Top 5 Movies of 2010

Spurred on by a random question of the week (thanks Pedro) I decided to do a little end of the year article on my top 5 movies of 2010. This is easier than top 5 games, because I go out to the movies a lot, but I don't really play games the year they come out, so I'd be more apt to do a "Top 5 Games of 2009 or 2008ish... or 2005". So without further ado here is The Worlds Worst Critic's Top 5 Movies of 2010!

5. Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese is a fantastic director. Lauded by the like of Robert Ebert he changes things up a bit for Shutter Island. The slightly fantastic and mind messing elements of this film are great, it's Scorsese doing the modern "artsy" approach and it works well. This movie provided a fantastic sense of paranoia and had a great payoff. The last line has an eerie resonance and what is akin to a wink and a nod. This is a perfect blend of old hollywood and new, well worth a watch.

4. Jackass 3D

You can read my review for this film here. To sum it all up, this film rises above its immature aspects to become something wholly unique. It is about friendship, it gives words and images to something almost indefinable. While not for everyone this was probably the biggest surprise of the year for me. If you have a strong constitution I highly recommend it.

3. Toy Story 3

Seeing as a PIxar film was my favorite movie last year it's not to hard to imagine why Toy Story 3 is on this years list. Simply put it is beautiful, not only in how it looks, but how it brings to end a story I (and most of you) grew up with. It's exciting and touching, it amazes me that pixar can bring out more emotion in a group of toys than most movies can with real world subjects. The end of this film will have you in tears, assuming you have a heart that is.

2. Inception

I wanted to give Inception my top spot, but it got beat out ever so slightly. This movie is amazing. The plot is NOT convoluted or overwrought (as some would say), it's easy enough to follow and the description alone should have you clamoring to see it. Again, like in all my top 5 it is the subtle aspects of the film I enjoy the most. Yes there are grandiose dreamscape action sequences and a plot about being in a dream in a dream in a dream and so on. There is also subtlety though, in a way that shows what regret can do to a man, and what love is. If you haven't seen this film yet, please do. The ending will definitely have you talking.

1. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World

I am a nerd. If you read my blog you probably know that, I just wanted to make it clear that Scott Pilgrim is Nerdvana. It is single handedly not only a perfect graphic novel adaption, but also a fantastic video game movie. That's right, despite not being based on a video game it seems to defy (or transcend) genre logic and become a game movie, only it's good (and the game for the movie was good too). Directed by a personal favorite of mine Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) the editing is fast and furious and the dialogue takes center stage. This movie may have underperformed at the box office, but rest assured, it is still an epic of epic epicness.

So there you have it, my top 5 movies of 2010. Inception has a game in the works and I positively can't wait for it. If you were wondering my top pick for movies in 2009 was "Up" and my pick for 2008 was "Brothers Bloom". I insist you watch both, they will make you a better person. The holiday season is in full swing so I hope everyone is staying safe. I'll be back to report on all the awesome games my wife gets me!

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Game: The Review

As of today I am currently 3 entries behind on the Call of Duty franchise with the release of Black Ops. Unfortunately for the good people at Treyarch my money belongs to one man today, Scott Pilgrim. Today, November 9th, is the release of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World on Blu Ray and DVD. What better way to celebrate the release of this incredible movie (which you all need to go out and buy, now!) than to review the game!

Before I start this review let me first explain just how bias I am. First and foremost I love Scott Pilgrim, both the books and movie. Second I am a sucker for retro style 8-bit stuff. That said, Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Game is like a perfect storm for me.

A brief synopsis: SPVTW: The Game is based on the 6 graphic novels that the film is based on (Note: not based on the film). Basically the graphic novels themselves are set up like a video game in which our hero, Mr. Pilgrim, must defeat his new loves 7 evil ex boyfriends. The world of Scott Pilgrim is easily one of its most fascinating aspects. Bryan Lee O'Malley crafted a comic book world with heavy video game influence. So how does that translate to an actual game?

The art style of SPVTW is reminiscent of the books, but at the same time is injected with a delightful bit of nostalgia. Levels play out like a side scrolling beat 'em up with quirky 8-bit graphics. But it goes beyond just the look of the game, small nods to classic games can be found at every corner. Bosses blink when low on health, giant blocks with question marks deliver coins upon impact, and there are these "subspace highways" you can find that perfectly emulate NES glitches, and my personal favorite: a world map. Simply put, it's fantastic.

On top of all that the game never feels old. It takes massive strides to invoke nostalgia but all the while feels fresh and new. Contributing to this is the leveling and shop systems. SPVTW features a RPG lite level system from beating baddies and collecting experience. This can be further augmented by stopping in the various shops and spending your hard earned cash on items (most of which are cleverly named after new and oldschool games/characters).

The gameplay itself actually improves as you improve. The game starts out a bit on the sluggish side, your characters hits a bit slow and you'll be taking a lot more punches then you dish out. As you level up you you'll get faster and unlock sweet new moves to ease the pain of getting constantly beat down by nameless thugs, which brings us to the difficulty.

The game starts out a bit difficult, and it's tough to beat the first level without dying at least once. The game is made substantially easier with proper mastery of the block button, seriously people, learn it love it. After you gain a few levels though, you'll be right on your way to Gideon, especially if you have some help. Like all the old arcade quarter eaters SPVTW is made to be played with friends. 4 of your favorite people can play at a time as either Scott, Ramona, Steven Stills, Kim Pine, and the newly downloadable Knives Chao (Mr Chao and Nega Scott are also unlockable).

Co-op works as expected and one of my only gripes, no drop in drop out, has been fixed with a recently released downloadable ad on. Friendly fire can be turned off, which is greatly appreciated as sometimes higher level characters can toss an item the will bounce on the edges of the screen and do some serious damage to a lower level friend. The only other aspect I didn't quite like in co op was whenever you play with a friend the "Guest's" levels and stats don't get saved.

Another aspect of SPVTW I have to gush on is the sound and music. Again, I will admit to nostalgia, but this is the best gosh darn soundtrack I've heard since World of Goo. As you might have guessed the music follow suit with the rest of the game and goes for an all out assault of chip-tunes goodness (a soundtrack I now own in full, thank you Amazon). The music is attributed to Anamanaguchi and is entirely original. This stuff is classic, it was made based on the oldschool philosophy of gaming and something that almost no one could pull off today: How to loop a track for an entire level without it getting repetitive or annoying. I could play these levels over and over with the same track playing in the background and still be humming the tune long after I turned off the game.

Fun old school game play with catchy music and slick retro visuals; In the end all of these elements come together to form one spectacular package. This game has it all! Anyone can easily justify the $10 for this one, so do yourself a favor and pick it up. Scott Pilgrim's game is no less awesome than his books or movies, and you should know how ridiculously awesome those are.

Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness (Volume 3)

Volume 3 of the Scott Pilgrim Saga (sure, I can call it a saga, apparently now-a-days you can get away with calling just about anything a saga) brings the action and the awkward. This book revolves mainly around Scotts ex that he was depressed about for a year, Envy Adams, who happens to currently be dating Ramona's 3rd evil ex.

Todd (3rd ex) is a great character. He is vegan so he has psychic powers. The book doesn't even try to explain it, you just have to go with it. With Todd's ridiculously arrogant attitude it really works though. O'malley lampoons vegans so well you can't really tell if he loves or loathes them, which is parody at its best.

This book plays heavily with flash backs. They are neatly woven throughout the narrative. In book two we were treated to these scenes in large chunks for the most part. but in Volume 3 the come fast, maybe 2-3 pages of flashback then its back to the present. I found this to be a very nice way to keep the reader engaged.

Ramona is fleshed out a lot more in this book, she actually gets quite emotional. At one point she even pulls out a giant hammer (with +2 against girls) and goes toe to toe with Envy Adams. Alright, it was because Envy was getting on her nerves, but at least some portion of it was for the pain she caused Scott. It was just good to see that she does care for him, and that it's not just a one way obsession.

Knives Chao is now dating Young Neil, Steven Stills roommate. He genuinely cares for Chao but all she really wants at this point is to make scott jealous, though by the end of the book it seems as though that might have changed, if only a little.

One thing that became obvious after reading Volume 3 is that the film Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is going to have a very different timeline. I figured that would be the case, and I still have confidence that it will be awesome (after all, it couldn't be a 6 hour movie). It is going to be a film adaptation of the book, its basically Edgar Wright interpreting the comic (and O'Malley was there to help). Things take their time in the comic, for instance, Scott fights Todd 3 times over several days. I doubt Edgar would want to do everything as a montage so (according to the trailer) it seems as though its been compressed to one fight (in the trailer, when Todd does the awesome 'dust' line he says Scott will be dust because he's going to pulverize him in 2 seconds, whereas in the book its pulverize you tomorrow). So I expect things in the movie to move fast and furious, which will be awesome.

So Volume 3 ends on a bit of a good note with the 3rd evil ex down. Scott wanted a bit more closure with Envy, but he seems like he'll be able to make it along just fine. He remains ever-likable and flawed, but this issue also showed us how damaged he was/is. Ramona also remains quite a mystery. Several more clues are dropped in this book that there is a large possible devious backstory to her. Also, as a nice nod we're given a brief glimpse at who appears to be Gideon, the final ex. Book three had good energy, action, drama, and of course comedy, so with that we move onto Volume 4.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (Volume 2)

Well the excitement continues to build. Yesterday I purchased the Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Game. I'll do a full review of that once I finish but my opinion thus far… It is amazing! The folks at Ubisoft really capitalized on the retro feel and graphics, the soundtrack is great 8-bit, the gameplay is classic scrolling arcade with RPG elements and the over-world map made me Nostalgia hard.

A lot of people are complaining about the fact that there is no online co-op and while it is a bummer they didn't include that, it doesn't change my opinion at all. But I'll get into that in my full review. For now let's continue on with Scott's printed adventures in Volume 2: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World.

This book begins with a flash back. It's neat to see Scott in High School, and his first meeting with Kim Pines, the drummer of his current band the Sex Bob-ombs (yes, Mario reference). In the flashback we see Scott's "history of violence" as the first thing that happens when he arrives as a transfer student is get in a fight.

He makes quick friends with a girl who starts crushing on him but he falls for, wait for it, his english project partner Kim Pines. That's right, this flashback not only establishes Scott as a fighter, it shows that he and Kim P have a history. This begs the question of the fall apart, how this will affect future events, and why is Kim so bitter. Also, the other girl in the flashback leaves some questions un-answered…

So Scott has to fight pretty boy Lucas Lee this time around, and uses his brains rather than his fists. In classic literary style Scott tricks Lucas to attempt an insane skate boarding trick based. Pride gets the best of ol' Lucas and he fails. Hard. Hard enough, infect to dissipate into coins. Before the fight is the really interesting part though, as Lee basically contradicts everything Ramona told Scott. He says that Ramona cheated on him, broke his heart, and left him for the first pretty boy that came by (R. said the exact opposite). Lucas also explains the "League of Exes" and how he almost didn't make it in, but did because he was an important part of Ramona's past (because of the cheating thing). This could lead to an interesting development, perhaps the evil exes are really more of a psychological threat then a physical one. That often proves true in real life, and it would be a fun play on standards in Scott's world.

Another great scene has the recently heart broken Knives Chao chopping and bleaching her hair and picking up a pair of (what else) knives. She proceeds to *attempt* to kick Ramona's booty at the local reference library. The fight scene is fantastic and it was fun to finally see Ramona in action. Looks like she isn't the only one with homicidal baggage.

What started out as a very normal story is quickly taking a turn toward the surreal and fantastic and it's absolutely great! The quirky referential humor is pitch perfect and the story is continuing to flow at a brisk pace. This book certainly hasn't come down with "Manga syndrome" and I don't see it waring out its welcome at only six volumes, we're 1/3 of the way through it! Next up is Volume 3 Micro review, let's see if we can get some questions answered in Scott Pilgrims most exciting adventure yet!

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life (Volume 1)

I'll be honest, I'm way to excited for this movie. Like honestly, there is almost no way it can live up to the hype I've generated in my head (even more than Kick Ass). This is set up to be my favorite Comic-to-Movie ever. So yeah, to excited...

If the trailers are any judge (which lets be honest, they usually are NOT… but lets go with it) Scott Pilgrim is well on its way to becoming the most pixel perfect translation of comic to film ever. Now I'm sure they will have to cut a few corners here and there, adding and subtracting, but the fact that Brian O'malley was on hand for most of the filming bodes well. So in anticipation of this hopefully awesome film I decided to toss up a few cliff notes on the books.

The Scott Pilgrim Comic (yes, I'll refer to it as a comic, not a manga) runs a brisk 6 volumes and actually just recently concluded. I know what you're thinking, that means they were done filming before the books were finished. Luckily as I said just one paragraph prior, the creator of the series was on set for most of the pre-production and production, so the story was in good hands.

Volume 1 picks up with Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life. This book is really a lot of set up. We meet Scott, his roommate, friends, bandmates, his "girlfriend", and Ramona. Several future events are eluded to such as Scott's previous jobs and girlfriends. This is all just a window into Scott's very normal, slightly self absorbed life. We get to know him as a character.

Things start getting weird when he begins dreaming about a girl on roller blades, Ramona Flowers. Eventually he meets her in real life, scores a date, and she tells him he has an inter-dimensional gateway in his head that's a wicked short cut. This quirkiness is very reminiscent of FLCL and I absolutely loved it.

When I picked up this book I figured Scott would be the all around righteous hero who must fight for Ramona Flowers love. Instead what I found was a much more realistic twenty something slacker who was dating a high schooler (to both cheers and jeers). O'Malley wrote Scott to be an under achiever and honestly in most cases it would be an uphill battle to are about Scott.

He's basically leading on a teenager while falling for Ramona and then ends up in a tight spot. What's really cool is that all the characters are so likable. Knives Chao (Scott's other high school girlfriend) comes on a bit strong, but you can tell she earnestly cares for Scott. Poor Mr. Pilgrim thinks he likes her, until he sees Ramona skating through his dreams. He doesn't want to hurt Knives, which is fairly obvious, so he tries his best to work awkwardly around the situation.

Scott is a flawed character in many ways, but also redeemable. O'Malley did a great job writing him through his mis-adventures in Volume 1. At times the quality downgrades a bit to almost "web comic" humor, but it still works. The book keeps up a brisk pace so when I say downgrade its really more of a jog, honestly still funny stuff. So onto Volume 2 we go!