Welcome to "Ranked", where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Edgar Wright-whose latest directorial effort "Last Night in Soho" arrives in theaters tonight.
Edgar Wright's Filmography Ranked:
5.Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (B)
4.The World's End (B+)
3.Hot Fuzz (A-)
2.Baby Driver (A)
1.Shaun of the Dead (A)
Top Dog: Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The resurgence in zombie-based media over the past decade or so can be linked back to the devoted following Shaun of the Dead quickly amassed back in 2004/05. By adding dark humor, likable underdog characters and heartfelt moments alongside the expected brain eating/gore, Wright permanently rewrote the rule book for zombie movies and opened the door for more subversive, comedic takes on the genre to emerge (Zombieland, Dead Snow, Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse).
Lowlight: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Even after multiple viewings, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a tricky film for me to assess. There's something really admirable about the frantic energy Wright put into its graphic novel/video game-style presentation and the ensemble cast from the leads (Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead) down to the future superstars that occupied the supporting cast (Chris Evans, Brie Larson, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Kieran Culkin) all relish the opportunity to play smartass, cartoony characters. However, a fair amount of the jokes fall flat, the corniness of the whole affair becomes overwhelming at times and the script isn't as clever as Wright and his co-writer Michael Bacall seem to think it is.
Most Underrated: The World's End (2013)
Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are tough acts to follow and The World's End doesn't quite live up to the stellar reputation of those films. That being said, the final chapter in the unofficial Cornetto trilogy from Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is still a super fun, witty take on the alien invasion movie that retains much of the oddball humor and rewatchability that made the trio's previous collaborations so great.
Most Overrated: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
As I outlined above, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a movie that I've never really been a big fan of. While a rewatch last year did improve its standing with me a pretty considerable amount, I still feel that it's far less entertaining and well-crafted than everything else Wright has put out ahead of Last Night in Soho. I'd also like to say to the employee at the AMC Liberty Tree Mall 20 in Danvers, Massachusetts that attempted to convince me to buy a ticket to this over The Expendables on their shared opening night of August 13, 2010 that I don't regret my decision to go see the Sylvester Stallone-backed action star summit at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment