I left the screening for "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" a bit confused and even more frustrated. It seemed just like the kind of thing I should like- a colorful, uproarious whirligig of post-modern fun, with Jason Schwartzman as the bad guy, and Edgar Wright as the director.

But try as I might, I just couldn’t find my way to completely liking it. Because in "Scott Pilgrim" all the pieces work. They just don’t work together.

Scott Pilgrim is a nerd who shares a bed with his friend Wallace (Culkin), yet somehow manages to have some luck with the ladies. He’s sought after by Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), a pint-sized stalker who’s still in high school, but he’s mad about Ramona Flowers, a bad-ass chick with dyed-hair who’s more awesome that Scott could ever hope to be. She decides to date him, though before he can he must defeat the "League of Evil Exes," in a series of battle sequences that riff on Kung Fu films, texting, westerns and Street Fighter.

Wright is in many ways the perfect person to direct this movie, which is based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley. The novels are little gems of pop art- a 21st century romance as told through a video game fantasy. Wright, who also directed "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz", creates a slam-bang universe full of color and life. He’s peopled the landscape with a terrific supporting cast, including the lovely Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick and Kieran Culkin. He goes a little overboard sometimes (especially in the action sequences, which can verge on nauseating), but it’s a solid piece within his wheelhouse.

There’s a lot of really great humor, aimed directly at the heart of Gen Y. In one memorable scene, one of the exes (Brandon Routh) has super-powers derived from the fact that he’s vegan. "When you get right down to it, vegans are just better than other people," he says. He’s then beaten when his power wanes from accidentally drinking half and half.

Winstead as Ramona is truly luminescent, and a joy to watch. Her delivery is a gentle sarcasm- you know that beneath that purple-dye exterior beats the heart of a truly kind and good person. Culkin, who appears to be channeling John Waters as every teenaged girl’s sassy gay friend, is funny and smart.

So, you’re probably asking, what’s the problem? Everything seems to be great, right down to the fantastic soundtrack (Scott Pilgrim is also in a pretty rocking band). What’s my hesitation?

I have two words for you. Michael. Cera.

I’ve grown weary of Cera. He’s got one mood, one mode of action: the slightly bored, slightly neurotic hipster. I’m tired of his hoodies with ironic sayings, and his poor man’s Woody Allen delivery. I’m tired of his good-nerd-gone-bad routine and fluffy hair. I’m tired of his whole aggravating Williamsburg indie-pop shtick.

In a movie with as much noise, and music, and hallucinatory images, why would you put it all on the thin shoulders of the kid from "Juno"? Cera cannot carry this movie in the way it needs to be. His inclusion, and the focus on him, renders the movie disjointed. He whispers his role when it needs to be shouted to be heard over the loudspeakers pumping out electronica in the background.

In short, he kind of ruins the whole thing.

I don’t want to beat up on Cera. He’s good at what he does, limited though it may be. I just wish they’d found someone more dynamic, someone who can rise above the roller-coaster of Wright’s directing. There’s a lot to be said for "Scott Pilgrim". A great leading man would have been the icing on the cake.

Michael Cera is not like any other child star. His career in acting began at the age of 11, but he started getting recognition at the age of 15 for his character in "Arrested Development," George Michael Bluth. He made a number of movies following the underground success of the show including "Superbad," "Juno" and "Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist," making a name for himself as the shy, sarcastic indie kid.

Cera fans who love this character won’t be disappointed when they see his latest film, "Youth in Revolt," which comes out Friday. Cera plays Nick Twisp, a bumbling teenager who has a curious way with words. But Cera also brings something new to the table — an alter-ego that is just as naughty as his other characters are harmless.

Blast recently got a chance to sit down with Cera and his "Youth in Revolt" costar, Portia Doubleday, to talk about the movie, Zach Galifianakis and all things French.

"It’s so crazy," said 21-year-old Portia Doubleday, when asked how it feels to be promoting her first movie. "It’s definitely bizarre…but definitely this experience has been nothing I could’ve dreamt of (laughs). The clich© statement."

Doubleday, sister of Kaitlin Doubleday ("Waiting"), is tall, blonde and willowy, and stands out in contrast to Cera who is dark-haired and shy, hiding behind a brown pea coat and a mug of coffee.

In casual conversation before the interview, Cera laughingly talked about the imminent release of "Twilight: New Moon"…and how he fell asleep in the middle of it. But the moment he sank into the interview chair, he became immediately serious — answering thoughtfully, tapping his Nikes incessantly and nodding encouragement to his fledgling costar.

"I’m alone here," said Doubleday, "because…Michael’s been working for awhile."

The actors said they drew most of their inspiration for their performances from the books, written by C.D. Payne.

"I read it when I was 16," said Cera. "Yeah it was definitely our goal to try and capture the tone of the book, making the movie."

While Francois Dillinger, Nick Twisp’s alter-ego was undoubtedly more fun to play for Cera, he said that he related more to poor, pathetic Nick Twisp.

"Personally I can relate to Nick," said Cera, "going through this thing of being kind of far away from this girl that he’s crazy about and not knowing what’s going on or where they stand, and, you know, just kind of the confusion that happens. I think that’s pretty relatable for most people."

Doubleday revealed that she related more to her character than you might think. She plays Sheeni, a teen who is obsessed with France, the French and anything to do with them. Doubleday’s boyfriend during shooting was actually French. Imagine that.

"The reason why we went out," she said, "is because he asked me to go out with him in French. But he also sent me roses with letters in French. It’s so romantic and his accent just totally got me."

But someone else got him. Doubleday shared a story with us about her costar, Zach Galifianakis, who gave her boyfriend a strange greeting his first day on set.

"We were all just meeting in a hotel room," said Doubleday, "and I was bringing my boyfriend…for the first time to meet everybody and we opened the door and Zach’s pants were down, full-on flashing. My boyfriend is so shy and bashful, so he’s like ‘Oh no! Oh, oops!’ I was like, well, ‘This is Zach. Zach, this is Nicolai.’"

Cera and Doubleday had the unique opportunity of working with two Michael Ceras — Nick Twisp and Francois Dillinger. While acting with oneself might seem fun, Cera said it was, at times, difficult.

"It’s just really technical like how you get two of yourself in the same shot," said Cera. "It’s tricky. You just kinda have to keep doing it until there’s one that just happens to fit perfectly."

Doubleday, on the other hand, said that a lot of times, it was hard for her to keep a straight face — like say when Francois Dillinger tells Sheeni, "Why don’t you pull down these blankets and show me what you’re hiding under there?"

"It was really exciting to kind of see how it was going to play out," said Doubleday. "You know, seeing it on paper and being like, ‘Oh wow, I wonder how this is gonna work — and how I’m not gonna laugh.’"

Dillinger is the comic relief throughout most of the movie, with his outrageous statements and even more outrageous actions (once, he stuffs a fistful of shrooms into his mouth, turns to Nick and says "Have fun"). But unfortunately, he only makes limited appearances in the film.

"That’s good," said Cera. "I’d rather you be wanting more than wanting less."

“Youth in Revolt” is in theaters Friday.

Hey Boston readers! “Youth in Revolt,” starring Michael Cera and newcomer Portia Doubleday hits theaters next week, but Blast is giving you the opportunity to see it before everybody else! If you’re a Michael Cera fan, and I know that you are, just leave a comment below with your favorite quote by Michael Cera. It could be a George Michael quote from Arrested Developement. It could be a Paulie Bleeker quote from Juno. Or it could even be a Michael Cera original from his hilarious interview on Zach Galifianakis’ show, “Between Two Ferns.” There’s no shortage on his hilarious lines, so get going, and make sure you check back here Friday for our interview with Michael and Portia to talk about the movie.

The Weinstein Company announced Thursday that it has changed the release date for “Youth in Revolt” from October 30 to January 15, 2010.

“Youth” is a coming-of-age comedy starring Michael Cera (Juno, Superbad) and based on the novel by C.D. Payne. It’s the story of Nick Twisp, a unique, but affable teen with a taste for the finer things in life like Sinatra and Fellini, who falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful, free-spirited Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday) while on a family vacation. But family, geography and jealous ex-lovers conspire to keep these two apart. With Sheeni’s encouragement, Nick abandons his dull, predictable life and develops a rebellious alter ego: Francois. With his ascot, his moustache and his cigarette, Francois will stop at nothing to be with Sheeni, and leads Nick Twisp on a path of destruction with unpredictable and uproarious consequences.

So be patient, kids. Let’s not start a revolution.

If “Arrested Development” fans went wild over the idea of Michael Cera and Jason Bateman teaming up again in 2007′s “Juno” (the duo weren’t in a single scene together, to the disappointment of many hoping for a Michael/George Michael reunion) then the prospect of Michael Cera and David Cross actually interacting in a film “" especially with an “Arrested Development” movie looming on the horizon “" should have been enough to whip them into a frenzy.

In fact, the combination of any number of the impressive supporting cast for “Year One” should get comedy fans excited. In addition to leads Michael Cera and Jack Black, there’s Paul Rudd, David Cross, Bill Hader, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Adrian Brody, Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt, Vinnie Jones… well, you get the idea.

Then there is the premise: Zed (Black) and Oh (Cera) leave their woodland tribe and travel through the year one, interacting with a number of biblical stories. With the expansive cast, there was plenty of room for the script to pan out and enjoy numerous discourses with the various biblical stories. Instead, only about a few biblical stories were touched upon during the film: eating the forbidden fruit, Abraham and Jacob, Cain and Abel and Sodom and Gomorrah, to name some.

It’s not just that all of the funny parts in “Year One” are shown in the commercials (along with the majority of the plot lines), it’s that the scenes are less funny in the actual film than they are in the trailers. What seems like a great teaser for an epic comedy instead is a basic synopsis for a film that barely expands beyond the premise set up in its two minute long trailer.

“Year One” tried too hard to have a plot when it should have been a heavily comedic, somewhat episodic road movie. Relying too heavily on its leads, “Year One” let its fantastic array of supporting actors fall flat: Rudd and Brody should have had much more screen time, to name a few under-appreciated actors.

Black spends too much time being his loud obnoxious self, while Cera plays a pre-historic “" albeit funny “" version of himself. What could have been a great ensemble film along the lines of “Knocked Up” and “Anchorman” was shadowed by the star power of its two leads, and Ramis did not work hard enough to make sure his prize supporting comedians shone when they had their screen time.

Instead, “Year One” is just another mediocre comedy to come out of Judd Apatow-related production that had the potential to be something glorious but didn’t have his finishing touch.

Maybe it’s the decided lack of new (good) adult cartoons nowadays, but yesterday sources announced Comedy Central would be renewing the six years dead TV show “Futurama” with a 26 episode count. Surviving with reruns on Comedy Central and a series of straight-to-DVD movies, “Futurama” has remained popular enough to be brought back from TV-on-DVD land.

This is reminiscent of when FOX show “Family Guy” was renewed several years ago after being axed due to its high DVD sales and continued popularity.

We at Blast would like to suggest the renewal of a couple more unfortunately departed FOX TV shows that still have some extra kick in them.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

Even with an “Arrested Development” movie on the horizon (fingers crossed), the true magic of the three season long comedy about the unapologetically terrible Bluth family came from the character interaction and insanely interwoved plot lines that coursed through the series.

Like “Futurama” and “Family Guy,” “Arrested Development” has seen life after death with high DVD sales and an impassioned fanbase (the idea for an “Arrested Development” movie didn’t come from nowhere… well, maybe Ron Howard). Plus, the show remains one of the most critically acclaimed comedies of all time.

With the marketed success of Michael Cera and the maintained popularity of stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett and David Cross, new seasons of “Arrested Development” could reach a wider, more willing audience. At the time, the Bluths were criticized as being “unrelatable” and the episodes were too disjointed, but with shows like “The Office” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” growing in popularity and viewership each year, maybe it’s time for “Arrested Development” to return to television.

Check out season three’s “S.O.B.s” episode, “Arrested Development’s” response to finding out they were canceled:

FIREFLY

We don’t care that Joss Whedon has “Dollhouse” now, that Nathan Fillion has “Castle,” that Alan Tudyk is headed to “V” or that “Serenity” has already been made: We want more “Firefly.” We give FOX credit for giving “Dollhouse” a second season, and yes viewership was low for “Firefly’s” first and only season, but with the success of both “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and its spin-off “Angel,” FOX should have known to trust the magic that is Joss Whedon.

The magic of “Firefly” is its reinvention of outer space. Its western feel and comedic relief was a welcome change to the “Stargate” ripoffs littering the major networks. “Firefly” had a character that was uniquely its own, and that’s something few sci-fi television shows can say.

With the popularity of its spin-off comic book series and the multitude of storylines that have yet to be told, “Firefly” has many more seasons left in it. Whedon clearly left the series open to go a varity of different ways — a fact made more clear by the quick wrap-up of River Tam’s storyline in “Serenity” — and has a growing and dedicated fanbase that would stand behind the resurrection of this show. Don’t believe me? Check out Can’t Stop The Serenity in Boston this month.

Blast’s resident Whedon expert Kellen Rice also would like to point out that maybe if “Firefly” hadn’t been canceled so early on, SPOILER Alan Tudyk’s Wash wouldn’t have been killed off in “Serenity” — something she still feels can change.

Watch “Firely” episode “Out of Gas” here, and check out the entire series for free on Hulu.com:

What TV shows would you like to see brought back from the dead? Share with us your most dearly missed shows below!

Well, Blast readers, we have 10 passes for “Year One” to give away, but this time, we’re going to make you work for them.

Submit the biblical story you would most like to see brought to the big screen — and which Hollywood actors you would cast as its characters — for a chance to win a pass to a Boston screening of the film. Send your entries to schwartz.t@blastmagazine.com. This contest ends Friday, June 12.

“Year One” stars Michael Cera and Jack Black and hits theaters June 19.

Michael Cera, the final piece of the “Arrested Development” movie puzzle, has agreed to star in the film, E! Online reported yesterday.

Other “Arrested Development” stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Jessica Walter, Jeffrey Tambor and David Cross had all agreed to the film even though contracts have not yet been finalized and they have not seen the script (if it has even been written yet).

Cera had told MTV News in an earlier interview that he was not willing to sign on to the film until he saw the script and had emphasized the movie was a lot more hypothetical than people realized.

Inside sources confirmed yesterday for E! Online that Cera finally agreed to participate in the film.

Now that the full cast has signed on, Ron Howard told Ryan Seacrest that he is no longer allowed to disclose tidbits about the movie since it looks like it is definitely happening.

E! Online’s insiders told them the movie could happen as early as the end of this year. Mitchell Hurwitz is said to be writing and directing the film and Fox Searchlight is the studio.

Michael Cera is at that point in his career where everything he touches turns to gold.

That’s the main reason why “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” the film adaptation of the popular young adult novel, which settles at being a mediocre rom-com, will make money from the teenage demographic.

Michael Cera plays Nick, the only straight member of Queercore band The Jerk-Offs (tentatively titled). He is busy writhing in heartache after his too-hot-for-him girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena) tragically breaks his heart.

Norah, played by “The House Bunny” star Kat Dennings, is a friend but not a fan of Tris, but is the lucky recipient of Nick’s mopey mixed tapes after Tris throws them away. In fact, not only does she enjoy the music on the tapes, but she is halfway in love with Nick before she even meets him.

Therefore, by lucky coincidence, Norah picks Nick to masquerade as her “boyfriend” for the night to get back at Tris for implying that she had no chance to land a guy. Of course, Norah has no idea that this cute guy she has been eying all night and subsequently makes out with is Tris’s ex, but soon finds out when Tris, new boy in tow, jealously walks up and demands how the two know each other.

Ah, a night to never forget.

The whole story is supposed to take place over the course of one night, starting during the school day and ending at somewhere between six and eight a.m. the next day. Nick and Norah bond over a love for the band “Where’s Fluffy?” and spend a good portion of the night trying to find the band as well as her very drunk best friend (Ari Graynor).

The music in the movie which includes tracks from up-and-coming indie artists like Vampire Weekend and We Are Scientists, plays such an important role that it almost becomes ia character unto itself, perfectly matching the feel of the film.

“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is cute, no doubt. Cera and Dennings have an awkwardly comfortable and honest chemistry that reflects how normal teenagers would respond to the film’s outrageous situations.Their characters don’t fall in love at first sight. Nick is still getting over Tris, and Norah is dealing with an ex-with-benefits (Jay Baruchel) that she can’t quite get rid of. In fact, the two of them don’t get along most of the night; Norah is angry and jealous that Nick can’t seem to direct his focus away from Tris when it so clear that it is Norah that he should be with, and Nick is annoyed that Norah keeps making irritated comments about how bad Tris was for him.

Comedic relief comes in the form of Nick’s gay bandmates (who know a lot more about how to handle a heterosexual relationship than either Nick or Nora) and Norah’s quickly and extremely intoxicated best friend Caroline (Graynor) who they chase around New York City for the large portion of the film.

Cera is not as funny here as he was in previous ones like “Superbad” and “Juno,” which is a bit disappointing. He still manages to channel the awkward, nerd charm that has put him at the tops of teen heartthrob lists nationwide, but his performance felt a bit lacking.

Similarly, Jay Baruchel let his brief role fall flat as he was only a huge jerk. Baruchel, who did great in the recent comedy hit “Tropic Thunder,” could have created more of an interesting and funny character instead of cashing in on the stereotypical romantic comedy “bad guy.”

“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is nowhere near being this year’s “Juno,” but it offers a cute and healthy alternative to a generation that thrives off the delicious smut of “Gossip Girl” and the teenage pop that is Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.

The biggest problem with “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is that it stays well within the bounds of a normal teen rom-com. It doesn’t go above and beyond, nor does it fail in creating a cutesy teen movie. The movie has the potential to be really great, even original, but settled with just being all right.

These are the movies Blast is excited about seeing in the month of October:

Rachel Getting Married

Who: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Tunde Adebimpe, Debra Winger

What: Kym (Hathaway) returns home for her sister’s wedding and bring back years of family tension and personal problems with her. What should have been a happy weekend is sent towards disaster once Kym gets into the mix.

When: October 3

Why: Hathaway’s performance (a complete 180 from her typical girlish comedic fare) has been being talked about for an Oscar nod since talk first surfaced of her role.

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

Who: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges, Danny Huston, Gillian Anderson, Megan Fox

What: Based on the novel based on the true story, the film follows the story of Sidney Young (Pegg) who is hired by a big time New York magazine. Young enters high society and makes a complete fool of himself, catches the attention of Sharp editor Clayton Harding (Bridges) and lands himself a job. Instead of schmoozing with everyone like he is told, Young makes a fool of himself and sets himself on the fast track to destruction.

When: October 3

Why: Pegg has a great sense of humor when it comes to making comedies. Also, the book, which is written by the real Sidney Young, is supposed to be hysterically funny. It’s been too long since our last great satire.

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Who: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Alexis Dziena, Ari Graynor, Aaron Yoo, Jay Baruchel

What: Nick (Cera) is a musician in a Queercore band struggling to get over his ex. Norah (Dennings) is trying to keep an eye on her drunk best friend. They meet up, make out, and then end up going on the wildest search of their life to try to find their mutually favorite band.

When: October 3

Why: We’ve already seen the movie, and it’s really cute. Not the greatest thing ever, but Michael Cera deserves your $10 for his performance.

Body of Lies

Who: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe

What: Based on the novel of the same name, the film is about CIA operative Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) who uncovers a lead on a terrorist leader suspected to be working out of Jordan, and has to enlist the help of CIA veteran Ed Hoffman (Crowe) and the head of Jordanian intelligence. Ferris has to figure out whether these men are truly his allies, or whether he has put his operation and safety on the line.

When: October 10

Why: It looks a bit over-the-top, but DiCaprio is having a serious comeback, and his chemistry with Crowe looks phenomenal. Also, Ridley Scott (who is directing) always brings the best out of Crowe.

Max Payne

Who: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Chris O’Donnell, Beau Bridges, Ludacris

What: After Max Payne (Wahlberg) finds his family killed and he himself is left for dead, he comes back to take his vengeance on those who have sought to destroy him: both natural and supernatural.

When: October 17

Why: We saw the presentation on it at Comic-con and, trust me, it looks AWESOME.

W.

Who: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks, James Cromwell, Ellen Burstyn, Thandie Newton, Richard Dreyfuss

What: Oliver Stone directs an autobiographical film chronicling the life of President George W. Bush from his college days until his presidency.

When: October 17

Why: A seemingly-critical autobiographical flick about the life of George W. Bush directed by Oliver Stone starring Josh Brolin? Oh, I am so there.

Pride and Glory

Who: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich, Jennifer Ehle

What: Norton and Farrell are brothers in a multi-generational New York City police family, where one finds the other embroiled in a case that causes them to choose between their loyalties to each other and their loyalties to the department.

When: October 24

Why: This will be one of those underrated-but-awesome Colin Farrell flicks (“In Bruges”), accentuated by the fact that it co-stars Ed Norton.

Changeling

Who: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Kelly, Colm Feore

What: Christine Collins (Jolie) comes home one day in 1928 Los Angeles to find her son, Walter, gone. Five months later, Walter is found and returned to her by the LAPD. However, the boy who is returned to her is not her son. Thus ensues a battle between her and the police department, who try to convince her that the boy is in fact her son.

When: ‚ October 24

Why: This newest Eastwood film stirred up a lot of interest at Sundance this year, and the trailer looks eerie. This looks to be one of Jolie’s best performances yet.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Who: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson

What: Lifelong platonic friends, Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks), decide to direct and star in their own homemade porno to solve their financial woes.

When: ‚ October 31

Why: 1. Kevin Smith creation. 2. Seth Rogen starring. 3. Elizabeth Banks, who two weeks previous stars as Laura Bush in “W.” Talk about diversity. 5. Star Wars spoof porno.

In a last minute move, Juno will join the best movies of the year list because of how teenage pregnancy is shown in a smart, comedic, but still dramatic way. Many have said the film is quirky and they couldn’t be more accurate. Every cast member exemplifies their character and the music, played at just the right moments, gives the movie an "indie film meets Hollywood studios" characteristic.

Juno MacGruff (Ellen Page) is a promiscuous high school girl who wants to try sex and decides to do so with her best friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). Her trial ends up in an unexpected pregnancy and a need to mature fast to decide between having an abortion or a baby. Juno opts to give the child up for adoption.

The process of interviewing parents is entertaining since Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman play the young materialistic couple considered for the position effectively. Garner passes off great as a busy cosmopolitan and Bateman’s free spirited personality shows the truth about couples not always being on the same page.

Another interesting relationship is that of Juno’s parents. As she tells her folks of the pregnancy and grows larger in size, audiences can see where this teen gets her dry sense of humor about her situation. Juno’s parents are unsurprised and understanding, to the point of admitting that having sex was probably not Paulie’s idea. Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons play parents that are concerned but in a way clueless and vulnerable.

Overall the film portrays the preoccupying issue many teens have to deal with, with optimism and authenticity; without making audiences think that sex and its consequences are easy to handle.

Page’s performance is exemplary, truly showing that her success in Hard Candy was not just beginner’s luck. As a director Jason Reitman’s sophomore production worked well with the script of ex-stripper Cody Diablo. Diablo’s life experiences probably helped write a witty script that made for a great film. Rated PG-13 this is the last must-see movie of the year.