Empire's Scott Pilgrim Vs The World Movie Review

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Prepare to feel the wrath of Edgar Wright's best film yet...

Plot
Scott Pilgrim (Cera) is a jobless, aimless 22 year-old who plays in a garage band and is dating a high-schooler (Wong). When he sees Ramona Flowers (Winstead) he falls head over heels – but he’ll have to fight her seven Evil Exes in order to win her hand. Fight!

Review

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Here’s another great film of 2010 which takes place partly – or possibly entirely – within the leading man’s head. Scott Pilgrim, however, is a more feverish film than Christopher Nolan’s stately action movie, this one jittery with caffeine and high on the cluelessness of youth. Does Scott Pilgrim know what he’s doing? Absolutely not. But he may learn more, and figure out more, than Dom Cobb ever managed.

Edgar Wright’s film opens with a flickering assault of neon-bright, acid-scrawled titles accompanied by a blast of noise. If this assault on the senses is too much, leave at once, because while the following film has a wonderfully real-world sensibility at times, full of inept characters whose attempts at witty repartee just keep falling flat, it’s also punctuated by bursts of day-glo action, each fight an excuse to delve into a new arcade game style and deliver another burst of music.

The genius of the film is that Wright’s style, and the work with his editors Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss, somehow allows the slacker, 90s characters and the bananas action to hang together. The cuts flow seamlessly from crummy apartment to scummy nightclub to wire-fu, airborne extravaganza, punctuated with blocks of comic book text and onomatopoeias straight out of the Adam West Batman series. The result is closer to Spaced with a few extra zeroes on the budget than Hot Fuzz or Shaun; Wright’s filmmaking feeling perversely smoother and more relaxed than it did on either of those outings. The bad news is that we’re going to see other filmmakers trying to ape this feel for years to come, and it’s highly unlikely that any of them will succeed in nailing the magical realism of the tone here, lifted – like much of the dialogue and not a few shots – straight from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comics.

And after years of wondering why Hollywood can’t ever quite succeed in making a decent video game adaptation, Scott Pilgrim appears to confirm what Crank and the like had already suggested: it’s entirely possible to make a video game movie, as long as you don’t bother basing it on a game. There’s a deep and abiding love of gaming running through this, from the Street Fighter-like tableaux at the beginning of each fight (a ghostly “Vs” hanging in the air between the two opponents) to the touches of 8-bit animation in many of the fights. For fans of gaming (which this writer emphatically isn’t) there are no doubt in-jokes galore, but you’ll barely need to have walked past an amusement arcade to appreciate the artistry with which games and movie have been welded together here.

Even if you don’t get the in-jokes, the film’s funny enough that it won’t matter. After an opening that’s sluggish only in comparison to what follows, the film remains consistently hilarious until the last few, more serious minutes. The sprawling cast are most responsible for this: Kieran Culkin as Wallace, Scott’s roommate, lands the funniest one-liners, but each Evil Ex brings a special touch of ridiculousness. Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha) showcases Bollywood-inspired dance movies amid the furious punches; Lucas Lee (Chris Evans) nearly steals the movie as the ego-inflated Hollywood star with a growly, almost Bale’s-Batman voice; Brandon Routh does briefly steal it as vegan psychic Todd. That every member of the supporting cast comes away feeling fully fleshed out in only moments of screentime is a testament to great casting – Mark Webber as Stephen Stills, for example, looks uncannily like his comic counterpart – but also to great work by that cast.

Still, there’s a love triangle at the centre of the movie that remains its heart and soul. As Scott Pilgrim himself, Michael Cera abandons his usual thinky, neurotic pose to play utterly thoughtless and simply panicked. Pilgrim, bless ‘im, is one of the dumbest heroes of literature in recent years, and Cera manages to hide his intelligence almost completely – and to convince in the fight scenes to boot, spinning and diving with the best of them. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, as Ramona Flowers, suffers under the sort of horrendous wig that even a member of Twilight's Cullen family would reject as unflattering, but still manages to make Ramona Flowers neither paragon nor bitch. Of the main three, however, it’s newcomer Ellen Wong as 17 year-old Knives Chow who is the revelation, playing so impossibly lovely that you almost root against Scott’s chances with Ramona.

Whether Scott Pilgrim will connect outside its target audience, the sort of late ‘20s / early ‘30s types who lived this life a few years back, remains to be seen, but if there’s any justice it should. Whatever the naysayers claim, this is not a film of style over substance but a film about taking responsibility, learning to see the effects your own actions have on others, and ultimately growing up. It’s that coming-of-age story that ultimately makes Scott Pilgrim work, and it’s that that will make it resonate long after the dazzle of its innovative filmmaking has faded.

Verdict

Reviewed by Helen O'Hara

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Average user rating for Scott Pilgrim Vs The World

Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Expertly paced, incredibly smart, and just all-out fun, Edgar Wright's adaption awakens the teenager in all of us with it's touching and kinetic story and lovable characters. An instant cult classic. ... More


Posted by norgizfox at 02:43, 24 January 2013 \| Report This Post



So disappointing!
I was really looking forward to this and then the trailer and review only fueled my excitement. But at the end of the day this wasn't funny at all, and Cera who I usually find quite charming was very annoying. To call this film a Classic is an insult to other films that have received 5 stars. Stick to your Zom-coms wright! ... More


Posted by guysalisbury at 14:43, 19 July 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
I finally got around to watching this the other week, having bought it cheap in the sales. Pretty good fun - I've read the first installment of the books (never got round to buying the rest...yet) so had a pretty good idea of what to expect, fairly hip, funny, video game-style fun. I think a lot of criticism came from the "so hip it aches" style, and it that sort of thing hacks you off then it's well advised to steer clear of it, but if you can let that slide, it's a couple of hours of go... More

Posted by Super Hans at 20:26, 08 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
L: jobloffski A fun, quirky film, with a very clever central idea: when you meet someone who has a string of failed relationships, your awesomeness must be awesome enough to overcome their feelings about getting into a new relationship as a result of their feelings about their exes. You spark off memories of their exes, and if they fall in love with you it's because one by one, you have 'defeated' their exes. This is the process of meeting/falling for someone depicted with more wit and... More

Posted by OPEN YOUR EYES at 10:01, 08 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
A fun, quirky film, with a very clever central idea: when you meet someone who has a string of failed relationships, your awesomeness must be awesome enough to overcome their feelings about getting into a new relationship as a result of their feelings about their exes. You spark off memories of their exes, and if they fall in love with you it's because one by one, you have 'defeated' their exes. This is the process of meeting/falling for someone depicted with more wit and knowledge of people th... More

Posted by jobloffski at 09:36, 08 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
The Expendables? That's like comparing Time Bandits and Commando it just doesn't make sense I'm glad I only tended to post in Joypad and Grandstand back then, had I read this at the time then me and this place would be done professionally. ... More

Posted by Harry Tuttle at 19:22, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
Yeah, my brain melted. Basically a lot of the subtext was "I don't get it! Therefore it must be shit!" ... More

Posted by Rgirvan44 at 19:18, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: Rgirvan44 L: Hood_Man L: Rgirvan44 Still a damn fine film. And this thread in retrospect was hilarious. ing through it now, my favourite bit so far is darkness12 insulting everyone and trying to be heard while everyone just ignores him ote] As you could tell...he was an old "friend". started reading the thread from the start but had to give up. The Expendables comparison still boggles my fucking brain. ... More

Posted by Harry Tuttle at 19:16, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: Hood_Man L: Rgirvan44 Still a damn fine film. And this thread in retrospect was hilarious. ing through it now, my favourite bit so far is darkness12 insulting everyone and trying to be heard while everyone just ignores him ote] As you could tell...he was an old "friend". ... More

Posted by Rgirvan44 at 19:14, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: Rgirvan44 Still a damn fine film. And this thread in retrospect was hilarious. ing through it now, my favourite bit so far is darkness12 insulting everyone and trying to be heard while everyone just ignores him ... More

Posted by Hood_Man at 18:13, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: rawlinson That makes it sound like his mother has a cock you keep knocking into. Which isn't far from the truth. ote] http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTdHlKDeV-HkRqS e2QuP0OOfCSEO_xjYmuT6cZdnjejYd34seeIZpB7Sy7v ... More

Posted by OPEN YOUR EYES at 16:25, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
That makes it sound like his mother has a cock you keep knocking into. Which isn't far from the truth. ... More

Posted by rawlinson at 15:58, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: rawlinson That's not a nice way to talk about Monstercat. ote] It's ironic because I'm usually the one cock knocking his mum ... More

Posted by Harry Tuttle at 15:54, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: rawlinson That's not a nice way to talk about Monstercat. ote] (Insert Inception squint picture here) ... More

Posted by MonsterCat at 15:45, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
That's not a nice way to talk about Monstercat. ... More

Posted by rawlinson at 14:50, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
Double post. ... More

Posted by Harry Tuttle at 14:48, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: clownfoot L: shool Do Hipsters still have to wear glasses even if they've got 20/20 vision? sn't that being a cocknocker, rather than being a hipster? he phrases are interchangeable... ... More

Posted by Harry Tuttle at 14:48, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: shool Do Hipsters still have to wear glasses even if they've got 20/20 vision? sn't that being a cocknocker, rather than being a hipster? ... More

Posted by clownfoot at 14:47, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
OH MY GOD! ... More

Posted by OPEN YOUR EYES at 14:35, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: rawlinson Yup. It's for people who like masturbating to The Exorcist. h, that's perfect for me. #TheSexorcist ... More

Posted by MonsterCat at 14:30, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: shool L: rawlinson L: shool What about Boob tubes? hat about tubular boobs? hat sounds like the result of an industrial accident. ote] o far we've discovered that hipsters like Rugrats, indie music, glasses, tubular boobs and scaring Expendables fans. I think I'd like to be a hipster. ... More

Posted by rawlinson at 14:30, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: rawlinson L: shool What about Boob tubes? hat about tubular boobs? hat sounds like the result of an industrial accident. ... More

Posted by shool at 14:27, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: MonsterCat Wasn't that a Mike Oldfield album? up. It's for people who like masturbating to The Exorcist. ... More

Posted by rawlinson at 14:26, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
L: MonsterCat I don't think so... Boob tubes? es, the hipster litmus test is whether you think that they are symbols of female insecurity, low self-esteem, and lack of cultural intelligence and independent thinking... apparently. ... More

Posted by shool at 14:26, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Review
Wasn't that a Mike Oldfield album? ... More

Posted by MonsterCat at 14:23, 06 March 2012 \| Report This Post



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Scott Pilgrim Vs The WorldPrepare to feel the wrath of Edgar Wright's best film yet...

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Prepare to feel the wrath of Edgar Wright's best film yet...