successful trilogy of sorts. (the feeling of forgetting that X3 ever happened, and that this fits well as part ONE, makes for a doubly satisfying experience.)

I just wish the score were differently handled. As serviceable and fun the Jackman music is, it is far too modern rock score for the era we are witnessing, and a tale like this is classical in nature, which calls for something closer to John Ottman's music for X2. A minor quibble perhaps, but there it is. A film with this much class, and thoughfulness deserves nothing less.

And yet despite these minor gripes, there is much to love about X-Men: First Class. It is a welcome return to the emotional center of what makes this cast of characters so endearing, and relatable. And it serves as a smart & sleek counter part to other above par comic book adaptations. It proves that one doesn't have to be grim & overbearing, or drunk on familiarity to sell a successful action fantasy. X-Men is a mythos that deserves nothing less than careful exploration, and can offer new dimensions far into the future as so many of us at one time or another have felt ostracized for being "different". It is a testament to something inherently human, which is why comics themselves can be important in responsible, intelligent hands. And yes, it can kick royal ass when necessary.

Which is why Vaughn's film is an unmitigated success; it both compliments the best elements of Singer's films, and infuses this backstory with both a sense of adventure and impending tragedy that could easily have been another studio cash-grab. From script to cast, this is an unexpected return to form for a franchise long in the muck due to one bureaucratic miscalculation or another. It is also telling that Vaughn had been one of the directors attached to X3 before having to drop. It feels very much like he has had a great X-Men film in him brewing for a long time. And perhaps that extra few years was a necessary  for this particular brewing period in order to make this happen. And if that's the case, it's time to break into the tap, because X-Men is back, and possibly better than ever.

Live Action Manga Blues [The Dilemma Of Playing With Iconographics - An Intro]

I suppose this was only a matter of time.

A few Twitter chats have taken place over the last few weeks that have brought a particular phenomenon to attention here at the labs, and now I'm hoping to better illustrate my concerns with how Japan treats its modern myths. Once was a time where like so many before me, Japanese cinema was sort of a bold alternative to domestic released bland, and a much regarded jolt of energy when regarding trash cinema. These days however, it has been pretty tough to rekindle such a flame. And I'm sure it isn't merely me. Something is genuinely missing, especially since the manga and anime worlds have long had their day in the international spotlight. And in a time where stateside films like The Dark Knight, and others have reached world class status, it only feels so much more tragic when looking at concepts that perhaps could prove expansive in a three dimensional universe.

Or is it just too iconographic a line to grasp?

Really have been considering taking a crack at this since adaptations of drawn projects have run such the gamut over the years, and can be considered a mastered form in the west. Can the same be said regarding our Japanese counterparts? A part of me would love to think so. But to be honest, more than several years of manga/anime adaptations have proven to be a challenge to properties with often provocative themes, and a film industry eager for a "hit". And even when the mentioned property can be considered light in nature, it rarely seems to be the most successful transition. Could it really be an issue of disconnect between the originating creators, and the film production brass? Endless compromise? Or could it just all be attributed to bad luck?

So what I hope to shed light on in the coming weeks is a series of posts dedicated to live action manga & perhaps find some diamonds in that particular rough.

We'll start with a look at some of the last decades biggest adaptations from violent seinen favorites like Ichi The Killer (Koroshiya Ichi), to even lighthearted shoujo fare like Lovely Complex. Either way, this is guaranteed to be an interesting exploration.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010) Review (and more regarding the comic)

When 23 year old Toronto native, Scott Pilgrim(Michael Cera) comes across what could very well be the girl of his dreams(literally), the currently underaged girlfriend he's been dating may soon be the least of his problems. Oh sure, there's the issue of no job, no real room of his own, and the lack of any college to speak of, the trouble comes in perhaps the worst example of partner-baggage imaginable, the rogues gallery of exes from this dream girl's past. Upon meeting her, it's clear that the stylish and mysterious Ramona Flowers comes with a fair share of battle damage, but when it appears in the form of near-rampaging, kung-fu kicking lunatics out to make poor Pilgrim's precious life of a bass-playing slackmaster into a Rumiko Takahashi nightmare on LSD, it becomes time to make a choice, and stand up for a dream calling.

And so with the film version of Bryan Lee O' Malley's chibi-epic comic series finally out on screens, I felt it best to come clean on certain views I withheld from my previous posts regarding the books. As much as I did in fact enjoy it overall, it does come up short in a good many places. By the time the third book came out, it becomes apparent that the narrative is splitting into fragmented plotlines to help amble it toward six volume conclusion. And the effect is at times lacking in the immediacy department as Scott's confrontations with Ramona's "Seven Evil Exes" become increasingly scattershot at times, and filled with idiosyncratics that are hit & miss, and ultimately detract from the core attractions of it all for me.

 And while the books feature some quite-astonishing battle sequences that pop from the page to great effect (Scott's battle with Todd the vegan is especially memorable), not enough fuel is given for us to feel that the metaphor for both Scott & Ramona is anything more universal than it could be. Then again, that is likely the point. In that respect, a lot of the latter volumes may leave some wanting. In fact, where the series did excel as mentioned before, was in the characters surrounding the story. Particularly in the areas of characters like Lisa Miller, Kim Pine & Knives Chau.

Characters whom O'Malley seems quite capable of granting souls with near-minimal effort. Again, the jury is out as to whether or not if this is the entire point, which makes the underlying emotional & even contemporary implications of our hero that much more troubling. What may intrigue some readers is how cleverly the story implies that while some may take action as being a nudge toward the inevitability of hurting others, the same can also be said of inaction. This for my part at least, is one of Scott Pilgrim's greatest double-edged strengths.The other edge being that it feels clear that O' Malley is not as comfortable with elaborating on the emotional, and just letting the visuals do most of the talking. In understated manga fashion, our so-called hero is in danger of being a painful black mark in the lives of others. And perhaps even Ramona's should he not rise to meet his ultimate opponent, himself.

And so when it comes to Edgar Wright's dizzying assault of an adaptation, one can rest easily in knowing that as it pulls off a few superhuman feats for a non-superhero-based adaptation produced by a major studio. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World embraces the daffy world of O'Malley's artwork, verbiage, & mannerisms with a drunk giddyness only fitting for a film stylist/uber geek like Wright. In a time where adaptations have near reached their final apex, it is more than refreshing to see a film so dosed on manically hallucinogenic ideas actually working from one frame to the last. Irrevocably plugged into the last decade's explosion of pre-Hipster indie-nerd metaculture, this is the film Speed Racer was attempting to be.(And in many ways, the film most encompassing the entire last five years of my life in the Los Angeles area, for better and worse.) This is a generation's response to wacky mind-altering rock opera ala The Phantom Of The Paradise by way of SNES taken intravenously in some back area of a local rock venue as another's dream fight has just begun onstage. Quite simply stated, this is pure cinema in full low-fi glory.

As mentioned prior, Scott Pilgrim is a jobless/aimless college drop-out who has been in so-called "self-repair" mode for nearly a year after a devastating breakup, and dealing with it in the best way he can, by dating someone much younger, and much less requiring of any real effort. Poor Knives Chau(Ellen Wong) in her naivete embraces Scott wholeheartedly, and yet has no idea of the rollerskating enigma now haunting her boyfriend's dreams. And when Scott realizes that this dream girl is very much a being of flesh and blood, his mission of meeting (and hopefully dating?) miss Ramona Flowers(Mary Elizabeth Winstead) crosses boundaries, and places him in a terrible spot. Now if only this were the end all of his problems. His scrappy homebrew garage band, Sex Bob-omb seem serious about getting noticed as the band's leader, Stephen Stills (Mark Webber) takes it upon himself to go for whetever show comes their way, as the band's freckle-faced drummer, Kim Pine looks on bitterly at the drama little Scott's been bringing to practice. Knives has suddenly become Sex Bob-omb's "biggest fan", and has no idea of the trouble in store. And yet it is only once Mr. Pilgrim decides to move forward with Ramona, do his troubles take on galactic proportion as he must face the pain of this dream girl's checkered past. And in the form of seven evil exes, we are thrust into the madness that is Pilgrim's greatest battle.


"Whetever Happened To The Teenage Dream?" Indeed.

Edgar Wright & Michael Bacall's script nails many of the best elements of O'Malley's books, and comes up with an alternate universe "suite" version of the Scott Pilgrim tale that talks as fast as it cuts. And in the fashion of the series, Pilgrim is rarely filled with much to say except to react to others around him. And when those around him speak, it is where the film's dialogue truly shines. Most impressive is how the Knives Chau subplot is altered to compliment the entire story's backbone, which gives Ellen Wong some surprising range to truly inhabit the world of a young girl who's done nothing wrong, and yet is learning some painful lessons quite early. It is an unexpected performance that helps ground the madness of the film when it runs in danger of derailing (which it almost does several times). Also worthy of note are performances by Mary Elizabeth Winstead who's Ramona Flowers is potent, and filled with a certain desperation & longing for stability, as well as Allison Pill's seething & often deeply funny take on Kim Pine. Easily my favorite character from the comic, she leaves one wanting more by merely the visage of her expressions alone. Wright's direction allows the ensemble cast also including Kieran Culkin, Johnny Simmons, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Mae Whitman, and even Chis Evans to turn out some amazing work. Should be no surprise as for my dollar, the ensemble power was among Shaun Of The Dead's greatest stealth abilities. One must hand it to Wright and Bacall for coming up with a truncated, yet fittingly streamlined version of the tale.

It is a choice that is quite appropriate considering the rogue's gallery of opponents Scott must face. Whether it be against Evans' X-treme era marquee idol & his stunt doubles, or Routh's numbskull vegan, the film takes on a bizarre guise between the panel and the screen. Possible favorites include Brie Larson's Envy Adams, Satya Babha's Matthew Patel, and Jason Schwartzman's Gideon Graves. They all grant themselves just enough to imply that Ramona isn't as ideal as Pilgrim perhaps imagined. The exes are not truly evil, and only so in the mind of a girl eager to continue running. A pretty significant achievement considering everything else Wright brings to the table.

And yet his directorial hand maintains amongst some of the maddest cinematic conditions imaginable for a middle-budgeted subversion of the romantic comedy. The film unrepentantly never repeats the same shot. The amount of setups with the help of the legendary Bill Pope (The Matrix,Spiderman 2) is intimidating to say the least. And all in the name of creating a singularly disorienting experience punctuated by the visualized onomatopoeia, speed lines, framing & paneling that engulfs the film like a vinyl album cover. Mix this with some of the most thrillingly visualized martial arts sequences ever executed, the film is unwilling to be easily classified. Much like what would happen if a rock opera collided with a Shaw Brothers film. Capturing the ultra geeky satire of slacker & hipster-culture of the 2000s is achieved with the assured, gleeful hand of Wright & co. Embracing everything from the garage rock life of any city, to the snow-capped suburban life of Toronto, all the while finding enough energy to embrace the language of anime & japanese video games. Major props go to Wright, alongside editors Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss for the at times mind boggling achievement. The presentation alone is worth the price of admission. And yet, the experience offers far more to certain cutural niches which makes the film an overall success, but one perhaps restricted for certain audiences. Kudos to Universal for even considering this, especially in a time most desperate for a crossover success.

This said, there are some speedbumps in Scott's journey that keep the film from being a complete success for this one reviewer. Some of which can be argued as being unavoidable, but would argue that it potentially hurts future viewings. Especially in the department of the film's central relationship, there are elements there that while are sublimated well at the offset have gaps that may leave a certain taste in the mouths of newcomers to the series.Ramona never seems to have her say in how their relationship develops. A story like this hinges upon us being able to register the chemistry between the two leads, which unfortunately comes up short here. There's a grand opportunity within the first half hour that is completely squandered, and leaves a lot of the film without much of an emotional leg to stand on. Long story short, we never see what Ramona ever truly sees in the boy. This is where the film does what it can to gloss over in all of its wacky veneer, but is unable to overshadow. Also missing are the central proofs that Scott is in fact evolving. This is akin to having all the afterglow without the foreplay. Leaving the viewer with little else but the fights undercuts the books' central themes of awakening, and taking responsibility. If the film had taken a little more time to develop these changes, the piece might become something more than a mere cultural artifact. We never actually see Scott step up his game, and this makes the film into kind of a cheat that it never really recovers from.

And somehow despite these deficiencies, Michael Cera's Scott Pilgrim makes for a unique brand of anti-superhero in a performance that rewards with a near effortless charm. To see his expressions go from hopeless child to love warrior is impressive. There is a great deal going on behind Cera's work in this film, and it makes for a truly fun protagonist that could easily have been completely unlikeable. It's a charm that works well in conjunct with Wright's bottomless enthusiasm, and I hope they work together again.

And complimenting matters is a spectacular soundtrack that will likely become a favorite for years to come.

So when all is said and done, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is a thrilling, funny & charming as hell love letter to geek culture. After years of anticipation, we now have two unique versions of the ultimate loser saga released into the ether, with its feet firmly planted in the subcultures from whence it came. Whether this means big business or not for the studio folks is completely arbitrary. The film is a success on its own levels, and dares viewers to balk at it, turn away in disdain, or lap it up with bottomless reservoirs of love. Even at its weakest, the film has a human center that somehow (like the books) works in spite of things. Part romantic comedy defiance, part pop art spectacle, the film is what the summer's been longing for. Any way one looks at it, Scott Pilgrim is here to stay, and it is a most welcome one at that.

Scott Pilgrim's International Trailer Hits All Notes

The more and more I see, the more excited I get.

Edgar Wright has gone ahead and released an International Trailer for his wild adaptation of Bryan Lee O' Malley's cult comic sensation, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. And even if I have yet to make any noise about it here on the Kaijyu, it must be said that I've been following the project fervently since 2008. The new trailer gives us some more great visual gaggery, not to mention something I wnted to see more of from the books, the role of Knives Chau...Scott's ex, and hopeless stalker! There's a lot of what we've seen before in other teasers, but the spirit of the books looks as close to intact as one could hope from a movie version.

But don't take my word for it..