Movie Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Yes, I finally saw the film a few days ago, and have just gotten around to writing down my thoughts. If you have heard a few episodes of the podcast, you know that I thought I was too old for the book. I had reached a certain point where I didn’t really care about a slacker’s crush on a girl, or how “revolutionary” it’s storytelling style was by incorporating video games. I liked the story devices, and thought the art style and panels were a clever storytelling technique, but I just didn’t take to it.
Upon hearing the news of there being a Scott Pilgrim movie, I didn’t much care. I was glad another comic book property that other readers enjoyed would be making its way to theaters, but past that nothing. And then I learned Edgar Wright would be directing. Game on. I am a huge Edgar Wright fan. I own all his directorial projects with exception to some of the guest directing TV shows he did for BBC. And after thumbing though the book again, I knew that would be a perfect match. The swift transitions and quirky humor that defined Spaced would be well-honed technique for this movie.
And it served well. The quick edits and fast jokes keep the movie from getting too serious, and help viewers stay immersed in the world that Brian Lee O’Malley wrote and illustrated. The graphic insertiosn like the character bios and other effects help define the movie as “Scoot Pilgrim”, and were a contributing factor to this movie’s ability to be entertaining on repeat viewings. Michael Cera was a point of contention for some fans and I can sympathize to a degree. The guy hasn’t been able to stretch his range, so he seems to be playing the same guy over and over. However, his delivery and timing are spot on. While he wasn’t the Scott Pilgrim from the comics, he was a more enjoyable one to me. What turned me off about the main character was his slacker ways, and his ignorance. The movie cuts much of that (probably for time and pace) and between the smart edits and Cera’s performance Scott became a character I could become interested in.
The cast itself is loaded with talent: Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Anna Kendrick, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, and Jason Schwartzman. Two members that’ stole the show were Kieran McCulkin for his role as Wallace Wells (gay roommate) and Ellen Wong for her portrayal of Knives Chau. She was exactly as I had read her. Cute, heart crushing, and spunky. McCulkin delivered brilliant moments every time he was on screen. Classic performances that made the movie a gem to watch. Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s performance as Romona Flowers was exactly as I had read her too. Perfect casting, with great acting to follow up with true portrayals of the characters that readers are familiar with. There are several cameos that stand out, but for the sake of those who haven’t watched the film yet, I will leave the better one anonymous.
So was it good? Yes. And even as a reader that felt “too old” to appreciate the books, I loved watching it. It didn’t seem like the drippy adventures of a lazy man-boy, but a young guy on a Street-fighter-inspired quest to conquer a girl’s heart. My wife and I are still hitting each other up with quotes, and laughing at scenes that happened in the movie (Window diving). It was funny, fast-paced, energetic, emotional, and just plain fun. It ranks high on my Summer Movies of 2010 list, and I would bet dollars to donuts that it will be a permanent fixture on the turner networks. A year from now you will be able to turn on TBS or TNT and this will be playing.
