Scott Pilgrim vs the simple minded (box office)

Rating: 10/10 (27 August 2010)

When talking about Scott Pilgrim vs The World, there are two topics to cover:
1. This film is sublime. It is the best possible adaptation of the comics (done with real love and respect for the source material, unlike corporate shill like X-Men origins: Wolverine or Spider-man 3), done by a director who is still perfect in his quality track record. The soundtrack and cinematography naturally blend to keep you entertained, and the strong script and compelling performances keep you invested. All this, and it is hilarious! Every actor plays their part perfectly (especially the evil exes- a huge feat when you take their relatively small amount of screen time into account. IMO, Brandon Routh was the funniest, and Jason Schwatrzman was the best villain). Michael Cera delivers easily the best performance of his career, Mary Elizabeth Winstead serves as far more than eye candy, and the comic relief is pitched at just the right level. I am not a hipster at all (Hipster music isn't usually my cup of tea at all!), but this has to be the most entertaining soundtrack of the decade- fun, bombastic, and surprisingly immersive (I was inspired to learn Beck's acoustic ballad 'Ramona' immediately!). The visuals and choreography are incredible and never become too intrusive. This is one of my favourite films of the decade, and I have seen it twice since its release (I hope to see it a third time. The last time I was this keen on rewatching a film was 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'- I must have a thing for movies with great direction, comedians playing relatively serious roles, and girls who dye their hair!!), which leads me on to the second topic;
2. As I left the cinema with my friend (she loved it as well), we met up with her friends. When we told them what we'd just seen, they said 'ugh, please tell me you didn't see that. It sounds so stupid!'. Needless to say, her friends aren't the brightest people, as they couldn't grasp the concept of parody (to them, Vampires suck is parody!) or tongue-in-cheek premises. I imagine this is the attitude of most people who didn't see it, and why it has flopped commercially. While I'm sure it will have a healthy run on DVD with its critical praise, and will build a larger fanbase over time when people get over the ridiculous 'OMG Hipsters!' mindset, it's still mildly disappointing to think that The Expendables, Vampires Suck and Grownups will gross more worldwide. We finally get something really refreshing in the film industry- something that isn't a pathetic Oscar hopeful or a bloody 80s remake, and the public doesn't care! It seems stupid and really unfair. However- a word of encouragement to the fans; those people are idiots! Is it really such an unexpected tragedy if someone chose Vampires Suck over this? if they chose Vampires Suck, do they really deserve decent cinema? Do they sound like the type of person who would really appreciate the amount of love and skill poured into Scott Pilgrim vs the World? The people who wanted to try something different and enjoy a great film did- the loss of money's a shame, but the film is better than I could ever have wished for!
In short; see the film if you haven't, don't fret too much about the box office (Spaced, another Edgar Wright directoral effort, took years after it first aired to become popular, and it is now regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time), and a colossal 'Well Done' to everyone involved!!!