Movie Review
Dear people of the Internet:
I’m suspecting many of you missed out on one of the best movies of the summer — I might even go as far as saying one of the best of the year. I enjoyed this movie so much after seeing it in the theatre, that, when a group of friends went the following night, I went again.
The movie to which I’m referring to is Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. If you have not seen this movie than you need to pick it up on Blu-ray. Do not rent it, as you will undoubtedly watch it over and over.
It’s a comic book movie. It’s a video game movie. It’s an action movie. It’s a comedy. It’s a romance. It’s a damn good film.
Thank you Edgar Wright for turning a relatively unknown comic book into a movie that is worth watching at least 7 times a week. Plus, thank you for the jokes that kids of the 80s will get, and the inside Toronto jokes.
Sincerely,
Shane
Owner, Eye Crave Network
Video
Eyes… in… love…
The colours pop on the TV screen just like they did in the cinema. Detail is sharp; black levels are nearly perfect, with some minor crushing.
The blend of live action with cartoon and 8-bit game elements cause no issues in the transfer. Just know that you’re eyes will be pleased.
Audio
There are so many elements to the DTS-HD 5.1 Master track that I can’t imagine how much work went into this mix. From the wicked music to the classic Nintendo sounds, from the deep bass to the sparkling sound effects, you will be immersed from the opening scene right till the end.
It tough to narrow down what might be the best part of the mix, but know that despite the movie being heavy in dialogue, it’s never impacted by any of the other aspects from the soundtrack.
If most of your Blu-ray collection has been gentle with your subwoofer get ready to have it pummelled. In one sequence in particular it will probably rattle the pictures on your wall, shake the furniture, and cause your movie collectibles to move slowly toward the edge of the shelf.
Ya, it’s that good.
Extras
Commentaries – There are 4 commentaries here. Two are worthwhile and the rest, well, skip ‘em.
The Feature Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Edgar Wright, Co-Writer Michael Bacall and Author Bryan Lee O’Malley is very interesting. The info provided from Edgar and Bryan is very interesting.
Another commentary gem is the Technical Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Edgar Wright and director of photography Bill Pope. Edgar is meticulous when it comes to detail, and you’ll hear all about it when you listen to this one.
The other 2 commentaries are with the cast and could have been melded into one. That would have been way more interesting.
You can also stream 1 of 2 two movies for free with your purchase. These movies go along perfectly with Scott Pilgrim /sarcasm.
Also, a digital copy is included with purchase.
Trivia Track – This might be one of my favourite features. For a movie like this it’s easy to miss the many reference scattered throughout, which makes this trivia track a piece of gold.
Deleted Scenes (HD) – There 21 of these which can be watched with a commentary by director Edgar Wright. Although, I must admit this should be called Deleted / Extended Scenes instead of just deleted. Just saying.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the Bloopers – 10-minutes of exactly what it says.
Galleries – There are a lot of galleries in here including the Edgar Wright Photo A Day from his Blog – all in HD.
Blu-ray Exclusive Content
U-Control: Storyboard Picture-in-Picture (HD) – Plays along with the movie.
Making of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (HD) – A must watch. ‘Nuff said.
You Too Can Be Sex Bob Omb – You should know the band could really play their instruments, and this feature shows Mark Webber (The Talent) learning the guitar.
Bits and Pieces – Seems like another blooper reel, but I guess were not considered funny enough to make the cut.
Pre-Production – Broken into six different sections; you can see everything from animatics, rehearsal footage and props to hair, make-up and more. If you loved the movie watch them all.
Adult Swim: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Animation – Scott forms a band… in animated form.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the Censors: TV Safe Version – Censorship can be funny.
VFX Before and After – For someone like me this should have been gold. Instead it was silver, maybe bronze as it didn’t quite break down the sequences enough. Although, it’s cool to see all the elements put together.
Roxy Fight / Ribbon Version – The fight between Roxy and Romona doesn’t seem as dangerous with a soft ribbon flying around.
Phantom Montage: Hi Speed Footage – See the actors doing their own stunts on choma key (blue-screen) in slow-mo.
Soundworks Collection: Sound for the Film Profile – A brief look at the film’s awesome audio mix. (We posted this cool sound profile on August 20th. You can see it here)
Blogs – Check out the dozen video blogs that Edgar Wright recorded during filming.
Alternative Edits – These could have been added to the deleted scenes. Not even in HD 🙁
Music of “Scott Pilgrim” – A look at the original music created for the film.
Music Promos – 4 music videos and 7 songs remixed by DJ Osymyso.
I would have loved to see more of this content in HD.
Menu & Packaging
Packaging is a typical double disc Blu-ray case with a embossed cardboard sleeve.
The menu, while it resembles the typical Universal BD menus, gets some 8-bit text treatment. Fits with the movie well. Navigation is simple, but some of the options for extras are not ordered well.
Conclusion & Final Thoughts
As my movie review didn’t follow my typical movie review I need to talk about the editing in this film. It’s brilliant. You never really know where the next scene will end up. Not unlike a comic book. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is my childhood all rolled into a big bowl of awesome sauce!
As for the Blu-ray, we got the collector’s edition release right out of the gate. Well done Universal. Great video. This disc will be my new audio demo disc and the extras… well. I wish they were all HD, but otherwise good stuff.
This is a MUST own!
