Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Directed by Edgar Wright
Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Ellen Wong, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, and Jason Schwartzman.
Backstory
Edgar Wright is one of those filmmakers where I’m constantly told that I’d enjoy his work, but I haven’t been able to experience it yet. Still haven’t seen Hot Fuzz, still haven’t seen Shaun of the Dead, have yet to see a single episode of Spaced. But then the trailers started popping up for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and I started thinking, “This looks pretty cool.” And then, when the reviews from the nerd community were overwhelmingly positive, I knew I had to check it out. Would it be as awesome as the trailers showed?
Plot
Scott Pilgrim is a young 20-something in Toronto. He spends his days rehearsing with his band Sex Bob-Omb, and he’s still getting over a devastating break-up that happened over a year ago. He soon starts dating a high school girl, much to his friends shock and dismay. But then, he starts seeing this girl in his dreams, and is shocked to learn that she’s real — the mysterious Ramona Flowers. He then begins pursuing Ramona, but discovers she some serious baggage. If they hope to live happily ever after, he must defeat her seven evil exes in combat. Will Scott be able to defeat the seven evil exes? Will he and Ramona have a future together?
What I Liked
As you can tell by the trailers, the film’s visual flair comes from how the battles with seven evil exes are portrayed…they take the form of epic video game battles. But that’s not all. The film is full of little touches like that, from a Sims-like “pee bar” appearing whenever someone has to use the bathroom, to an entire scene that riffs on Seinfeld. But besides great effects and appropriate pop culture references, these are actual characters on the screen. The film is a loving ode to that period in your early 20s where you’re throwing off the last vestiges of childhood and fully becoming a grown-up. I saw of lot people I knew once in those characters on screen, and it brought about happy flashbacks to my college days.
What I Didn’t Like
Not gonna lie to you…I didn’t have a Nintendo growing up. Didn’t have a Sega either. So a lot of the jokes and references to the 8-bit era of gaming were actually over my head.
Final Assessment
One of the few films this summer that left me feeling fulfilled. It’s just a good time at the movies, and I recommend you see it.