SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD: Released on DVD and Blu-Ray
Deciding to re-review Scott Pilgrim’s feature length content for its Blu-Ray release is like deciding to re-analyse Chuck Norris for his bad-assery.
Everyone knows what to expect by now – and if you’re not a fan of the geekiest, coolest and most engaging blockbuster of 2010, this release is unlikely to sway you.
Edgar Wright’s open love letter to the nerd-core was openly discussed in our earlier review, so we’re just going to focus on the bonuses, additional content and benefits the Blu-ray version of the movie brings to the table.
While Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and the rest of the perfectly chosen cast all brought their A-Game to the table, it’s fair to say that it was Edgar Wright’s manic direction and stunningly realised visuals that brought Pilgrim’s nerd-saturated existence to life.
Alas, the vibrancy of the colours and crispness of the visuals appear muted on the 1080p AVC-encoded image, with a surprisingly toned down palette failing to live up to its big-screen incarnation.
Let’s just say that ***NERDY QUOTE GAG WARNING*** if the Blu-ray’s visuals had a face, we’d be punching it right about now.
That said, the appeal of the visual styling (including the bit-icised gaming throwbacks) still shines through, and the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio is as subtle and engaging as the theatrical release, with all manner of recognisable Nintendo/Sega bleeps and zings complimenting the zeitgeisty rock soundtrack.
Extras-wise, Wright delivers with a treasure trove of captivating content.
Four audio commentaries shine considerable light on the technical, acting and directing aspects of the production, with a particularly fascinating feature commentary courtesy of Wright, co-writer Michael Bacall and Scott Pilgrim’s creator himself, Bryan Lee O’Malley.
The obligatory deleted scenes are pretty enjoyable (all 21 of them), and act as a fun addition alongside the blooper reel and galleries.
There’s also a host of HD-specific content, including pre-FX fight scene footage, 12 video blogs conducted by Wright during filming, a featurette on the movie’s soundtrack, a ‘Making Of’ featurette and an entertaingly self-referential Trivia Track with text pop ups throughout the movie detailing the video game and comic book references.
Like Scott’s own life, the Blu-ray package is a masterpiece almost undone by its own laziness. But while the visuals may live up to its big-screen legacy, the fan-faithful extras and the feature’s originality and creativity prove hard to stifle.
