"Scott, if your life had a face, I would punch it."

That's just one of the better dead-pan lines in Edgar Wright's latest, which opened this past Friday. While it's not as strong as Wright's previous film (2007's Hot Fuzz), this is perhaps the best pseudo-parody of video games ever put on film. Even when it feels like a video game, it's not in a way that detracts. As usual, the edits are efficient and keep you on edge. The ensemble in particular are wonderful. Michael Cera is more or less playing the same role he plays everywhere else, only this time with a (smidge) more confidence. More fun are Kieran Culkin (as his gay room mate), Allison Pill (his former girl friend and current band mate), Aubrey Plaza (as foul mouthed Julie), and Anna Kendrick (as Scott's sister). But really, the star of the film is its screenplay and Wright and co.'s realization of it on screen. Dozens of tiny flourishes fuse the world of comic books, video games, and films together without so much as a bump in the road: sounds appear as words, music from The Legend of Zelda and Mario are used as musical cues, and people turn into coins when defeated. The only hindrance is perhaps the source material itself; if Wright had come up with this story and universe on his own, odds are it would have been even more dizzyingly satisfying. Wright does a solid job of incorporating visual effects into action sequences (a big change for him), save for a literal battle of the bands that ends with a giant attacking a pair of dragons. All in all, it's a funny, engaging film with good work from its young, talented cast. It may lack the fuller sense of satisfaction of Wright's previous two efforts, but its still one of the few films to really stand out in an underwhelming summer. One running event in the film is Scott's participation in a video game, that asks after defeat: "Continue?" as numbers count down. Were Scott Pilgrim vs. the World actually a video a game, I would eagerly answer, "Yes."

Grade: B

3rd Quarter Preview: July, August, September

We've entered into the third quarter of 2010, and here's hoping that these last three months before awards season will give us more than one worthwhile film. Here's a look at (hopefully) a wide array of reasons to have hope that the next three months will bring out the good stuff.

17. The Adjustment Bureau dir. George Nolfi [Sept. 17 - Wide]

• Why: Strong cast led by Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and John Slattery
• Why: Philip K. Dick is always a good go-to author for compelling, modern sci-fi
• Why Not: Delays and rumors/early buzz that it's nothing more than O.K.

16. The Town dir. Ben Affleck [Sept. 10]

• Why: Affleck's directing debut, Gone Baby Gone, was an excellent start to a new career path
• Why: Wonderful cast, including Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Chris Cooper, and the lovely Rebecca Hall
• Why Not: No promotional material or buzz. Anywhere.

15. Machete dir. Robert Rodriguez [Sept. 3 - Wide]

• Why: Crazy, off-the-walls trailer featuring a bizarro cast of everyone from Robert DeNiro to Lindsay Lohan
• Why Not: Could just be over-stylized junk

14. Easy A dir. Will Gluck [Sept. 17 - Wide]

• Why: A return to high school in the vein of Mean Girls or Clueless
• Why: Great cast led by Emma Stone, who finally gets to lead a comedic feature
• Why Not: All of the best parts/jokes might be in the trailer; could be too routine

13. Get Low dir. Aaron Schneider [July 30 - Limited]

• Why: Strong, older cast led by Robert "I want my second Oscar" Duvall and Sissy Spacek
• Why: Looks like a mature, wryly funny look at death (sort of)
• Why Not: Reviews make it seem like this year's Crazy Heart: a performance surrounded by a movie

12. Predators dir. Nimrod Antal [July 9 - Wide]

• Why: Executive-produced by Robert Rodriguez
• Why: Interesting cast including Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, and Walter Goggins, who did wonderful work on the first season of FX's new show Justified
• Why Not: Is it just another lame reboot with better visual effects?

11. Salt dir. Phillip Noyce [July 23 - Wide]

• Why: Angelina Jolie firmly in her comfort zone: bad-ass action heroine
• Why: Good supporting cast including Liev Schreiber and Chiwetal Ejiofor
• Why: Apparently it went over well at a recent SAG screening
• Why Not: SAG screening audiences tend to like a lot of films they're shown if they have stars...

10. Centurion dir. Neil Marshall [July 30 - Video On Demand]

• Why: Despite the troubles securing a US release date, early reviews have been strong
• Why: Another chance for burgeoning talents Michael Fassbender and Olga Kurlyenko to prove themselves
• Why Not: Well...if you don't have VOD, good luck finding it...

09. Legend of the Guardians dir. Zack Snyder [Sept. 24 - Wide]

• Why: Thrilling trailer and gorgeous animation that gives Pixar a run for its money in terms of detail
• Why: Stellar voice cast, with everyone from Abbie Cornish to Helen Mirren to Geoffrey Rush
• Why Not: Let's hope Zack Snyder keeps the slow-down-speed-up action technique to a minimum this time

08. The Expendables dir. Sylvester Stallone [Aug. 13 - Wide]

• Why: Practically every action star from the 80s up through the present is in here
• Why: Should provide a much needed dose of relatively VFX-free, hardcore action
• Why Not: Rumors of a watered-down, PG-13 cut to appeal to "more sensitive audiences"
• Why Not: I don't think Sylvester Stallone has been intelligible since the early 90s (Judge Dredd, anyone?)

07. Buried dir. Rodrigo Cortes [Sept. 24 - Limited]

• Why: Buzz from Sundance has been strong. Ryan Reynolds is tasked with carrying the entire film, and apparently he pulls it off.
• Why: Great concept
• Why Not: Limited perspective/location films are often hit-or-miss

06. Mao's Last Dancer dir. Bruce Beresford [Aug. 20 - Limited]

• Why: Interesting, relatively recent true story
• Why: Beautiful looking dance sequences
• Why Not: Chi Cao seems a little wooden in the trailers
• Why Not: Romance angle could drag it down to pedestrian levels

05. Never Let Me Go dir. Mark Romanek [Sept. 15 - Limited]

• Why: Stellar cast including Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Sally Hawkins, and Charlotte Rampling
• Why: Chilling trailer and (allegedly) great source material (novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, who wrote Remains of the Day)
• Why Not: Is moving the film to an earlier release date a good sign, a bad sign, or something else entirely?
• Why Not: The issues at stake seem compelling as hell, but what if the actual narrative isn't?

04. The Kids Are All Right dir. Lisa Cholodenko [July 9 - Limited]

• Why: Strong early word, especially for the performances from Annette Bening and Julianne Moore
• Why: A film that takes on a real issue regarding gay couples, but with a lighter touch
• Why Not: It could be more of a performance piece

03. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World dir. Edgar Wright [Aug. 13 - Wide]

• Why: Edgar Wright, who has proven himself adept at making films that both satirize genre conventions while also creating legitimate tension/intensity when needed (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead)
• Why: Bright, engaging special effects work that looks like it enhances, rather than detracts from, the action
• Why: Trailer showcases the beautiful, lightning-fast edits that work so well in his films
• Why Not: The most VFX-heavy film Wright has ever made; will he get bogged down?
• Why Not: Michael Cera still seems stuck playing...Michael Cera

02. The American dir. Anton Corbijn [Sept. 1 - Wide]

• Why: Corbijn's follow-up to his excellent Control
• Why: Compelling trailer featuring nice, understated visuals, without giving away the entire plot
• Why: Thekla Reutan, who worked magic with a thankless role in In Bruges, gets a major role this time around
• Why Not: No early buzz or reviews
• Why Not: Though the assassin cover may be relatively new, we've seen Clooney play the guy-disillusioned-with-his-job role quite a lot

01. Inception dir. Christopher Nolan [July 16 - Wide]

• Why: Dazzling trailers that barely give a shred of plot information away
• Why: Reportedly a mix of the mind-bending narrative style of Memento with the possibilities/gloss of The Dark Knight's budget
• Why: Fantastic ensemble cast
• Why Not: Is it too much of a mind-warp for its own good (Nolan does, however, claim otherwise in a recent NYTimes article)?
• Why Not: With such a big ensemble, will everyone be given enough material to work with, or will there be too many one-note characters?

Full-length "Scott Pilgrim vs the World" trailer

Not only does this one include even more fun footage, but it also gives more screen time to supporting players like Anna Kendrick and Alison Pill (if only briefly). Were it not for director Edgar Wright, who has the ability to make films that both satirize genre conventions while also utilizing them for high intensity, I would be iffy about this, but he is, so I'm interested. Even with the increase in visual effects, I'm hoping that, like Hot Fuzz, you can almost feel every punch/kick/injury. And while it likely won't be groundbreaking territory, it's nice to see Michael Cera in a role where his character can legitimately kick some ass, instead of just being a comic relief wallflower.

Teaser trailer for "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World"

Well, sadly, Michael Cera still looks the same as he does in...everything. However, I had no idea how much of this was almost science fiction. Then, there's the guiding hand of Edgar Wright, the director of two fantastic films, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, which both brilliantly spoofed genres while also maintaing genuine intensity. And then there's Anna Kendrick, who, though only tagged on to the very end, is still a welcome presence.

Teaser poster for Edgar Wright's "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World"

The film stars Michael Cera, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzmann, Chris Evans, Alison Pill (Milk), and Brandon Routh (aka, he of the lackluster Superman Returns).

First official stills from "MacGruber", "Your Highness", and "Scott Pilgrim" (all 2010)

Very interesting, but the idea of Danny McBride in a period piece seems, well, strange. Early word on MacGruber has been surprisingly...not terrible (besides, it's an excuse to see Kristen Wiig on the big screen). I don't know much about Scott Pilgrim, other than it's from the man behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, one of the most woefully ignored comedies of 2007, and that it stars Michael Cera and future Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick (not pictured).