In terms of sheer box office might, the most impactful superhero movie of 2010 was easily "Iron Man 2." Not only was it a massively lucrative sequel, but it also had minimal competition given the dearth of other superhero movies released in 2010. Of course "Iron Man 2" attracted more moviegoers than "Jonah Hex" among fellow 2010 superhero fare. But "Iron Man 2" wasn't the best superhero film from 2010 in terms of overall quality, not even close. That honor goes to Edgar Wright's "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," which tipped its hat to not only superhero storytelling, but also video games, rock music, and "Seinfeld."
A jam-packed love letter to a wide array of corners of pop culture, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" offered moviegoers plenty of bang for their buck. This was especially true when it came to the vividly-alive filmmaking of the feature, which pulsated with energy and creativity. Conceptually simple gags like Scott Pilgrim waking up in a sweat in the middle of the night were taken to the next level of hilariousness thanks to well-timed blocking and editing. On top of all that, the ways "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" reimagined everyday personalities, namely the various members of the League of Evil Exes, through larger-than-life visual elements like extravagant costumes were inspired. There had never been a superhero film quite like "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," and over a decade since its release, it hasn't been duplicated.
