Something very uniquely conceived, but still felt lacking

Rating: 7/10 (23 September 2010)

OK, i may have built this film up too much in my mind having anticipated it since 2009. I wanted to be blown away by something that had all the elements i love in film and find myself lauding this as one of the films of the year.
But for some reason it didn't happen.
But there isn't a lot i can focus on as to why.
The film has a style and theme that although at times may borrow from other mediums feels distinctly original. It was slick, well acted and never tried to explain away things, instead letting us simply enjoy the madness of it all without giving us any answers as to why it was all so fantastical. This element alone made it enjoyable, but coupled with a very well crafted script and visuals that only served to enhance the mayhem, all the elements were seemingly in place. Even the hit and miss nature of Cera worked wonderfully in this lead role and if his niche is to play quirky and geeky then the comedy side of this suits him better.
But what i think was the problem is a sign of modern movie releases now. The hype. By the time a film hits the cinema we know pretty much every plot detail, and even the comical twist in this film (which i will not spoil for others, i will only say 'sexy phase' so when you see it you will know which part of the film i mean) had already been revealed.
OK, fans of the comic series will already know the story, but newcomers to Scott pilgrim would maybe like to feel that twist the same way the readers did when the comic was first released.
And the trailer itself along with lots of interviews and journalistic pieces on the film have only served to remove the shine on what could have been something quite fresh in a year of remakes and re-imaginings. And this also made the best comedy moments in the film feel like i was re-watching the film for a second time, thus the laughter value had been lost.
I know it seems like I'm complaining, but i think the fact i felt the film was an 8 after all these elements had been spoiled had me wondering what it could have been if the promotion of the film had stayed a little more cagey. I didn't expect 'inception' levels of secrecy, but at the same time when some of the best jokes are placed in a montaged trailer you do find that the audience will not react in the same way they should have hearing the jokes in context for the first time.
This is definitely a strong film from 2010, but if you had built up hopes of it being something special like i did, you might find that deflated feeling in the end.