The Last Movie I Saw

Wow, that was a surprise! I was in Bozeman a couple days ago with some time on my hands and so I went to see a movie. I have to admit that I like going to see movies in theaters, and there are times that I'll go even if their isn't a particularly compelling title pulling me in. On this particular occasion, the only thing at the multiplex that looked even mildly interesting was Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (directed by Edgar Wright and starring the ubiquitous Michael Cera, who I've liked since his days in the sorely missed Arrested Development). Without a doubt, this was the most purely entertaining movie I've seen in ages. The premise isn't anything earthshaking-- boy meets girl... you know the rest. But the execution is so fresh and unexpectedly funny, it caught me completely off-guard. Wright has a pretty cockeyed view of things, which plays really well in the fantastic elements of his narrative (which suggest video game twists and fights-- not an idea that would normally appeal to me). I gather this is based on a comic book series, so maybe those elements were there in the original, but it's hard to imagine they popped with the same energy provided by this cast (Jason Schwartzman, Kieran Culkin and Anna Kendrick are the most familiar names to me, but every one does a fine job). I guess it just goes to show that a little imagination can bring almost anything to life on screen, so much so that I'm already looking forward to seeing this one again.