Beyond the Rhetoric

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, surrounded by 8-bit video games, then you really have no choice but to head out and watch Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. This movie is completely outlandish, utterly outrageous, and leaves you innumerable “WTF” type moments. In it, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) has to do battle with the “seven evil exes” of his current love interest (Ramona Flowers, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead). You get totally out of this world battle scenes that are completely inspired by video game culture.

For instance, when Scott manages to defeat one of these evil ex-boyfriends, the opponent busts into a fountain of coins. There is also an on-screen graphic rewarding Scott with several thousand points. You also see a “pee meter” get depleted when Pilgrim goes to the washroom. The humor in the film is very much in line with Michael Cera’s previous outings. Upon defeating the first opponent, Cera’s character heads over to pick up the coins, saying, “Aw, $2.40. That’s not even enough for bus fare home…”

I have a feeling that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World isn’t going to do terribly well at the box office and it may not even be that popular when it first hits DVD and Blu-ray in a few months. However, it does a great job of capturing our nostalgic gaming culture and it’ll surely become a cult classic for decades to come.

The Other Guys (2010)

Just as you have to be a fan of Michael Cera’s brand of humor to truly enjoy Scott Pilgrim, the same thing can be said about Will Ferrell’s comedic style and The Other Guys. In it, he plays a very passive police detective who is perfectly happy shuffling papers and staying at his desk. However, he just so happens to be partnered with Mark Wahlberg’s character, who would love nothing more than to be in the middle of the action, solving a big case.

There are some good laughs to be enjoyed in this film, like Ferrell’s character referring to his wife (played by Eva Mendes) as plain and “the old ball and chain.” The stark contrast between the two New York detectives makes for an interesting dynamic, but Wahlberg almost looked uncomfortable working next to Ferrell. Perhaps that was the point. In any case, The Other Guys is a pleasant diversion, but it’s not exactly on any “must see” list.

Despicable Me (2010)

I went into Despicable Me with very low expectations. I figured it was just going to be yet another animated movie, capitalizing on that whole 3D trend and getting little children to scream out “It’s so fluffy” for no real reason in particular. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised.

Steve Carell provides the voice of Gru, the main super-villain (and anti-hero) in the film. He is competing against a younger, up and coming super-villain, as they both attempt to capture the moon in their biggest evil quest yet. We get a good deal of sight gags and some rather clever humor, as well as Raving Rabbid-style comedy from Gru’s minions. They babble and do stupid things. That’s funny.

As is the norm with so many children’s films, [spoiler alert] we end up with an endearing morale at the end of the story and everyone lives happily ever after. Despicable Me isn’t quite on par with Toy Story 3, but it’s still worth the price of admission.

Tags: animation, gaming culture, movie reviews

Filed under Arts and Entertainment.