Movie review Monday Part 1: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Calling all geeks and gamer types! Your big movie of 2010 is finally here.
It has taken almost 5 months for quirky comic adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to reach South African cinemas. In fact we’ve been waiting so long that the film is already out on DVD and Blu-ray in North America.
Anyway, I can state confidently upfront that Scott Pilgrim will not be a movie for everyone. It’s a true cinematic oddity – an indie hipster romantic comedy tossed into a blender with a Capcom fighting game, an old school Sega platformer, a touch of Tony Hawk Pro Skater and the essence of Cartoon Network’s most offbeat, adult-accommodating shows. However, despite, or, more likely, because of its weirdness, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World is definitely a movie that will leave you with a big grin on your face… particularly if you’re of a generation that grew up lounging in front of 8-bit video game consoles, or whiled away hours in a dingy arcade, your pockets heavy with coins or tokens.
Sticking closely in terms of plot, dialogue and cartoonish visual flavour to its source material – Bryan Lee O'Malley’s graphic novel series – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World centres on 22 year old slacker, bass guitarist and Toronto resident, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). Despite being a hit with the ladies, Scott has never truly recovered from his breakup with rock star ex-girlfriend Envy Adams (Brie Larson). This changes when Scott meets emotionally aloof American Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and immediately falls in love. However, before Scott can be with Ramona he must dump his sweet high school girlfriend Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) and fight Ramona’s 7 evil exes – the majority of whom are also in the indie music scene.
Directed by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz’s Edgar Wright, a known geek director with a penchant for stylishly edited genre mash-ups, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World bounces between the mildly surreal and sublimely ridiculous. At the same time though, the film tackles adult relationships, complicated dating histories and related trust issues with a surprising amount of realism – which gives Scott Pilgrim an emotional heart identifiable for the audience. Wright just chooses to use “juvenile,” cartoonish elements to convey his points.
It also doesn’t hurt that that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World features a very likeable, comedically talented cast of actors under 30. While haters of Cera’s self-conscious dweeb routine certainly won’t be converted here, the interactions and witty, rapid fire dialogue between Scott and the various people in his life really make the movie. There are many clever, amusing visual references to gaming culture in Scott Pilgrim, but often the funniest moments are the simplest – stemming from verbal exchanges between characters.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a wild ride. It’s one of the wackiest movies you’ll watch this year, but it’s also one of the most enjoyable. Once you get over that first shock of blatant geek fantasy of course! Despite critical acclaim, Scott Pilgrim wasn’t a success at the box office. It’s destined to become a cult favourite though, and it deserves to be seen on the big screen for its full, intended impact. Often literally.
It has taken almost 5 months for quirky comic adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to reach South African cinemas. In fact we’ve been waiting so long that the film is already out on DVD and Blu-ray in North America.
Anyway, I can state confidently upfront that Scott Pilgrim will not be a movie for everyone. It’s a true cinematic oddity – an indie hipster romantic comedy tossed into a blender with a Capcom fighting game, an old school Sega platformer, a touch of Tony Hawk Pro Skater and the essence of Cartoon Network’s most offbeat, adult-accommodating shows. However, despite, or, more likely, because of its weirdness, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World is definitely a movie that will leave you with a big grin on your face… particularly if you’re of a generation that grew up lounging in front of 8-bit video game consoles, or whiled away hours in a dingy arcade, your pockets heavy with coins or tokens.
Sticking closely in terms of plot, dialogue and cartoonish visual flavour to its source material – Bryan Lee O'Malley’s graphic novel series – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World centres on 22 year old slacker, bass guitarist and Toronto resident, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). Despite being a hit with the ladies, Scott has never truly recovered from his breakup with rock star ex-girlfriend Envy Adams (Brie Larson). This changes when Scott meets emotionally aloof American Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and immediately falls in love. However, before Scott can be with Ramona he must dump his sweet high school girlfriend Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) and fight Ramona’s 7 evil exes – the majority of whom are also in the indie music scene.
Directed by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz’s Edgar Wright, a known geek director with a penchant for stylishly edited genre mash-ups, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World bounces between the mildly surreal and sublimely ridiculous. At the same time though, the film tackles adult relationships, complicated dating histories and related trust issues with a surprising amount of realism – which gives Scott Pilgrim an emotional heart identifiable for the audience. Wright just chooses to use “juvenile,” cartoonish elements to convey his points.
It also doesn’t hurt that that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World features a very likeable, comedically talented cast of actors under 30. While haters of Cera’s self-conscious dweeb routine certainly won’t be converted here, the interactions and witty, rapid fire dialogue between Scott and the various people in his life really make the movie. There are many clever, amusing visual references to gaming culture in Scott Pilgrim, but often the funniest moments are the simplest – stemming from verbal exchanges between characters.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a wild ride. It’s one of the wackiest movies you’ll watch this year, but it’s also one of the most enjoyable. Once you get over that first shock of blatant geek fantasy of course! Despite critical acclaim, Scott Pilgrim wasn’t a success at the box office. It’s destined to become a cult favourite though, and it deserves to be seen on the big screen for its full, intended impact. Often literally.
Comments
I really enjoyed this movie, then again, I was perfectly primed to see it.
If you end up getting the same version of the DVD that NA/Europe got the extra features are really sweet.
I'm going to wait and see what's on the local Region 2 version of the DVD. If it's a dud, I'm totally importing Region 1 because Scott Pilgrim is definitely a movie for every geek's collection. Such an awesome, crazy, fantastic-to-quote ride:)