Dude... awesome....
You know if Scott Pilgrim really does happen in real life, Imma be starting more fights just so that I can turn them guys into coins and buy myself a Pontiac. But anyway, there's been debate amongst my friends if this movie sucked or not and I can see the appeal from both angles, but more on that later.
So this movie is actually based on a comic book series about Scott Pilgrim who meets and begins dating this totally hot chick, Romona Flowers but in order to win her heart, Pilgrim is going to have to fight and defeat her 7 evil ex-boyfriends. Yes yes it sounds retarded but seriously, what video game or comic book storyline isn't?
The biggest star of this movie is undoubtedly Edgar Wright, who is slowly becoming one of my favorite modern comedy directors. You may remember him for making Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. So far, Wright is 3-for-3. This motherfucker combined this film with so many colorful genres like video games, comic books, frat comedy, kung fu movies, rock n roll movies and typical rom coms. Now this usually would have been a disaster to balance but in the context of Scott Pilgrim, all these elements were executed flawlessly.
The visuals are orgasmic, a real treat for anyone who has loved classic video games. Watching Scott Pilgrim was pretty much experiencing a whole slate of video games in one seating. We have energy bars and level up icons popping out of the air, we got dudes bursting into coins when they die and every sound effect in the film is accompanied with text. Retardedly stupid? Yes. But again, in the context of this film.. all this worked. Edgar Wright did a superb job in breaking the conventions of how a film should be made and still work it into a way that entertains in it's own wacky way.
Speaking of wacky, didn't appreciate the campi-ness of the film. The comedy was fast moving, tongue-in-cheek but mostly just flat out lame. And I do not attribute any of this to the writing of the film but to the actors. Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead have no comic timing. Cera is playing his usual self of being an impute, low self-esteem, squeaky kid. So many good jokes were wasted on him because he just can't deliver anything with punch. Mary Elizabeth Winstead was totally a none character in this other than to be the perfect sexy ass Scott Pilgrim needs to fight for.
The better characters in this was actually the villains. Brandon Routh and Chris Evans were hilarious in the 5 combined minutes they were on. Which brings me to another thing. How the fuck did Michael Cera beat Superman and Captain America in the same fucking movie?! Oh well, anyway.. Chris Evans as anyone knows can turn any line into comedy gold, sometimes without intention. Brandon Routh on the other hand was quite a surprise. His character was just as lifeless in tone as Michael Cera but it made it funny when he delivered funny lines because it hits the audience in a WTF way.
The fight scenes were a little too much for me. It's tight editing mixed with the flashy effects and lights made it seemed almost like a bombardment of the senses on the scale of Revenge of the Fallen. And keep in mind, we go through this 7 times in the movie, at the end, you'll feel just as exhausted as the characters fighting in this.
This is by no means Edgar Wright's masterpiece but it is a very entertaining, endearing, lo-fi mess that understands it's genres and makes no apologies for it. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is lunacy with flash and noise but ultimately delivers heart.
RATING: 8/10
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