Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Review

"An epic of epic epicness" - Tagline

Looks like something just tied Inception as my movie of the year. I really shouldn't be surprised. This comes from filmmaker Edgar Wright (director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) one of the most inventive guys making movies, so what can you expect? Greatness that's what. He may have already hit his magnum opus with his lastest film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Really this movie is one of a kind. I don't know if it is one of the greatest movies ever made (many in the nerd, and I mean MEGA nerd, kingdom will hail it as THE greatest movie or something), but it certainly is one of the most fun movies to come out in a long while.

The story of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a simple tale of love. Boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, girl's seven evil exes do battle with boy over control of girl's romantic future... maybe it is not that simple. So yes, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a nerdy bass guitarist in Toronto, Canada who has a love at first sight encounter with oddly hairstyled American girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and he has to literally fight to keep their relationship stable as Ramona's exes have formed a league to destroy Scott. What ensues in the process are a series of monumental brawls in a world of unusual and somewhat cartoonish circumstance, almost as if the world's ultimate fanboy dropped a shit ton of acid.

Now for once I will say that the real treat in this film is not the acting but the style. This movie's style is almost beyond comparison. The only way I can put it is: Quentin Tarantino, Brian De Palma, David Lynch, Kevin Smith would probably climax at this shit and be ashamed they thought they made a ton of references in their films (okay, maybe exaggerating but I don't care). Props to Edgar Wright for joining Christopher Nolan as one of this century's top new filmmakers. Upon seeing promos for the movie, I knew I wanted to watch but didn't know if it was going to be good because I had no idea if even a director with a style as high velocity as Wright's could make the madness I was seeing briefly flow in a way that was almost cartoonishly coherent. I mean this is set in a world where real logic is almost completely absent. I don't want to give away too much of the insanity that goes on. I will say that Scott Pilgrim is the supremely choreographed, energetic, perfect blend of comic books, video games, movies, alternative rock, and martial arts. Seriously, there is so much to take in I don't even know if I could describe it. That may be one of this film's drawbacks for some however, because some of these things will go over people's heads. Not everyone is gonna get why Scott's band is called "Sex Bob-omb" or the "Nega Scott" scene. I wouldn't be surprised if a helluva lot of stuff went over my head too. It is that culture laced. I forgot to mention, the whole basis of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is from the comic book of the same name created by Bryan Lee O'Malley, who I imagine is at the top of the subcultural food chain having been the mind behind this beast.

The acting isn't Oscar worthy in the movie, but it works solid for this movie and all of the characters are enjoyable. Michael Cera recites his repetitive acting routine once again as the title character, a selfish, arrogant, and overdramatic bastard who somehow manages to keep you on his side for most of the movie. Yeah, enjoy your time as a badass Cera, for not even this can make me forget you were, and have remained as far as I'm concerned, George Michael Bluth from Arrested Development. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who I don't think has made an appearance since Death Proof, plays the mysterious and emotionally detached Crying Lightning girlfriend very well. She really needs more roles, if this isn't enough proof. The most badass of the Culkin family, Kieran Culkin stars as Scott's "cool gay friend Wallace...who's gay!" a wise roommate who doulbes as a sort of droll fight announcer. Ellen Wong has a hilariously bittersweet role as Scott's infatuated recent ex with the badass name of Knives Chau. Everything involving her is so sad but so funny. Allison Pill, Johnny Simmons, and Marc Webber round out Scott's neurotic garage band. Oscar Nominee Anna Kendrick has a small but effective role as Scott's sister.

However I think the biggest treat for the people going to see this will be The Seven Evil Exes. Each one of them shows up almost out of nowhere, they make big entrances, show themselves to be wholly unique characters, and deliver on a huge epic fight. Every fight is amazing and you have no idea how the next one will be as good as the one you just saw, but somehow every new fight surpasses the other in awesomeness. It is fantastic. I am the not the first to say that where most films try to cram two or three villains into a movie and have it come off unconvincing, this one has over seven and they are all fun as hell. Three exes will be enjoyed the most in particular: Chris Evans as a macho skateboard champ/A list actor; Brandon Routh as a stoic telepathic vegan; and finally Jason Schwartzman (in what might be his best role since Rushmore) as the "big boss" I suppose. The Exes are the icing on the cake for this movie, without a doubt.

Still, with this feast of amazing proportions under my chin, there is, looking back, things that kind of brought me down. Immediately after watching it I felt as if this was going to be the Napoleon Dynamite of action movies, where you either love it or hate it. But now that I think about it, there were things that made it less satisfying. Two in particular: Michael Cera and the hipster overkill. Now I've been a long time defender of Michael Cera, I've always thought he was funny in his own awkward, weird, Peter Lorre's son kind of way. But his delivery with the very hipster dialogue and his position as this sort of badass didn't mesh well for me. I know it's sort of the point when he's put into these roles and most of the time I don't care, but here it really just took me out of the movie a lot. I just wanted to slap him most of the time. I would've believed it if he used his Francois personality from Youth in Revolt, now that would've been badass. Then there's the hipster stuff. To put it simply, being this is a very hipster classified movie, the hipster emphasism was overkill in the worst ways. I'm what could generally be called a hipster and it was way too much for me sometimes. Then again they are in Canada in the movie. Who knows maybe hipsters are a little more hardcore up there. They don't sully what is good about this movie, but they really do annoy me enough to make this review only slightly lower.

In short, though it has its few problems like any great movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is an absolutely exhilerating and hilarious experience. Honestly though, this might as well have been called The World Revolves Around Scott Pilgrim, he is some dweebish 23 year old child in a rock band that is actually good, is revered by most, has hot girls all over him, has a whole netherrealm to hide in when feeling down, and is peculiar enough to get into monumental battles with mystical super villains. He's got a lot more going for him than most. Even so, go watch it right now. It is not an experience you will regret. In fact, alongside Avatar and Inception, it is probably one of the most thrilling experiences you are sure to have. Three and a half bob-ombs.

This has been the third review as of late from Your Modest Guru. Thanks for reading and I hope you'll be watching.