Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Movie Review)

Movie Review
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2010
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Directed by: Edgar Wright

Let’s all hope that Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the apex of geek comedy and that this genre of film completely disappears soon. It’s not that Scott Pilgrim is a horrible movie but many people either wont get many of the jokes and feel a sense of apathy towards the picture or will just plain hate it. It’s littered with references only a few can appreciate and enjoy. Only the hardcore Scott Pilgrim fans will truly enjoy it. Otherwise, it might be a better idea to hold onto one’s money.

24-year-old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) thinks he’s fallen in love with the woman of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). However, many things stand in his way; his current girlfriend Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), his overt awkwardness, and her seven evil exes who are itching to crush Pilgrim into non-existence. Pilgrim needs to literally fight for the love of his life.

Let’s start with the bits of the movie that are enjoyable. Kieran Culkin does a great job acting as the Wallace; Scott’s roommate who happens to be gay and also a swarmy jerk who feels the need to comment on everything. However, unlike in most other movies that have the same type of character, Culkin plays it so well and the timing of the delivery is so dead-on that the character isn’t irritating. In fact, hopefully for the DVD release, they have Culkin, in character, add commentary to the entire movie as a separate audio track. Winstead is fantastic as Ramona Flowers. Even though the film doesn’t do enough to tell her story, she is so radiant on screen that it’s understandable why everyone is fighting over her. The rest of the cast, for the most part, is quite strong and play their parts well.

Another really interesting thing about the film is some of the techniques used to tell the story. Ramona’s hair plays into things big time as there are many scenes where she and Scott are in a crowded space but you can always tell where they are because Ramona’s hair is highlighted for people to see. It does a really good job at separating her (and Scott, when he’s with her) from just being just another person in the crowd. It makes it seem like that character is special and stand out when gathered with an anonymous bunch of people.

Some of the scenes where new characters are introduced are also very well done. Most notable out of all these scenes is the one where Envy’s (Brie Larson) band is playing and we’re introduced to the next evil ex, Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh). The quick shots between the characters and the beat of the song make the entire situation very tense. The body language of Ramona and Todd are really well done as it feels as if there is something major about to happen.

The almost infinite amount of video game references are neat if you’re big into gaming but won’t be worth much for those who’s gaming repertoire consists of Wii Sports and Farmville. But, then again, this movie isn’t really made for anyone except for the video game geek demographic. That’s all well and good for a smaller release but Scott Pilgrim is a major theatrical release and therefore is going to miss the mark with many. Although some may be able to find something in the movie worth caring about other than video game references, the movie relies too heavily on gaming culture and prevents other elements of the production to stand out. The story is a bit weak (with an awful and convoluted ending that was horribly scripted). The fight scenes, while cool at first, feel tired by the end (perhaps they should have gone with three evil exes instead of seven). If the movie runtime was cut in half and tightened up, it would have been a better film. However, nobody would pay to see a 45 minute film based on video game references.

Although the worst part of the movie was Michael Cera. His acting range is a killer here as all his emotions look and sound the same. The only difference is the volume of his voice. That’s not acting; that’s called whispering and yelling. The lines written for Cera are just as pathetic as his acting. His geeky dialogue which has become a trademark of his no longer sound fresh or edgy. They sound lame and unimaginative.

The biggest issue with Cera is actually not his fault. Scott Pilgrim, the character, is an unlikable guy. Within the first few minutes of the film, it’s established that he’s: a jerk, a pedophile, a sleaze, and a mooch. Why would anyone want to see this guy succeed? He’s not all that nice a guy and the movie actively shows on several occasions what a scummy guy he can be. He cheats on his girlfriends and then dumps them when he tires of them. He’s doesn’t seem to care much about those around him other than himself and seems to lack any moral compass. That’s not the recipe for a character people are supposed to care about; that’s how you create someone you’re hoping gets killed off by a velociraptor or something like that.

When it comes down to it, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a movie geared solely for those who enjoy the Scott Pilgrim comic books. There might be enough video game references to satisfy a few video game geeks unfamiliar with Scott Pilgrim but, beyond that, there’s not much to this movie. There’s very little in the way of substance. While there are some creative cinematic techniques that really make the movie stand out at times, the story and script ultimately sink this film. Feel free to add two stars to this review if you’re a huge Scott Pilgrim mark and maybe an extra star if you get giddy by hearing The Legend of Zelda theme music. Otherwise, for the rest of us (the majority of movie watchers), the review stands as is; not good.

☆☆