Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a film bursting with awesome. Somehow, director Edgar Wright has managed to craft a film so entertaining, so heartwarming, so fun, its a wonder this film doesn’t explode under the pressure of its own awesome.

Based on the comic-book by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is an entertaining story of boy meets girl laden with comic-book and video-game references that will make many a geek squeal with delight, all while keeping a wonderful sense of humor. Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a 22-year-old slacker living in Toronto. His band, Sex Bomb-omb isn’t going anywhere and his gay roommate, Wallace (Kieran Culkin), is trying to evict him. Scott doesn’t seem to worry about anything until he lays eyes on Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and falls for her instantly. The problem is that, in order to continue seeing her, Scott must defeat her seven evil exes.

This silly little plot device drives the story forward and provides the simple framework for the entire film. From the opening title sequence, through the seven (technically six) intense battles, and all the way up to the great finale, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is simply a blast. The movie is so much pure fun that I suggest you stop reading this and just go see it (and then come back to the site, please) Of course, as a critic, saying, “It’s awesome!” is not enough. What makes Scott Pilgrim vs. The World such a magnificent experience?

The comedy has a lot to do with the overall enjoyment of the film. Of all genres, great comedies can have the biggest effect on their audiences. There’s something about a good laugh that pleases the soul and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World fires on all cylinders when it comes to the laugh-making. Many films have great funny moments, but Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is consistently laugh-out-loud funny. Several characters stand out as especially funny (Kieran Culkin as Scott’s gay roommate Wallace, Anna Kendrick as Scott’s sister Stacey) but really each character is unique and genuinely funny. The seven evil exes also provide their own laughs as they are revealed. Apart from the general hilarity of the story and characters, the situations are only made funnier by the great visual gags that run through the film.

From a filmmaking perspective, these visuals are the the most innovative part of the film. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a comic-book/video-game come to life. Never before have I see a film edited with such kinetic energy throughout. Words constantly litter the screen just like a comic panel; characters are introduced with little name badges; we see diagrams of Scott’s mind. These little things seem unneccessary, but they really give the movie its light-hearted, joyful spirit and they definitely aren’t gimmicks. These silly gags support the story by providing atmosphere as well as just being awesome and hilarious. The battles are also delicious eye-candy. Here is where we see the heavy influence classic video-games have on this film. Whenever an enemy is vanquished they burst into a thousand literal coins; Scott grabs new life out of thin air; power-ups manifest themselves in flaming swords. It’s all a huge nod to the video-games of yesteryear, and will entertain even those with no experience with any sort of video-game. But still, visuals alone cannot drive a film.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the story of one man – Scott Pilgrim. He is the only character in the film that really has any depth, and for good reason. The film is told from his point of view and from the first frame to the last we see the world as Scott himself sees it. In this way, the movie is very personal. We quickly grow to love Scott Pilgrim, faults and all. Even when he treats his girlfriend Knives like a complete jerk at the beginning of the film, we don’t care because we’re already irrevocably on his side. Scott’s quest to get Ramona is the main thrust of the film, but this story is not a true romance. Ramona is not a character in her own right, but a model of perfection and the object of Scott’s affection. She only exists to give our hero a reason to fight. Its easy to see the influence Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had on Ramona’s style but the complexity of that much more serious film is entirely missing here. Still, by the end of the movie, Scott has learned something about himself and the world around him and we not only experienced his journey with him – it was a blast, too.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World works on so many levels it defies categorization. It’s as hilarious as any great comedy. The action is as good as any Bourne film. The visuals are gorgeous. The writing is wonderfully witty. And at its core, it is a charming love story. All of these elements combine into one magnificent, wildly entertaining motion picture that is not to be missed.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

This year at the Sundance Film Festival, Spike Jonze premiered his short film, I’m Here. Financed by Absolut Vodka, IM debuted online yesterday.

The 30-minute short is a robot love story set in modern-day LA. It is a simple, charming tale of (robot) boy meets (robot) girl. I watched it online earlier today and was very impressed. The visual elements of the movie are truly amazing. The robots don’t look realistic by any stretch, but that does not matter. You get the feeling that these are real creatures, and you care about them.

To see the film, go to ImHereMovie.com. There, you will see what time the “next showing” is. The film’s sponsor, Absolut, is limiting the number of “tickets” to the movie that are given out each day. Come back around the time they say and you should be able to get in. Don’t worry, once you are in you can pause and fast-forward/rewind the film if you want.

I am consistently surprised by how much originality is present in the format of short films. Shorts continue to be a perfect proving ground for young directors, and it is a real treat when established auteurs experiment in the format.

If you like slice-of-life teen movies, you’ll enjoy Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. While not breaking any new ground, it delivers solid performances with a few chuckles, a few ‘eww gross’ moments, and your typical boy/girl love story. It also has a backdrop of a boy/boy relationship that was done very well – no gay agenda forced on anyone, and no disruptive messages of intolerance pushing you towards being uncomfortable. I kept waiting for one or the other to drop, but instead it just ended up being a great side story that kept you engaged with multiple characters.

Nick and Norah’s has a superb soundtrack that kept me engaged throughout the movie. It was eclectic enough to keep you interested and yet fit perfectly without overwhelming the different scenes.

The movie takes place over the course of one night and zeroes in on two high school seniors, Nick (Michael Cera – Superbad and Juno) and Norah (Kat Dennings – The House Bunny). They meet at a club and end up driving around New York all night in search of the band ‘Where’s Fluffy’. There’s also a subplot going on involving friends of Nick trying to get Norah’s drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) safely home, and the antics that come from them not caring a whole lot whether they accomplish this or not.

If you’re a fan of New York’s lower Mahattan, you’ll see several fun hot spots. It was great seeing places like Vaselka’s that are hip hangouts for the late night crowd and getting the romantic overview of New York nightlife. Although – it did leave me questioning how none of these high school students ever had to call home or otherwise get any grief about being on their own…in New York City…all night long. But slice-of-life doesn’t have to equal realistic for the movie to be fun!

And that’s what Nick and Norah’s is – fun. An updated teen movie that doesn’t preach to kids; doesn’t make adults think kids are out of control; and doesn’t ruin your date night with a lot of overhyped angst.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆