Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Release Date: August 13, 2010
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Jason Schwartzman, Chris Evans
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 112 minutes


The Slant / The stuff that dreams are made of...

Wow! I went into this movie with limited expectations - I had never really heard of the graphic novels and I've grown somewhat tired of Michael Cera in recent outings. He keeps playing the same character in all of his movies and it began irritating me. Here, as Scott Pilgrim, Cera really shines. However, the acting (which is phenomenal all around) isn't the only thing that makes Scott Pilgrim vs. the World the most enjoyable movie of 2010 so far; the film's style really sets it apart.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World makes no bones about what it is; a fun, stylized graphic novel adaptation that doesn't take itself too seriously. Cera stars as Scott Pilgrim, a 22-year old bassist in a fledgling band living in the frozen wasteland of Toronto, Canada. He is still struggling to get over an ex-girlfriend from a year ago who broke his heart, and to help get past his breakup woes, he has turned to dating a 17-year-old high school student named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong). Pilgrim is constantly derided by his bandmates and his gay roommate Wallace (played with wicked irreverence by Kieran Culkin). You get the feeling that Pilgrim knows his relationship with Knives is doomed to end poorly, but it beats being alone. However, everything changes when he catches the glimpse of a mysterious pink-haired girl roller skating through his dreams...


If you've seen the trailers, you know that the movie chronicles Pilgrim's battles with the Seven Exes of this mysterious girl, who we soon see in the flesh as Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). To discuss the specifics of the movie's plot would ruin some of the best scenes and lines of dialogue from the film, so I'll embark on a quick rehashing. Scott finds his dreamgirl and embarks on wooing her, only to discover that to truly have a relationship with her he must fight her Seven Deadly Exes, who have apparently organized into a supervillain group a la the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. It doesn't matter if these exes only dated Ramona for a day or a week; they will fight any new competitor for her heart.

If that premise sounds ridiculous to you, don't worry; you're not the only one. Still, in a movie like this, things don't have to make sense. Just sit back and enjoy the ride as Scott fights the seven exes to win the right to date Ramona. All is explained in a way that renders the plot understandable, even reasonable. The amazing fight sequences are broken by great dialogue and even a heartfelt story about recovering from a difficult breakup to find new love. I wouldn't go so far as to call Scott Pilgrim vs. the World a romantic comedy in the usual sense of the term, but it definitely has all the trappings for one, though the comedic elements far outweigh the romance.

The film's only real downside is the fact that it opens so strongly and fixes a permanent grin so indelibly on your face throughout the first 3/4 of the movie, that there is a bit of a letdown in the film's final quarter. The opening fights are better than those at the end, which feel somewhat anticlimactic. Still, there is so much witty dialogue and humorous imagery strung throughout that many audience members might not even notice this small final-act letdown.


Video game and comic book nerds will probably find the most enjoyment from this movie. There are a lot of great references to nerd culture strewn throughout the film, such as Pilgrim's bass rendition of the Final Fantasy II theme and the fact that enemy baddies explode into coins after being pummeled into submission. However, this movie should appeal to more than just niche fans. The dialogue is great, the fight sequences are superbly edited, the music is loud, and the movie's style is dazzling. As earlier mentioned, the actors (particularly Cera, Winstead, Culkin, and Captain America himself Chris Evans) bring joy to their roles and really seem to be having a good time, which is infectious for those of us in the audience. I can't recommend Scott Pilgrim vs. the World more highly. It may not be the best movie of the year (see Inception), but it is the most fun. I'll be picking up the graphic novels when I have the chance!