With two movies that I wanted to see, hitting theaters this weekend (and even less time to see them both) I had to pick the one that I wanted to see the most and then hope that I would be able to see the other (the same day if possible).
I picked to see Scott Pilgrim first and thankfully I was able to see The Expendables as well.
Scott Pilgrim is a six series graphic novel written by Bryan Lee O’Malley. All six are currently out for sale and they follow Scott Pilgrim who is a 23-year-old who is in between jobs. He’s in a band and is considered a slacker. This is your not-so-classic-boy-meets-girl story. It is different yet, for me, feels very believable. Scott, played by Michael Cera, meets Romona, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and makes it his goal to be with her. In order to do this, Scott must battle Romona’s seven evil exes. It’s a mix of real life, super heroes and video games that is meshed very well. The choreography during the fight scenes is fantastic and personally I didn’t think Cera had it in him.
Then you have The Expendables, which features action starts from the 1980’s and 1990’s. These men are mercenaries who take on jobs and are good at what they do. The Expendables are sent to Vilena, South America to take down a general that has caused the small island to fall apart. Things end up not being what they seem in this high action film. Although it’s always great to see explosions and heads rolling, the movie felt rushed and filled with holes. It was nice seeing these actors all together in one movie but even that felt awkward, in a sense. One scene has Arnold Schwarzenegger walking in a church and he delivers and few lines and then leaves. It wasn’t needed at all, as well as a few other scenes in the movie. The little banter between characters was nice but it feels to me that this movie as a whole was trying too much and to put too much in.
As it stands right now, The Expendables are in the lead vs. Scott Pilgrim and speculations are high for The Expendables and rightly so, many will see that movie solely on the cast. If you’re looking for a mindless action movie, then see A-Team. Personally I think that’s the better action movie of the summer.
Geeks will love Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, unless you’re not a fan of the actual graphic novel. For some, the small gaming references might turn some people off.
For me, Scott Pilgrim wins this fight. I enjoyed it a lot and it’s gotten me to want to check out the graphic novels. Prior to seeing Scott Pilgrim, I wanted to try out the 8-bit game developed by Ubisoft Montreal. It has already been released for PsN and has been getting great feedback. It was once an exclusive but now has become a timed exclusive. XBLA gamers will be able to play this game on August 25th.
