I think I'm lukewarm towards this movie. True, it literally is a live-action video game movie with comic book sensibilities with a menegie of characters that stroll in and out whenever the plot needs to get moving again. I think the intended audience will eat it up, with all the nods to video gaming and comic book panel structure and live-action comic book visual sound effects, transistions, and frenetic action (along with slow-motion sequences too). I wished it was LOL funny, rather than "point-and-giggle at its own visual inventiveness" cute. But I give props to the entire cast because they kept in character throughout the movie, even though doing so gave off a superficial sheen to the characters, but totally understandable for a film mixing in quite a few genres from its sources of inspiration.

I hate feeling that my reaction to this film probably means I'm finally getting to that "curmudgeon/old fart" stage of my life where "hip" and "young" movie fare doesn't get me jazzed up about films with roots from such entertainment venues. It had to happen some time...

I give it 2.5 stars or a grade of C+ (might be higher on a subsequent viewing).

I avoided reading reviews until after seeing the movie, but Orndorf hit the nail on the head in saying the movie isn't an adaptation, but a chaotic overview. The movie was a lot of fun and very stylistic and had great humour, but it was missing heart, something the comics were full of; without the emotional foundation, the movie was really just eye candy and an exercise in style. In that way it was a success, but for a fan of the comic that wanted the real meaning of the series to come across on the big screen, it was a let down.

Weird. Take that point of view, and reverse the comic with the movie and you have my opinion. I thought the movie had much more heart and a stronger emotional core than the comic, which to me was all surface, no feeling.

While it may have been true a series would have benefit the pace more, as the books go over a year developing Scott and Ramona's relationship and make it much more believeable as to why he'd go through all this where the movie presents it as more head-over-heels in a week, the fact that Universal threw so much money at even ONE film is a testament that the people running that studio will take a chance on things.
They did it for Serenity, a big budget movie for a cancelled TV show that lasted 13 episodes and had only a cult following. They did it for Hellboy 2, making a (IMHO) better sequel from an iffy first installment. Even beyond Shaun, Wright hasn't proven himself a big opening director, as Fuzz did not do so well in its theatrical run either. So I give them credit for taking a risk even if it doesn't pay off at first. SPvTW will surely live on as a cult film if nothing else.

I'm pretty sure Fuzz did almost twice as much business as Shaun, in both the UK and the US, and made enough on both shores individually to be very profitable for the budget. It may not have been a big opener but it was not a financial failure.

wikipedia on Hot Fuzz...

For the fans of the comics disappointed in the movie, see it again. Wright throws a lot at you and trying to compare it to the comics detracts from the experience, imo. On a second viewing, I discovered a lot more happening that took away a lot of my initial criticisms. Heck, now I'm re-reading the books and wishing some of it were more like the movie.

Loved it, and can't wait to see it again (on BD)... I think I may even enjoyed it more than the books just because Book 6 killed a little bit of my love for the books. Really cant wait to get this one on BD. Fav of the year so far.

Saw it. I loved it. Strange that we have drought for most of the summer with movies, then get two fun action flicks on the same weekend (the other being The Expendables IMO).


I have to say that casting Jason Schwartzman as an evil super-baddie was a stroke of genius, and having Michael Cera battle him moreso. I have to give Edgar Wright credit, he knows how to make a movie that spoofs a genre yet is still a great movie of the genre. He also knows how to stage action sequences. I also loved how it played by the rules of a video game:



EDIT: FWIW, I never read the comic. Maybe I'm overrating it.

Saw it, loved it, will buy the Blu-ray. I don't buy a lot of movies these days, so that's saying something.

Saw it today, loved it...only gripe is, just like hot fuzz, the editing and pacing gets to be a bit much by the end, sensory overload if you will

Easily my favorite movie of the summer...and I've liked a lot of movies this summer.

Nothing to say that hasn't been said. All I could think is how awesome it's going to look/sound on Blu-ray.

Believe me, every woman's a challenge. Some challenges are worth it, some aren't.

I liked it. It was hilarious and the action was a breath of fresh air. The shots actually lasted longer then 2 seconds! It definitely had the Edgar Wright feel with maybe even a touch of Tarantino in the mix. Not my favorite film of the year, not even in the top five actually, but it's a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing it again sometime down the road.

I've never read the books, but I'm tempted to do so...

I agree, the action was executed far better than I anticipated. Kudos to Wright and the gang.

Well I was rooting for this film to fail. I find Cera beyond irritating, I hate the hipster counterculture wannabe community so much, I want to grab the load of them and stab them in the eyes with a waterpik. But I love Edgar Wright so this was a weird position to be in. Waterpik in hand, wife and I caught a 5:30 showing of the movie last night.

Neither of us have ever read the original books. We came in fresh. We both ended up loving the movie. It threatened to be a bit too cutesy/oblique/precious at the beginning, but that was soon overcome by an exhilarating rush of great storytelling and characters. With all the advance buzz of the film, the hype, the hyperventilating fanboys, I was convinced this was going to be another mediocre non-starter like the massively underwhelming Kick-Ass, but SCOTT PILGRIM blew that film out of the water and out of the theater.

My only complaint was the lack of screen focus on Anna Kendrick's ungodly awesome cans.

4.5 / 5. Second favorite movie of the year after Toy Story 3.

I enjoyed the film, but I cringe at all the love this is going to get from the hipster community. The little visual gags like having the words "ring ring" pop up on screen when a phone rang was cute the first time, but when it happened every time it was overkill.
I read in a review that claimed that this is Michael Cera in a completely different role than he's played in the past. Bullshit, it's exactly the same role he's played in Superbad, Youth in Revolt, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Year One, Juno, etc. That being said, I think he's perfectly cast for that role haha. In fact I'll go as far to say that I like Cera, but it would be nice to see him try something else once and awhile.
Overall it was an enjoyable time, but the sound and visual effects were bordering on overkill.

Finally, I want to punch that orange haired girl (the drummer) in the face. People that act like her just don't sit well with me.

I would say you don't know what you're looking for, then. At the very least, almost all of Cera's other characters are verbose and thoughtful. Scott is kind of a dope, and Cera plays that complete gobsmacked gormlessness very well.

Of course, I also don't know what having comic book captions on screen has to do with hipsters, either (as per the weekly box-office thread, hipsters are people who are too cool for anything clever and are already disinterested -- the movie's villains, like Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, and the three doormen at the Chaos Theater are hipsters).

That's easy. It's hipster because people who don't the actual definition of the word say so!

Look out, it's the Hipster Definition Police again.

at least it ain't the Vegan Police.

People are so damn defensive over that word!

Chicken isn't vegan?

Maybe his tone and infliction are the same, but his character is totally different. Like I said earlier, he's sorta like a young Homer Simpsons, likable, but selfish and a bit of a dope. I think that's pretty different from his other characters.

Act how? She seemed normal enough to me - besides the fact that she was bitter at life and especially at Scott.

A lot of people seem to be bringing their own issues with "the scene" to judging this movie rather than basing it on the film itself.