Comic-Con 2010: Scott Pilgrim Makes a Splash

Published by Jeff Leins on July 25, 2010

Universal Pictures and Edgar Wright took Comic-Con by storm on Thursday with Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, crushing a packed Hall H crowd already inundated with promotional previews for heavy hitters like Tron Legacy and Expendables.  But, with a fan favorite comic and an eclectic cast, Wright had everyone whipped into a frenzy by the end of the panel.

The film has just three precious weeks to reach its audience, which appears to be a niche generation of gamers, comic book geeks, and anyone not tired of Michael Cera’s awkward shtick.  But Wright did everything right.

The panel was funny, first and foremost, introducing twelve cast members to the stage, including Cera in an oversized Captain America costume, graphic novel creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, a mustachioed Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick, former Superman Brandon Routh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aubrey Plaza, and Kieran Culkin.

Wright was witty, playfully jabbing anyone with a question, and Cera was hilarious (I’m not tired of him, personally).  The panel moved quickly from question to question after Wright decreed “anyone with two or three part questions would be killed on sight.”

There wasn’t much in the way of new information, just genuinely honest and charming answers from the panel.  Then Wright announced that everyone was invited to see the film… immediately.  Excited fans with special buttons walked with him over to the Balboa Theater where the first of three free screenings played the movie to blown-away audiences.

David was at the second show, which he described as akin to a rock concert.  Here is his reaction from the screening itself, though a full, proper review will follow in the coming days:

We waited for hours in the sun with the promise of an experience.  Once we entered the theater, they had free soda/water/popcorn waiting.  D.J. Kid Koala and Dan the Automator spun records on stage as we found our seats.

The highlight of the set was a warped out version of “Moon River” which is supposedly Koala’s mom’s favorite song. The environment was electric and the entire thing felt like a true happening.

I was seated in the balcony, about 2.7 miles from the screen, but I think it was a brilliant idea for Universal to spend their ad dollars on something like this.  Imagine what it costs them for standard television spots and trailers.  With this they caused a stir and Scott Pilgrim conquered the Con.

Edgar Wright was there and asked if we all love chocolate.  Turns out that most of us do.  Then he brought out most of the cast including Cera, Wilson, Schwartzman, Kendrick, Wong et. al.  They stood there and smiled as the lights went down and the place erupted.

The crowd cheered throughout, most of it deserved, and the film was filled with fresh ideas and styles.  Wright continues to grow with his techniques.  He seems to have a thousand different ways to convey information and his movie has a syncopated rhythm all its own.  I love watching him tell a story.

The movie delivers on the promise of the trailer to be sure.  This is a fully realized videogame movie based a comic book.  The language of the film is ultra-modern and will appeal to plenty of geek/nerds while still having a broad appeal.  Any shortcomings stem from the film’s lack of emotional connection with all the characters.  There is a lot of surface and flash, but the story suffers a bit when it comes to making these people live.  They’re likable and fun, and you’ll root for them.  You just don’t know them.  This is a slight problem, however, and the final result is exhilarating and joyous.